Final Day in Shetland Isles (this trip)

The last day of our trip started sadly as Catherine had to take her very old cat to his final rest but she put her brave face on.

We visited Robert's cottage at Riskaness where David's great uncle lived and where David visited his family in 1953. It's right on the voe and a beautiful location, even though it was very blustery.

After a cuppa we headed off for lunch then a final visit with Mattie before catching the ferry home.

Day 6 in Shetland

We started today with a lesson in Bannock making (recipe on request)

Then we went to the Walls church hall for lunch

Where I bought a dog walking hat

Later in the evening Catherine and Finlay entertained us and a few of David's relations with a cup of tea (and other refreshments) in front of a peat fire.

This morning's breakfast was sasser maet with our bannocks and beans

1880ish map showing the original Bruntskerry Croft

Left to right:- the new house with poly tunnel in front; the old church where David's grandparents were married; and the old croft building

The end of our time here in Shetland, we sail to Aberdeen tonight. I can't thank our wonderful hosts enough, they have housed us, fed us, supplied us with drink, driven us all over the islands, found relations for me and generally made our holiday superb. I nearly lapsed into dialect and replaced each us with a wis! There have been times when we needed an interpreter.

Day 5 in Shetland

Another lazy morning blogging and researching (aka chatting) before a bacon bap lunch and setting out to see more of the islands.

First stop a wild and blustery Twatt graveyard where we knew there was a relative buried, my great aunt Willamina and her husband, parents of the lady I had met the day before.

Me finding the right grave, after taking photos of the wrong one with very similar names!

We drove on and from the far hillside got a good view of Scoard Side in Tresta where my grandfather was living with the rest of the family in the 1901 census. Mattie has told me that my great grandparents lived there till their death and she has fond memories of the gardens there and peeping over the bushes as a "peerie bairn",

Scoard Side is the tiny white house in the centre of the picture

Zooming in on Scoard Side

We drove on through beautiful dramatic scenery to through Reawick to Skeld and Westerwick then back towards Tresta.

Skeld

Westerwick

After a brief visit to show us where they cut their peats, Finlay, our amazing chauffeur/tour guide took us on to Scalloway where he managed to get hold of the key to the castle, after opening hours and took us inside.

This wonderful scenic trip continued across bridges to visit another two of the Shetland Isles, Trondra and Burra. From here we could look back up the coast to the dramatic cliffs we had viewed earlier at Westerwick. We also caught a glimpse of a secluded, white sandy beach before heading north again to Lerwick for tea in the Ghurka restaurant. Even later we popped in to see Wilma and Jim for a drink and a catchup. Without our amazing hosts we could never have hoped to get such an insight into the scenery and culture of these beautiful islands,

Day 4 in Shetland

We spent a lazy morning doing further research on computers and writing up the previous day's activities.

After lunch we headed off to the old croft where David's grandfather was born and raised. Sadly it is only a ruin but still identifiable as a very small dwelling for a family with many children.

Then we drove down to Jamieson's Mill (www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk ) Because the family are connected to Catherine and Finlay by marriage we were privileged to a guided tour of the full process from raw fleece through to production of wool garments and retail outlet.

Special point in the day was a visit to meet the closest surviving relation of my grandfather, a wonderful lady who remembers her grandfather (my great grandfather). She told me about his character, which is something that can't be gleaned from the lovely photos that her daughter has given me, and also where he lived up until his death, Needless to say I got emotional.

Shetland Day 3

Today we set off for a long adventurous day travelling ever northward.

But firstly we stopped in Aith to look at the church memorial which includes my grandfather's two half brothers, lost at sea during the 1st World War.

Memorial at Aith Church to Arthur and James William Harrison

We continued northward and arrived just in time to board the ferry to Yell then drove on again to catch the next ferry to Unst, the most northerly inhabited island of Britain.

To make sure that we caught the ferries we hadn't managed to stop for lunch so when we saw the sign, "Tuesday Teas" it was irresistible. This is a tradition in Shetland and well worth stopping for. In a little church hall tables were set out with lovely china and plates of sweet and savory scones and plates of cakes with unlimited tea or coffee, all for £3.50 a head, magic!! 

We drove on again looking at spectacular scenery and spotting the most northerly bus stop in Britain

until Finlay spotted a caravan parked by a little beach.

 It turned out to be good friends of theirs so we stopped for a coffee and chat looking straight out over the bay where the sea was churning round the headland as this is where the Atlantic meets the North Sea. Wendy said that the previous day they had spotted dolphins and Minke whales from the clifftops.

We headed back by ferry to Yell and drove to Aywick where my grandafther's family were born and where Finlay and Catherine's son Mark is living now.

We suddenly realised that the next ferry was in 20 minutes but Finlay is an excellent driver and even I, a nervous passenger, felt safe bouncing along at XX mph!! We caught the ferry, avoided a 90 minute wait and more importantly made the 8pm dinner booking!

Day 2 in Shetland

How Exciting? After looking round the Shetland museum (including a Wright's Biscuit tin labelled as imported goods) and lunch my visit to the Shetland Family
History office opened new avenues of research.

1st more information of 2 great uncles both 'lost at sea' during 1st World War. Then being shown published details and photographs of them in Shetland's Roll of Honour.

These were the first photographs I had ever seen of my Grandfather's Shetland Family and even though they only shared a father I could immediately see a resemblance, not only to him but to my immediate family.

The evening brought more revelations and even more photos.

Because David had already established a network of relations here in the Lerwick area, Catherine had a arranged a get together in a local hall " for a cup of tea and a yarn"! To add to this she used her vast local knowledge, contacts and a few phone calls to invite one of my relatives. Even at such short notice a very pleasant lady and her husband arrived bearing a clutch of amazing photos, including a very clear studio portrait of my Great Grand Parents. It became a very enjoyable but emotional night.

But even more revelations followed.

Back in Finlay and Catherine's house we started to delve deeper in the Bayanne website which has an amazing function to explore possible relationships between individuals. Hey Presto! Catherine and I are 7th cousins, twice over, and at about the same distance I am related in 4 separate descents to her daughter in law!

1st day in Shetland

Beautiful sea crossing from Aberdeen to Shetland. We left in full sunshine which lasted through dinner looking out to a flat sea.

David Grey

Woke this morning in Lerwick in one piece despite falling while trying to negotiate bunk side and ladder in the middle of the night. No prizes for guessing why I had to get up!!

We were met in Lerwick by Finlay and Catherine, David's cousin and our hosts for the stay. They very kindly drove around Lerwick pointing out places of interest and on the drive out towards their house we passed the church where my Great Grandparents were married in 1894.

The place names along the way were an immediate source of amusement!!

 Finlay falling over laughing