Rob-n-Hild Take the High Road!

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Museums in Shetland

We started our day by doing some billable hours. The sun was shining over "our" loch at the campsite even if the wind was blowing hard outsite. With our view from our Percy-office there is no hardship having to work. It was quite enjoyable and time flew.

Suddenly we had to just grab some lunch and head out for this afternoon's activities: three museums. Lunch of roadtrippers: tortellini in a cup, with milk of course.

The first stop was Scalloway Museum. We had missed it a few times because of timing. We had often left the area before opening hours and returned after 4 pm. Hild wanted to go and ask if anyone knew any of her relatives - oh yes - and learn about stuff in this area!

It started well when finding that the museum had been opened by the Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg in 2012. And just as important, Hild finally found some Shetland Ponies to say hello to.

The Shetland Bus exhibit today is so extensive, we can't even begin to show it in photos. It is well worth a stop. Many people were visiting this day - including two Norwegians working on an boat servicing the oil industry. One man from Bergen and one from Måløy. Hild could not help herself and asked if the latter knew the surname Fjørtoft - and indeed he did. Peder and Johanne were friends of our family and the reason Hild's mum came to Norway, but that is a longer story.

We learnt about geology, ancient civilizations in the area, fishing, crofting, knitting, and several wars. We wanted to see the current Shetland Bus exhibit. Hild saw the meagre beginnings back in 1991 when it was almost as small as few posters, some select items, and two women sharing their knowledge. Tamar, on the left, had personal stories from the Shetland Bus era because she lost her boyfriend, Fritjof, in one of the operations in 1943.

This shop is where the Shetland Bus Exhibit was in 1991. Now it is a coffee shop.

We asked at the reception, and they pointed us to one part of the exhibit that included Tamar, our guide back in 1991. Tamar, donated her boyfriend's Identity Book to the exhibit - and it is part of a larger story that many Norwegians know about.

On the boat, MK Brattland, that Fritjof Haugland died were seven other people who did not make it. There were many more stories like this at the exhibit.

The Truck System was common in Victorian times all the way to 1940s particularly in the coal industry but also - as we learnt - for Shetland knitters. It was also known as the "company store" system and lead people into debt bondage. In the 1947 song by country singer Merle Travis two verses go like this:
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal
And the straw boss said, "Well a-bless my soul!"

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

Next we visited Clickimin Broch in Lerwick. The experts cannot agree on whether brochs are a house or a fortification. Built around 800-700 BC and extended over the centuries. Did rich or normal people live here? Did the farm animals live here too. Was it one or more families? There aren't many brochs around Scotland but they are sometimes lined up - possibly for signalling each other when threats arrive?

It is all a mystery, but they have tried to draw it below.

It also makes it impossible to take meaningful photos of, but we climbed and crawled through it.

Finally, we went to the Up Helly Aa exhibition - also visited before when Hild was little. We found the all-important (to us) photo of Uncle Gilbert (Hild's Mum's uncle) when he was Guizer Jarl in 1939.

The Guizer Jarl outfit was on display in all its glory.

Early visits included 1973 and 1978. In 1973 (left) Hild is not sure about the fuss and odd outfits.

Today the various costumes are as different and exciting to look at as back in 1991 when visiting with Inga Beth and Nina.

There are many varied topics for all the other squads. The main Jarl Squad are always Viking-style. There seems no end to the inventiveness in the other squads. We spotted furry animals, minions, and Postman Pat just to name a few!

They showed the various stages of building a fire torch. There are multiple layers of burlap and then a bit of concrete and then dipping it in paraffin. It was so heavy by then, we couldn't imagine carrying it around all day and night on the day of Up Helly Aa and the burning of the Galley.

Rob looks like he could be a Guizer Jarl, while it doesn't look quite right on Hild!!

We finished the day with some Perez-posing where the Shetland TV Series police headquarters is filmed.

Coming up: Shetland

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