Shetland with Laurie Podcast

In today’s show, I talk about a few of my favourite walks in Shetland.

With thousands of scheduled sites and monuments, you may be at a loss as to which archaeological treasures to visit when you’re only in Shetland for a limited time. This podcast will outline the top archaeological attractions and take you on a voyage of discovery through 6,000 years of human history.

In the show, we begin in Shetland’s Mesolithic Period where hunter-gatherer people first arrived here, in search of food. From the Mesolithic, we journey through the Neolithic and see the first farmers settle in Shetland, beginning a long period of occupation. After the Neolithic comes the Bronze Age, a brief period that precedes a long and, often difficult, Iron Age. We look at how the Vikings and Norse settlers brought a wave of change to the islands and, finally, explore Shetland’s transition into Scotland, and what that has meant for us culturally, today.

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Hello and welcome to episode 16 of the podcast. In today’s show, I’m talking about books and literature from Shetland.

“What to read” is something that I’m asked time and time again. I’ve written a blog about my favourite Shetland fiction books, and this podcast will include those, as well as my favourite non-fiction books too.

I’ll ease you in gently and begin by introducing my favourite Shetland fiction novels and the reasons why I’ve chosen them. Where they are still available, I’ll leave a link in the show notes on my website for you to buy them.

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Hello and welcome to episode 15 of the podcast. This was an accidental podcast, so I may lapse into dialect a bit more as usual, and I don’t welcome my guest in the same way! But, today’s episode is with Greg McCarron from the Shetland Film Archive. Greg has been working for several years with the Film Archive, which is a charitable organisation that collects, preserves and protects the film material of Shetland, making it publicly available to be enjoyed. Recently the group received some funding to digitise more film material, and that’s what I’m chatting to Greg about in this call.

When I was listening back to the call, I realised that this was an interesting topic and would make a good podcast episode. Also, for those keen to get involved, listen to Greg and find out how you can volunteer to help the Film Archive.

Greg is also an old friend who now lives on the Scottish mainland and works for Scottish TV, so it was really lovely to catch up with him.

In this episode, we find out about the films that the Shetland Film Archive holds, a little bit about the history of film in Shetland and some of the technical stuff that I was unsure about - like when we start to see sound coming into these films.

I found out so much about the history of film and why it’s such an important historical tool.

So, let’s dive in and hear what Greg has to say.

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Hello! And welcome back to season two of the Shetland with Laurie podcast. I’m absolutely thrilled to be back behind the mic bringing you another season and, more importantly, I’m touched that so many of you, the listeners, have asked for another season.

This episode is a solo show and it’s the findings of some recent research that I’ve done into the witches of Shetland - those who were tried and executed for witchcraft.

It’s going to be a long episode as I kept getting lost down rabbit holes in the archives and I found out so much about this shocking period in our history.

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On today’s show, I speak to Ellie Duncan from Island Ceramics. Ellie is a ceramicist who makes incredible one-of-a-kind hand-crafted pieces that are inspired by her love of the sea and her island home. Ellie is also a photographer who loves to capture the many forms that the sea can take.

In this episode, we talk about how she started her business and how she found herself at the potter's wheel. We speak about how the sea inspires her work and how using the colours and the dialect words that we use to describe the sea are important to her collections.

We speak about her photography and how she has been taking photographs since she was 11 years old, and why it's important to slow down and live in the moment.

We also discuss the problems associated with plastic pollution and how everyone can do their bit to mitigate these.

All this and more, in today's show!

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Today's guest needs absolutely no introduction - author of over 30 critically acclaimed novels, international worldwide bestseller, the creator of popular TV detectives Vera Stanhope and Shetland’s very own Jimmy Perez - I am so excited to welcome the hugely talented Ann Cleeves to the show!

In today's show, we speak about Ann's new book, the latest in the popular Vera series, The Darkest Evening, and her inspiration behind the Vera and Shetland series and about her time in Shetland and Fair Isle.

We discuss her writing routine and how she feels particularly drawn to Shetland as a place that she has been visiting for over 40 years.

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Shownotes:

Today on the show, I’m very excited to have blogger, adventurer and Shetlander Bee Leask who you may know from her Instagram @bumblebambi join me. Bee grew up in Shetland and now lives in Scotland, but Shetland is very much a part of how she identifies and it has shaped her life in so many ways which we discuss in this episode. I started following her a few years ago and was so inspired by her adventures in the highlands and Islands where she is busy ticking off all Scotland’s inhabited islands and 282 Munros.

In the show we speak about community, belonging, overcoming challenges and we talk a lot about hiking in Scotland and the beauty of our island communities.

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Shownotes

Hello, and welcome to episode 10 of the Shetland with Laurie podcast.

This is a big one for me, and probably the most requested topic that you’ve asked me to discuss.

Today I’m going to talk about language in Shetland, and, if I’m honest - I have no idea where to start with it! It’s a huge topic and it permeates every aspect of life here; it is the very fabric that holds our community and culture together. Without this common language, that has evolved over the years, Shetland would be unrecognisable and our heritage far less rich and nourishing to those who live here.

This is such an emotive topic for me and it brings up so many feelings of both pride and also fear and sadness. It brings me pride because I’m deeply proud of our language, its roots and its place in our culture and heritage, and it brings me fear and sadness because, as with any other marginal language, it’s under increasing threat. It’s onstantly being eroded, changed and lost by external forces for various reasons which I’ll discuss as we explore the topic more deeply.

My accent and the language we speak here is something I am constantly asked about - especially when I have people on tours and they pick up on my strong accent, the intonation of my voice and the way I pronounce vowels in particular. Guests often apologise that English is not their first language, and to that, I tell them that it’s not my first language either!

So, let's dive in!

Links from the episode:

On today’s show, I’m tackling Shetland folklore and all the mythical creatures that inhabit our islands. Folklore was a huge part of Shetland’s society and culture in pre-modern times. Many of the folktales have been written down and, although many have now been forgotten, they can still be found in books and literature.

The dramatic coastline and moorland expanses have given rise to a rich and deep-rooted culture of folklore, superstition and deeply-embedded traditions.

In the past, education, literature and access to news was limited, even within the isles. Travel for pleasure was almost unheard of, and a venture out into the neighbouring parish or district was a novelty. Friends and neighbours, particularly in winter, would gather together beside the fireside and share stories and tales of the past to occupy the long winter nights. This chapter will explore some of these stories.

Today we cover trows, njuggles, witches & wizards, giants, selkies and sea creatures who have all played a prominent role in the folklore of Shetland.

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On today’s episode, I chat to Aimee Budge from the Bigton Farm. Aimee, and sister Kirsty, took over their family farm in 2014 following the unexpected death of their father. Aged just 17 and 21, they have achieved great things since they took over, including an appearance on the BBC’s hit show  This Farming Life. They were also winners of the prestigious BBC Countryfile’s Farming Heroes Award in 2018

Today they manage and run the 350-acre farm, as well as another 350-acre farm nearby and an additional 300 acres of rented grazing land. Bigton Farm is in Shetland’s picturesque South Mainland and has panoramic views across the beautiful tombolo and St Ninian’s Isle.

The farm has about 90 cattle, 500 sheep, several horses and ponies and they grow 60 acres of barley.

Farming is in Aimee’s blood, and as a fifth-generation farmer, she is continually building on the hard work and dedication of all those who have gone before here. She is a real advocate for women in farming and promotes the Young Farmer’s Group both locally and nationally.

As well as working the farm full-time, Aimee also offers both farm tours and Shetland pony tours for visitors who are looking for an added layer to their Shetland experience – and where better to see the ponies than overlooking the sweeping sands of St Ninian’s Isle.

She talks about what farming in Shetland looks like, her time at agricultural college and parts with a final message which urges more women to get into agriculture!

Links:

In today’s show, I chat to Alexa Fitzgibbon, an amazingly talented photographer, weaver, designer and anthropologist who first came to Shetland 12 years ago from France to study. She has since moved to Shetland and now calls it home.

In this episode, we chat about her studies on religion in the North Atlantic area and the relationships between the living and the dead. And as we are approaching Halloween, we hear about some of Shetland’s ghostly tales that she uncovered during her research and the burden of Protestant guilt that lives on in the lives of Shetlanders today. We speak about how the fundamental differences between Protestant and Catholic belief systems have contributed to a ghost society in many northern areas.

We chat about Alexa’s great friend, and world-renowned storyteller, Lawrence Tulloch who she spent a lot of time with before he passed away. His book on Shetland Folk Tales which she illustrated is linked in the show notes.

In today’s show, I chat to my dad, Arnold Goodlad, about the fishing in Shetland.

Fishing is Shetland’s mainstay industry, combined with aquaculture, these industries make up 50 per cent of the island economy.

In the show, we speak about dad’s life growing up in Burra and what the fishing looked like when he was a boy – half a century ago – and what it looks like today. We touch on the oil industry and how fishing remains the greater employer even today.

We speak about what life at sea was like and how it differs from land-based jobs, and we touch on some of the dangers that come with doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK including the incredible courage and bravery of our lifeboat crews. We hear about a time when they lost their boat and had to abandon ship and how he went overboard fishing off Fitful Head.

We also speak about what life was like for him growing up on an island, Shetland’s nature; birds and whales and he offers his top three things to do in Shetland.

Some links that we speak about;

In today’s show, I chat with Misa Hay who runs Shetland Wool Adventures and has just released a fascinating Journal dedicated to all things Shetland.

We speak about how she came to be living in Shetland and how she started her business running knitting and hiking holidays. Misa is passionate about many things and has a real creative flair so we cover loads! We chat about her latest creative project, The Shetland Wool Adventures Journal, what to expect in there and, most importantly, how you can get your hands on a copy!

We also speak about the all-important work-life balance and how she manages this in her business – in particular through her love of gardening at 60 North! We also chat about wild swimming, what to take with you when you come here and some of our favourite Shetland authors.

Links that are referred to in the show:

In today’s show, I chat with Chris Dyer, an archaeologist and crofter who also offers tours of his croft at Garths on the island of Bressay.

Bressay is a small island on Shetland’s east coast, just a seven-minute ferry from Lerwick. Home to about 340 people, Chris works his 40-acre croft with his wife and welcomes guests throughout the year.

We speak about archaeology, sheep farming, rearing pigs, growing crops and, a few of the challenges associated with living and working at 60 North.

Links that are referred to in the show:

In this show, I'm chatting to Terri Malcolmson who runs the business Terri Laura. Terri is a knitwear designer and teacher based in Shetland.

We chat about her work, her classes, her inspiration and the amazing benefits of wool.

Hello and welcome to the introductory episode of the Shetland with Laurie podcast.

In this show, I introduce myself, Laurie, and tell you a little bit about what to expect from this new podcast.

I am a writer and tour guide based in the Shetland Islands and this podcast explains a little about the work I do and what to expect from the podcast over coming months.

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The following are links to some of the things that I discuss in this episode: