Opening Highlights: Outwith Exhibition in Pictures
Outwith: Valda, MacDiarmid and Whalsay is now open at Shetland Museum and Archives running until 20 June 2026.
We’re proud to collaborate with the National Library of Scotland to present this landmark exhibition.
A big thank you to everyone who came along to Friday night’s preview - Alexa Fitzgibbon captured the atmosphere so beautifully, and we hope you enjoy her photographs. We can’t wait to welcome you to this special exhibition.
Focusing on the nine transformative years (1933–1942) that Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid and his wife Valda spent in Whalsay, the exhibition explores how island life shaped both their creative and personal story.
Despite poverty, ill health and isolation, MacDiarmid produced half of his life’s writing here, deeply influenced by Whalsay’s landscape, community and solitude. Central to this story is Valda’s strength and resilience: her determination and resourcefulness sustained family life and made this remarkable period of creativity possible.
Through original manuscripts, personal letters and recollections, visitors can discover the lived experience behind the poetry.
Explore the spaces that shaped their lives, from MacDiarmid’s writing environment, to Valda’s domestic world; see the original fourareen that carried him to Linga, inspiring 'On a Raised Beach' - widely regarded as a masterpiece of 20th century literature.
We were delighted to celebrate the opening with a special preview event last night, bringing together partners, lenders, contributors and the local community who helped make this exhibition possible.
Featuring loans from the National Library of Scotland, artefacts and community contributions from Whalsay History Group, and visual art by Alexander Moffat RSA and Ruth Nicol RSW.
