14th June, Tuesday

 

  Esha Ness is most westerly

Last evening, last night, this morning – it blew and it rained and it was cold.  Slow start as if I’d got up earlier to do things I would have got drenched and am still drying out after yesterday afternoon.  I had a late elevensies with Christina and Magnus in their cafe.

They recommended that I went to the Tangwick Haa museum.  Tangwick is in between Braewick and Heogaland.

It was good, a lot about crofting, a lot about fishing but what was good was the information about the schools where they were, when they closed, photos of the kids.

So this is Esha Ness school in 1967, Magnus is back left

Urafirth school in 1929 – Maxie, Magnus’s dad is front right.

The museum had a section about an C18th local, John Williamson, nicknamed Johnnie Notions because he had lots of ideas.  He was a weaver, joiner, bonesetter, blacksmith, clock repairer and maker of implements. He came up with his own innoculation against smallpox.  He acquired pus from an infected person, dried it in peat smoke then buried it covered in camphor.  He kept it for 7 or 8 years before using it as  this would make it less virulent.  To innoculate, using a knife and not drawing blood he peeled back skin on the arm , tucked in the dried “matter” and bandaged with a cabbage leaf.  And, of course, he was entirely successful.

Tangwick Haa Museum

This was Esha Ness School.

Back to Mavis Grind, the isthmus you have to cross to get to Northmavine, the north west part of the mainland – Atlantic on one side

Atlantic

North Sea on the other.  This is on the same major fault line where the rocks on one side have slid more than 100k past those on the other side (not recently!) and is the same fault line that runs through the Great Glen.

North Sea

Boats were dragged across to reduce the risky voyage going round up until the 70’s – the route is still visible

There is another GeoWall:

Info on Ronas Hill

 

Interesting rock places in Northmavine

The next place was The Cabin Museum, Vidlin. This is the personal collection of Andy Robertson, now curated by his son.  It has a lot of military and war time memorabilia but also a lot of local stuff too.  Again I was the only one there and got a personal tour.  I shall come to expect it.  I shall miss these quirky museums, Shetland has more than its share – I just hope they survive the current economic mess (I used a stronger word to start with).

On to Lunna.  From here the Shetland Bus was run when fishing boats were being used.  It was moved to Scalloway when the Americans provided submarine chasers.  The submarine chasers were much safer for the Norwegians and far fewer lives were lost.

Lunna Church – the external staircase is the only access to the first floor gallery

Inside

Graves of Norwegians

 

Lunna House – the HQ for the Shetland Bus

A typical inter island port

Stone circle walls built to stop the sheep eating the cabbage (not rhubarb this time)

Monster orchids.

So I am back in Lerwick and am going to investigate ferry places to go back to Orkney tomorrow night.  If that is a problem I still have a few things I can do.