John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Date of Tour:	13/06/2016
Country:	United Kingdom
Port:	Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Excursion Code:	114003B
Excursion Duration:	3hrs
Departure Time:	08:45
Return Time:	11:45
Adult Price:	£29

Tour Description
The ancient fishing port of Lerwick is the cultural and administrative hub of the Shetland Isles, the most northerly Islands in Britain. Situated amidst an archipelago of islands with strong maritime links, the town has fascinating stories to tell as well as unique vernacular architecture to discover. The town itself dates from the 17th century when it began to grow as a trading port for Dutch herring fishermen. Local merchants built Lodberries - houses and warehouses, each with its own pier, from which they could serve incoming fishing boats directly from their own property - these are still there today, along the harbour front.
Overlooking the harbour, you see Fort Charlotte - built in 1665 and later rebuilt in 1780 - named after Queen Charlotte, George III’s consort. Fine views over the harbour can be gained from the Fort which, though not in use today, was once a prison and a Royal Navy reserve base. 465 German passengers were once billeted here after the ship Lessing, bound for America, was shipwrecked off the Fair Isle in 1868.
The Victorian Town Hall on Hillhead Street displays fine architecture and offers a delightful insight into the development of the Islands through its stained glass windows - these depict the main events in Shetland’s history, in pictorial narrative.
Opened in June 2007, the Shetland Museum provides an interesting insight into island life, past and present. You will enjoy some free time to view the various displays about local archaeology, folk life, social and maritime history, as well as exhibitions of contemporary art.
You also explore the intriguing ‘closses’ (narrow lanes), which run from the harbour area to the top of the hill, home to many secret tales from the lives of the town’s inhabitants, including the smugglers who used to run clandestine operations beneath the town. This walking tour will allow you to take in all of these highlights, and provide an excellent backdrop for further exploration of the town.

Important Notes
On foot. Min 15/Max 30.
Please note: This tour involves approximately 3 hours of walking/standing, up steep lanes and over cobblestones. Sturdy walking boots and waterproofs are essential. Warm, layered and comfortable clothing is recommended. If the ship is docked at Holmsgarth pier, the Port Authority Shuttle Bus will be used to transport you to the starting point for the tour.

Date of Tour:	13/06/2016
Country:	United Kingdom
Port:	Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Excursion Code:	114001A
Excursion Duration:	3hrs 30min
Departure Time:	13:30
Return Time:	17:00
Adult Price:	£41

Tour Description
Shetland is the crossroads of the northern seas and is unlike anywhere else in Scotland. The sight and sound of the sea is almost always present, woven into the Island’s maritime heritage. Spectacular vertical stacks coated with seabird colonies, cliffs and coves curtained with wild flowers, hidden white beaches on an endless coast, small crofts and settlements sheltering by the sea edge are typical Shetland scenes. The pollution-free air has an unbelievable clarity beloved of photographers and painters.
You leave Lerwick and travel to the Pictish Broch at Clickimin, where you stop to view on foot (in the distance) a good example of a Broch Tower with surrounding buildings dating from the Iron Age. The tour then continues through Gulberwick and Over and heads in a westerly direction through small agricultural areas, passing the distinctive black and brown Shetland sheep grazing in pastures enclosed by neat dry-stone walls, which are a feature of the landscape. You then drive across heather-clad hills to Scalloway, former capital of the Shetlands and an important fishing village on the western side of Shetland. During free time you may wish to see Scalloway Castle, a forbidding ruin dominating the town, built by Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600 using forced local labour.
Travel through an area of uninterrupted views across farmland, small lochs and streams. The road passes a collection of farm buildings, and then suddenly there are belts of trees, the only ones of any significance on Shetland, rising abruptly amongst the barren hills. On the way back to Lerwick, a short stop is made at Shetland Jewellery, where traditional Shetland gemstones are still hand-crafted in the Celtic and Norse-inspired fashions.

Important Notes
By coach/on foot. Min 35/Max 135.
Please note: This tour involves approximately 150m (490ft) of walking. Weatherproof clothing and non-slip shoes are recommended. This tour may operate in reverse order to that described.

“Your daily programme”








“Tender Safety Notice”


We got up ca.6am — breakfast, etc. We picked up tender tickets in the Marco Polo lounge at 8am, as instructed in Your daily programme, and our ticket number was called for us to board the tender towards 8.30am. The ship was anchored close to the harbour, so the transfer ashore only took ca. 10 minutes.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:33:00
Looking back at MS Marco Polo from the tender


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:41:36
Lerwick: welcomed ashore by a duet of fiddlers on Victoria Pier


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:54:06
Lerwick from Victoria Pier


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:54:42
MS Marco Polo at anchor

Our group of nearly twenty persons met Deborah the guide towards the shore end of the pier. She wore a yellow high-visibility vest with “GUIDE” printed on the back. There was also a man with us, similarly attired, but with “ESCORT” on the back. Deborah led us ashore and pointed out landmarks, giving explanations and histories. She spoke “received pronunciation” English, so was plainly from England not local-born.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:57:24
Lerwick: old merchants’ houses along the shore

She led us first the 100 yards or so to the east end of the Esplanade, where we stood outside the old tollbooth, built in 1767. Today the lifeboat station, it had in its time also been a police station, a post office, and a fishermen’s mission hall.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 08:58:42
Lerwick: the old tollbooth

Walking through the alley to the left of the old tollbooth, we turned left and walked the length of Commercial Street. To our left the houses, which had been merchants’ premises and warehouses, were built with their far side rising directly out of the sea[i] — the so called “lodberries”, where boats would have moored and unloaded straight into the merchants’ warehouses.

[i] Or I should say “the strait” (Bressay Sound, between Mainland and Bressay).

Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:02:00
Lerwick: former merchants’ premises with “lodberries”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:03:18
Lerwick: former merchants’ premises with “lodberries”

At the end of Commercial Street, we stopped in front of the Old Manse, reputedly Lerwick’s oldest house.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:08:50
Lerwick: the Old Manse, 9 Commercial Street


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:09:42
Lerwick: shag in characteristic wing-drying pose on a buoy


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:11:02
Lerwick: looking back along Commercial Street at the last of the former merchants’ premises with “lodberries”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:11:30
Lerwick: looking ahead along Twageos Road
Overturned boat serving as a garage roof

We turned right just before the Old Manse and went uphill along a ginnel, turning right at the top into Greenfield Place, where we stopped outside the Episcopal Church on the right and, farther along, the Kirk on the left.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:23:56
Lerwick: “The Scottish Episcopal Church: St. Magnus”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:25:12
Lerwick: “The Scottish Episcopal Church: St. Magnus”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:26:34
Lerwick: bluebells in the garden directly opposite the Episcopal Church


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:29:20
Lerwick: “St. Columba’s Church of Scotland”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:29:20 (detail)
Lerwick: “St. Columba’s Church of Scotland”

We continued into Annsbrae Place, before going off to the right, mainly descending, through the maze of “closses”, many of which had two names.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:32:40
Lerwick: house in Annsbrae Place


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:41:02
Lerwick: “Law Lane formerly Sherriff’s Closs”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:41:02 (re-edited)
Lerwick: “Law Lane formerly Sherriff’s Closs”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:41:44
Lerwick: closses


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:44:14
Lerwick: closses


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:48:00
Lerwick: closses


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:48:20
Lerwick: closses

We came out on Hillhead Street, where we turned right and proceeded northwards to the Town Hall. Deborah went in to check whether we could see inside, for a council meeting was in progress. We were allowed in, if we would keep quiet, and saw the hall upstairs, where stained glass windows depicted the history of Shetland.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 09:54:02
Lerwick: Shetland Library, Hillhead, formerly St. Ringan’s United Presbyterian Church


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:01:48
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:02:06
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:02:32
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs: the left window in “10:02:06”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:02:44
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs: the window in “10:01:48”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:03:08
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs: the “Marriage Window”
When Princess Margaret (daughter of King Christian I of Norway, Denmark and Sweden) married King James III of Scotland, Christian loaned Orkney and Shetland to the Scottish crown in pledge of a dowry, which was never paid, so they remained under Scottish rule ever thereafter.


Postcard depicting the “Marriage Window”


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:04:18
Lerwick: Town Hall — main hall upstairs


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:05:56
Lerwick: Town Hall — stained glass window midway up the staircase


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:07:08
Lerwick: Town Hall — staircase


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:07:28
Lerwick: Town Hall — entrance hall with stone low-relief coats of arms


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:07:40
Lerwick: Town Hall — entrance hall with stone low-relief coats of arms


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:08:14
Lerwick: Town Hall — coat of arms of Edinburgh in the entrance hall


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:11:26
Lerwick: Town Hall

We set out, turning right to go to Fort Charlotte. Deborah pointed out the nearby King George V playing fields over to the left, where on the last Tuesday in January every year they celebrate “Up Helly Aa”, which culminates in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a galley. The following day is a public holiday in Lerwick to allow its participants to recover!


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:16:18
Lerwick: Entering Fort Charlotte


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:19:24
Lerwick: Town Hall seen from Fort Charlotte


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:19:40
Lerwick: Fort Charlotte


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:26:12
Lerwick: Fort Charlotte


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:26:42
Lerwick: Fort Charlotte


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:27:08
Lerwick: view from Fort Charlotte
Background: TV and radio mast on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:27:24
Lerwick: MS Marco Polo seen from Fort Charlotte
Background: Bressay ferry terminal

From there we went to the area of the docks on the north side of the town. The group was going to visit Shetland Museum and Archives there for another hour or so; but because we had another excursion booked this afternoon, we decided to take our leave at this point.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:36:36
Lerwick: docks on the north side of the town


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:42:52
Lerwick: Shetland Museum and Archives

With one wrong turn leading to a dead end we found our way back to the Esplanade, passing Fort Charlotte on our way to the pier to board a tender boat.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:51:46
Lerwick: Fort Charlotte from the Esplanade


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:52:58
Lerwick: Albert Building, Esplanade
Background, left: TV and radio mast on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:55:22
Lerwick: town centre

When we got to the pier, we found that a tender had just tied up, with passengers disembarking; so we boarded as soon as we could.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 10:56:10
Lerwick: tender discharging passengers

I was thirsty when we got back aboard the Marco Polo, so I had a Fanta orange-flavoured soft drink in the Captain’s Club and Janet had a Coca Cola Light (11:20), before we went to Marco’s for lunch. Back in the Captain’s Club I had an “American” coffee (11:50), but Janet didn’t have anything. We went back to the cabin before going down to board a tender.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 12:52:12
Aboard the tender


Monday 13 June 2016 — 12:52:42
Aboard the tender

We boarded a coach, which set off ca.1.30pm. The guide was a young woman who spoke with an accent that I would have taken to be Glaswegian; but it was evident, from her later demonstration of Shetland dialect, which used many Norse words as well as Lowland Scots ones, that she was local. We left Lerwick to the north, then after a brief detour to the west, continued north, with firths (or in the context of Shetland, perhaps I should say “voes”) to our right.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:38:08
Views from the coach


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:40:02
Views from the coach


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:42:28
Views from the coach


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:43:12
Views from the coach

The road curved around to the west then the south, where we saw something rare on Shetland: trees! The windy weather (not the Vikings for once!) was given as the cause of the lack of trees, except for very stunted ones. We passed through Weisdale, and stopped for a visit to Shetland Jewellery.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:54:28
Views from the coach: trees!


Monday 13 June 2016 — 13:57:38
Views from the coach: trees!


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:08:52
Shetland Jewellery, Weisdale


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:13:32
Shetland Jewellery, Weisdale


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:13:32 (re-edited)
Shetland Jewellery, Weisdale


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:14:06
Shetland Jewellery, Weisdale: view east from the window


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:14:40
Shetland Jewellery, Weisdale

From there we went southwards, and just after the road started winding westwards we stopped at a viewpoint looking south-west over Whiteness Voe, and beyond White Ness itself, Stromness Voe.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:48:12
Whiteness Voe


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:48:24
(Left:) Whiteness Voe; (in the distance:) Stromness Voe


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:48:38
Stromness Voe


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:49:16
North end of Whiteness Voe


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:50:34
North end of Whiteness Voe


Monday 13 June 2016 — 14:50:54
North of Whiteness Voe

We passed Tingwall Airport on our left, then turned right, and right again, heading south. We passed Tingwall Kirk on our right, and Tingwall Loch then the smaller Loch of Asta on our left. Just after that, we stopped at a lay-by on the right, where there was a paddock with someone attending half a dozen or more Shetland ponies, and with them a young suckling foal — “Carol’s Ponies”.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:03:38
Views from the coach: Tingwall Kirk


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:04:12
Views from the coach: Tingwall Loch


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:05:12
Views from the coach: Tingwall Loch


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:11:20
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:11:52
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:11:58
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:12:22
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:13:42
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:16:16
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:18:48
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:21:52
Carol’s Ponies


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:22:42
Carol’s Ponies: view across the valley from there

It was just a short trip south of there to the town of Scalloway, where we had free time. Janet and I went to have a look at the Castle, built 1600–ca.1607 by the unscrupulous Patrick Stewart, Lord of Shetland and Earl of Orkney, using forced and unpaid local labour. They were made to add eggs to the mortar while they themselves were starving! Stewart was hated by the Shetland lairds, who complained to the king of his misrule of the islands. He was subsequently imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle, and executed in 1615.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:39:32
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:40:54
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:41:28
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:41:38
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:41:46
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:41:56
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:42:32
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:42:56
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:43:14
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:43:48
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:44:00
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:44:16
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:44:44
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:45:14
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:46:02
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:46:46
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:46:54
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:47:56
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:48:06
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:48:16
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:50:14
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:50:32
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:52:46
Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:53:40
Scalloway Castle

Janet went to the Museum, but I went across the road, west, to look at the harbour area, before myself going to the Museum, just north of the castle in Castle Street.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:54:36
Scalloway: harbour


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:56:02
Scalloway: harbour


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:56:54
Scalloway: view across the harbour


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:57:28
Scalloway: New Street


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:58:50
Scalloway: Museum in Castle Street

Behind the museum was a field with a couple of Shetland ponies in it, and beyond that was the East Voe of Scalloway.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:59:36
Scalloway: views across the East Voe of Scalloway


Monday 13 June 2016 — 15:59:50
Scalloway: views across the East Voe of Scalloway


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:00:26
Scalloway: Shetland pony


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:00:52
Scalloway: Shetland pony

We had a quick look round the museum: I bought a couple of postcards there, and Janet bought a packet of tablet (crumbly Scottish fudge).


Postcard: Shetland


Postcard: Scalloway Castle


Postcard: Scalloway

We stopped at a point overlooking the town for photographs, before proceeding eastwards back to Lerwick.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:25:20
Looking south-west: Scalloway


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:26:18
Looking south-west: Scalloway Castle


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:27:32
Looking north towards the Loch of Asta


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:27:42
Looking north-east: quarry in Outnabreck Hill

We’d entered the suburbs of Lerwick, when we turned left, stopping by a lake, Clickimin Loch, to look across the water to a stone roundhouse, its surrounding wall, and other structures, on a small peninsula jutting into the lake: the Broch of Clickimin.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:38:26
View from the coach, looking south-east: Broch of Clickimin
Background, left: TV and radio mast on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:40:20
Looking south-east: Broch of Clickimin
Background: TV and radio mast on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:40:38
Looking south-east: part of the Broch of Clickimin
Background: TV and radio mast on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:40:52
Looking south-east: main roundhouse of the Broch of Clickimin

Then we went back to the main road, and resumed the short remainder of the journey back to the pier in Lerwick, where we boarded a tender back to the ship.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:46:14
View from the coach, looking north: Broch of Clickimin


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:55:04
One of the tender crew takes a short break.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 16:55:12
Boarding the tender


Monday 13 June 2016 — 17:09:34
Approaching MV Marco Polo

Janet and I went up to the cabin, then to the Captain’s Club. I had a 40cl glass of Bitburger draught beer there and Janet a Coca Cola Light, before I ordered a Grappa as “aperativo” and a glass of house red wine to take through to Marco’s Restaurant for dinner (17:27, 17:43). Afterwards, in the Captain’s Club, we sat on stools at the bar. I had a Jim Beam bourbon whiskey as “digestivo”, a 40cl glass of Bitburger draught beer, and an “American” coffee, while Janet had a couple of Coca Cola Light (19:02, 19:12, 19:20, 19:54). Janet left me to get ready for bed, but I stayed and watched the Carmen piano and violin duo.[ii] A couple next to me were looking at a bird book, so I asked their opinion as to what the fairly small birds were that followed the ship, often in sizeable groups, very close to the sea, dodging around the larger waves; we concluded that they might be fulmars. I returned to the cabin, got my camera and took a few photos from the deck, before going back for the night.

[ii] Janet wrote: “I returned to the cabin as I’d been feeling a bit ‘off’ this afternoon.… [John] returned around 8.30pm somewhat sloshed!”

Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:18:24
Gardie House, 18th-century estate house on Bressay


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:18:52
Gardie House, 18th-century estate house on Bressay
The flag of Shetland is flying on the flagpole.


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:19:12
Double-ended Lerwick-to-Bressay ferry boat, Leirna, with capacity for 19 cars and 96 passengers


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:19:54
Lerwick-to-Bressay ferry, Leirna


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:21:20
Bressay ferry terminal


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:28
Lerwick, dominated by the Town Hall


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:48
Lerwick


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:48 (detail 1)
Lerwick
Left: Overturned boat serving as a garage roof (cf. “09:11:30”)


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:48 (detail 2)
Lerwick
(Lower left of centre:) the white-ended Old Manse (cf. “09:08:50”); (lower right:) “lodberry” houses


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:48 (detail 3)
Lerwick
“Lodberry” houses


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:22:48 (detail 4)
Lerwick
Upper right: St. Magnus Scottish Episcopal Church


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:23:18
View south along Bressay Sound
(Right:) Twageos Point, Lerwick; (left:) Bressay Lighthouse on Kirkabister Ness


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:24:44
Wind turbine on the Hill of Greenhead, north of Lerwick


Monday 13 June 2016 — 20:26:04
Looking down the ladder to the deck below

Transferred 137 photos from the camera to the WD Elements HDD (21:19–21:24). Rotated 19 photos that needed it (21:27–21:32). Janet and I were both in bed just after 9.30pm.

[Tuesday 14 June 2016]