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.
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
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.
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:
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 House – the HQ for the Shetland Bus
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.
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