Laplandica

According to an old diary, Tomas O´Tarson* was disliked since birth. His parents abandoned him as a child and, reluctantly, the parish had to take responsibility for the lad. To pay for his upkeep, Tomas was forced to work as an apprentice grave digger at the old Kirk of Quendale in the southern part [...]

…a Scandinavian touch?

…again! Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it. These last two weeks have been windy with gale to strong gale force winds and with a climax of “hurricane” winds. I could say, “Finally. Some decent Shetland weather.”
Photo: A tired little harbor seal resting from stormy seas
Surprisingly similar to mountain storms, there [...]

…that gives a long lasting impression to the islands is found at Quendale. On the southern mainland coastline, and not at all far from Sumburgh Airport, this gem of sandy beach stretches over an English mile (1.6 km) across the Bay of Quendale and is easliy accessed, not by the footpaths from A 970 nor [...]

…get to my plate? A question not many of us have, as we may be seated in front of a plate of “Grilled Salmon with Hot Cheese Roulade”, “Char-broiled Salmon Steaks” or a classic “Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. Still, having lived a landlocked life, it’s a question I’ve had in my head the many times [...]

…was a subject for comment today, as we were preparing to jump into Jeppe and take a walk on Houss, the southern point of East Burra, Shetland. A local resident came by and, as I was putting my walking stick in the vehicle, the person said something like, “Well, ya taking your spear with ya?” [...]

…is a fact that inlanders hardly are aware of. Possibly, when visiting a coastline during vacation, through a television program or the isolated article in the local newspaper, people living away from salty shores may get a small insight of all the refuse and waste that exists in the oceans. It wasn’t until I started [...]

This, the soldier of strength,
This, the gatekeeper of Mousa Sound.
This, the sentinel of Shetland
Watching over its destiny… its past.
No lime, nor cement, nor earth, sand and water.
Dry stone built, with precision and intent.
Thirteen meters of ancient architecture…
The wind still whistles around its kiln-like tower
And the rains still cut into its moss covered shell
The sun still [...]

…that probably could make a few world-renowned vacation spots green with jealousy. Shetland has sandy, pebble and boulder beaches that can be found along some 1500 km of coastline. All depending upon your choice, there are patches of different beach to be had for that special outing and a day’s relaxation.
Just this year, four [...]

…having a good time and enjoying a bit of fun has different meanings from different areas of the islands. We’ve already learned that agricultural fairs are popular and are established forms of wholesome family outings. On the other hand, piano bashing events seem to be a new development in island entertainment.
So, it was with [...]