Inside Category History
Where is Shetland?
Where is Shetland? Well, it depends who you ask. "In the north Atlantic" is the most likely answer, but it isn't the only one, ...
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Witchcraft in Shetland
Between around 1615 and 1680 Shetland was afflicted by a mania that was disturbing other parts of Europe. Ordinary Shetlanders and ...
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Beltane Festival
We're all familiar with calendar customs. Those we have in Shetland today (with one notable exception in late January!) are identical ...
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The Man Behind the Lowrie Stories
Sometime in the 1920s a middle-aged businessman in Lerwick began to write stories. He didn’t write about his native town. The hero ...
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His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
We are saddened to hear of the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
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Why burn peats?
As part of the Between Islands project, Shetland’s new online exhibition, ‘Fair Game’ examines three customs that are now ...
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The Bohemian Girl
In 1843 White’s, a firm of Quaker shipbuilders, launched a schooner, 125 tons, 104ft x 22.5ft x 12ft, the Bohemian Girl.
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Celebrating International Women's Day: Britta Laurenson
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Here Jenny ...
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Get Your Skates On!
The weather has changed, the temperature risen, wind and rain are back, the frosty winter fun gone. In 1909 though, one organisation ...
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A present from Lerwick?
Some artefacts are interesting for what they tell us, and others are simply nice to look at. Here's one that's both. On the face of ...
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Why hunt whales?
Pilot whales were important to islanders’ survival, providing many useful products. Subsistence whaling was unpredictable, because ...
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St Sunniva's Tableware
The pandemic meant no cruise liners came to Lerwick, but not many Shetlanders realise that an important one lies on the seabed at ...
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Winter Sports
We’ve had a fine spell of weather of late, snowy, frosty, crispy. Out for a walk one day I was told someone had been spotted skiing, ...
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Northwest Passage
On the 26th of June 1576, three ships anchored near St Ninian’s Isle. These were the Gabriel, a twenty-five tonne barque, the ...
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Why hunt fowl?
As part of the Between Islands project, Shetland’s new online exhibition, ‘Fair Game’ examines three customs that are now ...
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