Rob-n-Hild Take the High Road!

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Lerwick

The day had come for our first chance to explore Lerwick. Not long after parking the car we walked by the building where they film Shetland TV Series police headquarters. Funnily enough, the County Building houses the Procurator Fiscal in real life too, and the building behind houses the Lerwick Police Headquarters!

We walked over to the Shetland Museum and Archives. It was a bit late in the day so we didn't finish our walk-through. We'll add photos when we have done the entire exhibit. Sadly we were so hungry by the time we had seen only a quarter of it, so we decided to come back another day to do it properly.

The exhibits cover so much from geology, customs, folklore, fishery, agriculture, textiles, boats, power and government, home life, changing cultures (look out: the Picts and the Vikings are here!), trade, and industry.

The place is laid out like Ikea... making you snake your way through the exhibits. So Rob ended up trying to find a way out when we were lost and hungry - using the fire escape map!

As encouraged by our landlady, Janet, we dropped by the Archives to say hello to her nephew, Mark, who works there. We had a nice chat about life on Shetland and possible relatives that we may or may not have in common. Hild has spent her entire life thinking that Halcrow and Pottinger (her ancestral surnames) are unsuual. However, Shetland is literally overrun by both - in addition to Smith and Robertson. This is why family research is so hard!

Hild also remembers having fish and chips on the harbour when she was young. So we headed to the "Da Harbour Chippy". Both of us had battered haddock with chips and a bottle of Irn Bru. It hit the spot. We ate our lunch while taking in the view of the harbour.

Next we wandered over to Bains Beach, which Auntie Aileen used to call "Heather's Beach" because our cousin loves going there so much. The water is so clear and the sand looks so inviting, but it was too cold for us to go for a swim. A gentleman was out swimming - the brave man.

This is a frequently photographed view, and Hild wanted to recreate a photo she took in 1991 when visiting Lerwick with friends Inga Beth and Nina. Casually leaning on the wall at Bains Beach - with the Viking ship in the background.

With some fiddling around, we have merged photos of us today with the one from 1991. Hild decides to look at the camera, while Rob is talking with Nina - 34 years later. Fun!

Further along the harbour wall we got to the lodberry where we see Jimmy Perez living in the Shetland TV Series. We hoped to spot him, but of course he has moved on.

We met a friendly cat that could be added to our "species-list", and it took a shine to Rob.

There was also a garage where an old wooden boat was used as a roof. Good idea.

On Lover's Loan Hild thinks this house was where Uncle Gilbert and Auntie Nan lived. But she only has clear memories of being inside the house, and it seemed too forward to knock on the door and ask to have a look!

She knew for certain that 6 Midgarth Crescent, the house known as Vordaview, was where Auntie Jessie lived, and where Auntie Aileen lived. The house has just gone up for sale. We were so sad to think that we were a year too late to visit Auntie Aileen there. She cared for the house and the garden after her mother died. It was a bit sad to see the garden so overgrown now that Aileen is gone too.

Hild poses in front of Vordaview in 2025 "together" with Auntie Jessie, Uncle Gilbert, Janet, Aileen, Auntie Nan, Kristin, Adelheid, and herself - in 1973.

Here is another one with Hild sitting on top of a gate pillar across the road from Vordaview - while eating ice cream in 1978. We inserted Hild anno 2025 - no ice cream.

It is sad to realize that all our closest relatives are no longer with us. Therefore it was important to visit the Lerwick cemetery near the Knab. We bought three white roses to leave on the graves.

First we located the grave of Hild's grandpa, Thomas Christie Pottinger, and her grandma, Margaret Halcrow, together with their eldest daughter, Adelaide.

Further along, we found the gravestone for Uncle Gilbert and Auntie Nan, as well as Uncle Laurence (Lollie).

We placed the last rose for Uncle George and Auntie Jessie, and most importantly for Auntie Aileen. We miss them all.

We spent some more time at the cemetary visiting graves for those who died during World War 1 and 2 and also many fishing boat accidents. Afterwards we continued our walk along the path to the Knab.

Hild remembers walking to the Knab as a favourite hike during visits to Lerwick. There is much history here both from war and peace time.

In particular, she remembers her Dad, Olav, leaving a message or an item behind a loose rock in the wall along the golf course at the Knab. She located it in 1991 where the wall had fallen down. Now, in 2025, the wall has been fixed so we could only recreate the photo in the approximate location. We wonder if the builders who fixed the wall ever found Dad's hidden "treasure".

We reached King Harald Street where, Hild's mum, Janet was born and grew up. Janet has told stories of how she and her brother, Gilbert, would swim in the sea all year round. We were trying to find the location of this photo from February (!) 1951.

Kerry was also helping identify the location and it is supposed to be near the Waarie Geo.

We chose a rock near a cement slipway to the water from near King Harald Street. The rocks where a bit tricky to access nearer the Waarie Geo.

Sorry, Hild, you are a whimp to not be in your swim gear like your mum was in February. And, the camera clearly loves Janet more than Hild!

Finally we got a photo of Janet's home: 4 King Harald Street. Hild doesn't remember visiting the house but she has seen many photos.

The photo also includes nr 2 King Harald Street. This was the home of Peter and his children James and Patricia. James has been helping me with some photos and mapping out relatives. When Hild's granddad died, her Aunt Adelaide took over running the shoestore (TC Pottinger). And when Adelaide died, Peter managed the store.

The royal visit by HRH The Queen and HRH Prince Philip to Lerwick on 10th August 1960. Prior to this visit a reigning sovereign had not been on Shetland in 700 years! Flags out for the royal visit outside 2-4 King Harald Street. Thank you to James for providing the photo.

James and his family later moved to 4 Gladstone Terrace and we visited them there. Here is a photo of Adelheid, Olav, Janet, Kristin, and Hild visiting our friends in Gladstone Terrace in 1978.

On our way back along King Harald Street we stopped at Isleburgh Community Centre. It used to be Janet's primary school (Lerwick Central Public School), and more recently was where the wake was held for Aileen. More photos soon...

As Janet has told us before, there was one door/end for girls and one for boys.

The lady on the front desk said that other people who visit the house to remember going to school here, say that the Principal's Office was in Room 13, which has a window into the hall so that they could keep a close eye on the kids.

We tested out the staircases (and bathrooms) at either end of the building - one for girls and one for boys...

Coming up: Work day and more exploring Shetland

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