The early historic period was dominated by Scandinavian influences,
especially Norway, and the islands did not become part of Scotland until the
fifteenth century. When Shetland became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain in
1707, trade with northern Europe decreased, although fishing has continued to
be an important aspect of the economy up to the present day. Now part of the
United Kingdom, the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly
boosted Shetland incomes, employment and public sector revenues.
The local way of life reflects the joint Norse and Scottish heritage
including the “Up Helly Aa” fire festival (lots more about this later).
As Scandinavia’s population expanded, land and resources became short in
supply, Vikings also expanded so the Norse gradually shifted their attention
from plundering to invasion. Shetland was colonised during the late 8th and 9th
centuries and the fate of the existing indigenous population became uncertain.
Vikings made the islands the headquarters of pirate expeditions carried out
against Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland.
From the early 15th century, Shetlanders sold their goods through the
Hanseatic League of German merchantmen. The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted
fish, wool and butter and import salt, cloth, beer and other goods. The trade
with the North German towns lasted until the 1707 Act of Union when high salt
duties prohibited the German merchants from trading with Shetland. Shetland
then went into an economic depression as the Scottish and local traders were
not as skilled in trading with salted fish. Some local merchant-lairds,
however, took up where the German merchants had left off, and fitted out their
own ships to export fish from Shetland to the Continent. For the independent
farmers of Shetland this had negative consequences, as they now had to fish for
these merchant-lairds.
Smallpox afflicted the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, but as
vaccines became common after 1760 the population increased. British rule,
however, came at price for many ordinary people as well as traders. The
Shetlanders nautical skills were sought by the Royal Navy: some 3,000 served
during the Napoleonic wars from 1800 to 1815 and press gangs were rife. By the
late 19th century 90% of all Shetland was owned by just 32 people, and between
1861 and 1881 more than 8,000 Shetlanders emigrated. The passing of the
Crofters’ Act in 1886 enabled those who had effectively been landowners' serfs
to become owner-occupiers of their own small farms.
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| Leif "Shetland" Larsen-Norwegian leader of the Shetland Bus operations in World War II. The most highle decorated allied naval officer of the war. |
During World War II a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the "Shetland
Bus" was established by the Special Operations Executive to conduct
operations around the coast of Norway.
About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered and the
Shetland Bus conducted covert operations, carrying intelligence agents,
refugees, instructors for the resistance, and military supplies. It made over
200 trips across the sea with Leif Larsen making 52 of them.
Oil reserves discovered in the later 20th century in the seas both east and
west of Shetland have provided a much needed alternative source of income for
the islands. Today, the main revenue producers in Shetland are agriculture,
aquaculture, fishing, renewable energy, the petroleum industry (crude oil &
natural gas), the creative industries and tourism.
Fishing remains central to the islands' economy today; with the total catch
being 75,767 tonnes in 2009, valued at over £73.2 million. Mackerel makes up
more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value Farming is mostly
concerned with the raising of Shetland sheep, known for their unusually fine
wool.
Taxes from the oil have increased public sector spending on social welfare,
art, sport, environmental measures and financial development. Shetland's access
to oil revenues has funded the Shetland Charitable Trust which in turn funds a
wide variety of local programmes. The balance of the fund in 2011 was
£217million (about £9500 per head).
So…
..that’s just a little of the diverse culture and unique history of the
Shetlands, however, I wanted to explain a little more about the Picts, Brochs
and Up Helly Aa. The young people of the Shetlands educated me on all three
during my stay and I found it fascinating to listen to as they were excited to
share the history and stories.
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| A 19th Century history book drawing of what a Pict may have looked like. |
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Medieval Celtic
people living in ancient eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association
with the geographical distribution of brochs, place name elements, and Pictish
stones, and I had the opportunity to see all three during my visit. Picts are
recorded from before the Roman conquest of Britain until the 10th century, when
they are thought to have merged with the Gaels. By the 11th century the Pictish
identity had been subsumed into the "Scots" amalgamation of peoples.
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| A Pictish Stone with ornate carvings-possibly 2000 years old. |
The Brochs on the Shetlands fascinated me. A broch is an Iron Age drystone
hollow-walled structure of a type found only in Scotland. Brochs include some
of the most sophisticated examples of drystone architecture ever created. Their
origin is a matter of some controversy. The theory that they were defensive
military structures is not accepted by many modern archaeologists while the
alternative notion that they were farmhouses is dismissed by some others.
Although most stand alone in the landscape, some examples exist of brochs
surrounded by clusters of smaller dwellings. There is controversy about whether
or not brochs were roofed. That said, the Brochs that can be seen now were
built about 2000 years ago and are still standing – they are unique; they are
only found in Scotland and one of them remains standing almost as it was 2000
years ago! The word broch is derived from Lowland Scots 'brough',
meaning (among other things) fort. In the mid-19th century Scottish antiquaries
called brochs 'burgs', after the Old Norse meaning for fort; borg.
The Shetland Amenity Trust lists about 120 sites in Shetland as candidate
brochs, while The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of
Scotland identifies a total of 571 candidate broch sites throughout the
country. Researcher Euan MacKie has proposed a much smaller total for Scotland
of 104.
Thee origin of brochs is a subject of continuing
research. Sixty years ago most archaeologists believed that brochs, usually
regarded as castles, were built by immigrants who had been displaced and pushed
northward, first by the intrusions of Belgic tribes into what is now south-east
England towards the end of the second century BC and later by the Roman
Invasion of southern Britain from AD 43 onwards. Yet there is now little doubt
that the hollow-walled broch tower was purely an invention from what is now Scotland,
or that even the kinds of pottery found inside them that most resembled south
British styles were local hybrid forms.
Most of the towers were built in the 1st centuries BC and AD. Brochs vary
from 5 to 15 metres in internal diameter, with 3 metre thick walls. On average,
the walls only survive to a few metres. The Broch’s walls on the Isle of Mousa
in the Shetland Islands are the best preserved and are still 13 m tall; it is
not clear how many brochs originally stood this high.
Up Helly Aa (www.uphellyaa.org)
is a tradition that originated in the 1880s and has been an annual occurrence
in the Shetland calendar since then, less a few exceptions. Throughout the day
history is celebrated and there is involvement for all ages. Up Helly Aa refers
to any of a variety of fire festivals held in Shetland, annually in the middle
of winter to mark the end of the yule season. The festival involves a
procession of up to a thousand guizers in Lerwick and lower numbers in the more
rural festivals, formed into squads who march through the town or village in a
variety of themed costumes.
The current Lerwick celebration grew out of the older yule tradition of tar
barreling which took place at Christmas and New Year as well as Up Helly Aa.
Squads of young men would drag barrels of burning tar through town on sledges,
making mischief. After the abolition of tar barrelling around 1874–1880,
permission was eventually obtained for torch processions. The first yule torch
procession took place in 1876. The first torch celebration on Up Helly Aa day
took place in 1881. The following year the torch-lit procession was
significantly enhanced and institutionalised through a request by a Lerwick
civic body to hold another Up Helly Aa torch procession for the visit of the
Duke of Edinburgh The first galley was burned in 1889.
The procession culminates in the torches being thrown into a replica Viking
long-ship or galley. The event happens all over Shetland and is currently
celebrated at ten locations. After the procession, the squads visit local halls
(including schools, sports facilities and hotels), where private parties are
held. At each hall, each squad performs its act, which may be a send-up of a
popular TV show or film, a skit on local events, or singing or dancing, usually
in flamboyant costume.
The first Up Helly Aa leader was elected by his fellow guizers in 1882 and
was given the title of Worthy Chief Guizer. His role as one of substance and
importance grew and in 1906 it was decided to purchase a Viking suit or armour
and other accoutrements for the chief, and from then on, to call him the Guizer
Jarl. There is a committee which a person must be part of for 15 years before
one can be a Jarl, and only one person is elected to this committee each year.
The Guizer Jarl and his squad have to design and make their own suit. Each
year the suit is different which poses a challenge ensuring uniqueness each
time. Each year a new shield is designed and manufactured to match with the
costume or highlight the theme which the squad has chosen to represent. The
Jarl Squad also make weapons each year to accompany the suit and shield and
this also varies from a selection including axes, swords, spears, daggers, bows
and crossbows.
Improvements were made to the outfit over the years and worn or damaged
clothing, helmet, axes and daggers have been replaced and in keeping with a design
from the 1930s. Each year the suit of armour (helmet, breastplate, shield, axe,
dagger and belt) are passed down to the next Jarl. The Jarl chooses his own
design for his kirtle and cloak in colours that will both contrast and
highlight him from his squad.
The Jarl Squad consists of the Guizer Jarls squad who are the same group of
men that normally participate in the festival amongst the other 45 squads.
Squad numbers range from 16 to a maximum of 25 guizers. The Guizer Jarls squad
can range from 50 to up to 70 guizers.
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| With the Junior Jurl and his guizer squad in their full ceremonial uniform |
The importance of sharing this history with you is that on Day 207 of my
BRIT 2012 mile walk I was supported by the Junior Jarl and his guizer squad in
full ceremonial costume and I had the honour of being presented with their 2012
Shield as a keepsake of my day on the Shetlands. I was delighted to be joined
by Sea Scouts, Scouts, College Students, representative of the Shetlands to the
Scottish Youth Parliament, College Students, young athletes and members of the
community. It was a super morning and I was absolutely delighted to spend so
much time talking to young people from across the Shetlands.
I left the Sports Stadium where I then travelled to the beautifully ornate
Town Hall where I had the honour of presenting Shetland College http://www.shetland.uhi.ac.uk/
students with their graduation certificates. I had the pleasure of meeting
Bobby Hunter, the Lord Lieutenant of the Shetlands at the Sports Stadium in the
morning, together with Director of Shetland College, Professor David Gray and
Operations Manager, Sue Smith.
It was great to spend time with David and I was delighted to be offered the
full support of Shetland College to our future BRIT Facebook campaign. My time
on the Shetlands was absolutely tremendous and the warmth and kindness made my
stay even more special.
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| A wonderful reception at the Shetland Islands |
My end to Day 207 didn’t quite go according to plan; fog lead to all
flights being cancelled last night, so I stayed an extra night, flew to Orkney
this morning, drove across to catch a ferry from Orkney to Mainland Scotland
and then drove three hours to Nairn in preparation for tomorrow and Day 209.
I finished Day 208 with 679 miles to go,
Best wishes,
Phil