Blog

Keep up to date with new stories and details of what our researchers are doing to preserve and promote Shetland's heritage and culture.

The Museum and Archives is managed by the Shetland Amenity Trust, a small charity caring for Shetland's natural and cultural heritage. It is free to visit the Museum and Archives and here we share our work with you through our blogs and news. Donations are welcomed to help the Trust care for the collections and our heritage both now and in the future.

Inspired by Shetland's Historical Textiles

We are delighted to see the launch of this beautiful Fair Isle Shetland jumper as part of clothing company TOAST new autumn ...

Read more

Peter and Olla

Archivist Brian Smith retells the story of cousins Peter and Olla, two very different characters, who met one notable New Year's eve. ...

Read more

Shetland Museum and Archives - Reopening Plans

The Shetland Museum and Archives plans to reopen to the public on Thursday 16th July with a new booking system and measures in place ...

Read more

James A Teit: Tackling racism in the late 1800's

In December 1883, Lerwick Man James Teit emigrated to Canada where he lived and worked with indigenous communities, listening and ...

Read more

Captain Lawrence Irvine

Captain Lawrence Irvine of Bridge of Walls was one of the few Shetlanders to enter the West Indies Trade in the late 1700’s, a trade ...

Read more

Our commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity

The death of George Floyd has prompted a global outpouring of grief and anger that we, as an integral part of society, cannot ignore. ...

Read more

The adventures of Ninian Neven

Archivist Brian Smith delves into the incredible story of his ten-times great grandfather the accomplished and unruly Ninian Neven. ...

Read more

The hundredth birthday of John Alexander Cruickshank

Today, a rather special one, John Alexander Cruickshank, has his hundredth birthday. He is now the last living Victoria Cross holder ...

Read more

Face Veils: a Victorian Fashion Accessory for the New Norm?

Women, and sometimes children and men, have been covering their heads and faces in public since ancient times. Not so very long ago ...

Read more

Victory in Europe

Shetland took the news of the end of the war in Europe in much the same way as the rest of Britain, a mixture of relief, reflection, ...

Read more

Shipwrecks in Shetland Part 2

Shetland has some fascinating historic wreck sites and the remains greatly enhance our knowledge and understanding of international ...

Read more

Reading in the Archives

The Shetland Archives has an extensive collection of manuscripts, books, oral history recordings, maps and many other types of ...

Read more

Social Networking in the 1940s

Anyone reading this blog is used to sharing information and connecting with people online. We take it for granted that, if we want to ...

Read more

Da Croon o Da Ura

One of Shetland’s more remarkable archaeological sites is Da Croon o Da Ura, in Unst, just about the most northerly part of the ...

Read more

Deep into the Past

I have always been amazed by Mother Nature since I was a child. The shapes, the colours, and the phenomena which surround us are ...

Read more