Shetland Islands (Lerwick), Scotland ~ Thursday, June 30
The Shetland Islands are a subarctic archipelago in the Northern Atlantic, located between Great Britain, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. They are the northernmost part of the United Kingdom, and they lie 1° west of the Prime Meridian. They are probably best known for the Shetland pony, although there is a sheepdog known as the Shetland sheepdog as well. We also discovered that there is a special breed of sheep called the Shetland Sheep.
Lerwick, our port, is Shetland's only town, with a population of about 7,500. Most people on the island live within 10 miles of Lerwick. It was founded as an unofficial marketplace to service 17th century Dutch herring fleets. The name of the town is derived from the Scottish words for "muddy bay" (Leir Wick).
We set our alarm to ensure time for breakfast and headed down to the World Cafe, where I enjoyed coffee and Jeff enjoyed pretty much the same breakfast he had yesterday.
I have no idea what I was talking about so animatedly, but I think Jeff was trying to capture the boat in this photo! The working boats - both in port and at sea are fascinating to us both.
After breakfast in the World Cafe, we gathered our layers and headed down the gangway out to our tour bus #2, where Edna, our guide for the day awaited.
Edna proudly told us that she was born and raised in Shetland and that her family can trace its roots back to the vikings. Again, she was a very knowledgeable guide and very safety/liability conscious. More than once she told folks that she could not assist them in getting off the coach for "liability insurance reasons." Her voice held a bit of a brogue, and she actually read us a poem in the local dialect - and I actually understood most of it!
We began our tour with a drive out into the countryside and up a hill to Scalloway, where the coach stopped for a panoramic view of Lerwick.
Shetland Sheep farm - The walls are built to provide the sheep with shelter from the cold wind.
Scalloway from the Old Norse Skálavägr, which means "bay of the hall." It was the capital of Shetland until the 18th century. The area is rich in archeology, and the sheltered harbor has made it an important fishing port for hundreds of years. In the 19th century cod fishing was an important industry of Scalloway, keeping many families employed - even those living on the off-shore islands, many of which are now abandoned.
Scalloway Castle
Scalloway Castle was the home of Patrick Stewart, earl of Orkney and Shetland. ‘Black Patie’, as he became known in Shetland, was notorious for his oppression of the Shetland people. He was accused of using forced labour in Scalloway’s construction in 1599, and was eventually executed in Edinburgh in 1615.
Clickimin Broch
A broch is a 2,000-year-old round tower, unique to the north and west of Scotland. Archeologists differ about their purpose. Some say they were defensive structures; others believe they were built to store grain. Still others believe they were homes for high-status members of the community. What they agree upon is that their construction is unique. They are built with a double-wall, giving an inner and outer wall with a staircase in between the two leading to the top. The Broch of Clickimin is a large, well-preserved but restored broch in Lerwick. Originally built on an island in Clickimin Loch, it was approached by a stone causeway. The broch is situated within a walled enclosure and, unusually for brochs, features a large "forework" or "blockhouse" between the opening in the enclosure and the broch itself. There were several periods of occupation of the site: Late Bronze Age farmstead, Early Iron Age farmstead, Iron Age fort, broch period, and wheelhouse settlement. Although we did not stop there, we did view it from afar - another interesting archeological feature of these two Scottish islands.
Continuing along our ride, we noticed that each vista had something special to capture - even in the misty gloom. The couple in the photo below crossed the road (against warnings and advice from Edna) to capture a patch of ragged robin, the pink flowers in the field across from Carol's ponies. I did my best to photograph it as well, safely on the "right" side of the road.
As we were getting off the bus to see Carol's Shetland Ponies, I heard somebody behind me on the bus say (in a stage whisper heard by everyone around us), "They're horses, ya know. NOT ponies! I don't know why people call 'em ponies when they are HORSES!" Well.... I looked it up, and they actually ARE ponies - a special breed of pony. According to Wikipedia, "Shetland ponies originated in the Shetland Isles, located northeast of mainland Scotland. Small horses have been kept in the Shetland Isles since the Bronze Age. People who lived on the islands probably later crossed the native stock with ponies imported by Norse settlers. Shetland ponies also were probably influenced by the Celtic pony, brought to the islands by settlers between 2000 and 1000 BCE."
Carol's talk was very enlightening and interesting. She, like our guide, was a no-nonsense kind of gal, taking questions, soliciting questions, and answering questions that nobody asked! It was, despite the windy day, a wonderful stop.
The Shetland Pony is hardy and strong, in part because it developed in the harsh conditions of the Shetland Isles. It has a small head, widely spaced eyes and small and alert ears. It has a short muscular neck, a compact stocky body, short strong legs and a shorter-than-normal cannon-bone in relation to its size. A short broad back and deep girth are universal characteristics, as is a springy stride. It has a long thick mane and tail, and a dense double winter coat to withstand harsh weather. Carol told us that the coat of a Shetland Pony may be of any known horse coat color other than spotted. She also said that is not unusual for a Shetland pony to live more than 30 years.
Shetland ponies were first used for pulling carts and for carrying peat, coal and other items, and plowing land. Then, as the Industrial Revolution increased the need for coal in the mid-nineteenth century, thousands of Shetland ponies travelled to mainland Britain to be pit ponies, working underground hauling coal, often for their entire (frequently short) lives. Coal mines in the eastern United States also imported some of these animals. The last pony mine in the United States closed in 1971. Today, Shetlands are ridden by children and are shown by both children and adults at horse shows in harness driving classes as well as for pleasure driving outside of the show ring. Shetlands are ridden by small children at horse shows, in riding schools and stables as well as for pleasure. They are seen working in commercial settings such as fairs or carnivals to provide short rides for visitors. They are also seen at petting zoos and sometimes are used for therapeutic horseback riding purposes.
The last bit of our journey took us on a drive about Lerwick.
The Lodberrie, also known as Jimmy Perez's house (from the series Shetland)
The word "lodberrie" comes from the Old Norse "hladberg" and means "a landing place, or a landing stone." It describes the type of use these utilitarian buildings were designed for. Ultimately they were trading booths, built with their foundations in the sea. Winches unloaded boats that could be berthed alongside, and legal goods were then sold from street-side shops. The illegal goods were taken into the maze of tunnels that ran underneath the street.
St. Magnus Episcopal Church
Completed in 1864
Photo Credit: Brian AndersonInterior of St. Magnus Church
I loved both of these beautiful old sandstone homes that we passed on our tour through Lerwick. Everyone takes such pride in their homes and properties!
Back aboard ship, Jeff opted for a nap while I chose to hang out on the Pool Deck and watch as we sailed out of Lerwick and off into the North Sea.
The Town Hall dominates this photo of the harbor as we passed by.
You can see the Town Hall in this photo, and notice the patches of blue sky as we sail off!
Farewell to Lerwick, Shetland Islands!
For dinner, we had a 6:00 pm reservation at The Chef's Table. In this specialty restaurant, the chef prepares a set menu and selects wines to pair with each course. The included wines are very drinkable, but we decided that I would pay the $25 "up charge" to have the premium selections. Jeff, who is not a wine drinker per se, opted for the included wines. In the end, they gave us both the premium wines (and I don't think they charged us for Jeff's upgrade). Anyway, it was a truly spectacular meal. It had a decidedly British theme, as you may be able to read in the menu below.
I forgot to photograph our first two courses, which was too bad because they were quite beautiful. We began with an "Amuse Bouche" consisting of a quail scotch egg. As the description indicates, the scotch egg was served with a "quick pickle, edible flowers, and dressed baby lettuce leaves. I have heard of scotch eggs before, but never really understood what they were. I learned that scotch eggs aren't Scottish at all. Instead, the name comes from the Middle English verb "scocchen" which means "to cut." The egg, quail egg, in this case are covered with finely minced pork, and then rolled in almond flour and lightly fried. It was surprisingly delicious and an absolutely lovely plate! With this, they served a light, citrusy, and very drinkable Portuguese wine, Quinta Da Aveleda, Vinho Verde.
The first course was a typical English dish of beer-battered fish and chips, served with vinegar salt, minted pea puree, and tartar sauce. Once again, I wish I had taken a photo, as it was beautifully served. The fish was light and delicious. The minted peas weren't something I would make ... tasted a lot like mashed up peas and I didn't really taste any mint, but the chips were typically English in texture, and the vinegar salt was unique and quite good. The second wine was a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that even Betty Lou would enjoy, I think. It was the Grey Rock Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, and was light and not as sharp as some sauvignon blancs can be. It had a hint of sweetness and was not at all citrusy. Very drinkable.
The Gin and Tonic
Finally remembered to take a photo of our "palate cleanser" named The Gin and Tonic. It was a frozen granite, sort of a shaved ice of gin and tonic. It was absolutely delightful and delicious.
Mini Yorkshire Pudding & Slow Braised Brisket
Oh my goodness! This main course was fabulous! A not-so-mini portion of Yorkshire Pudding accompanied by garden vegetables (carrots, parsnips) and a delectable slow braised and very generous portion of beef brisket with a rich beef gravy. The brisket was melt in your mouth goodness in every bite. Honestly, it was the best brisket I have ever eaten (and I've eaten some very wonderful brisket)! The wine for this course was, of course a red. It was an organic Chilean wine called Vina Tarapaca. A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, it is from the Maipo Valley in Chile. I had never heard of Petit Verdot before, but some Wikipedia research tells me that it is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favor in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, color and flavor, in small amounts, to the blend. It is also useful in 'stiffening' the mid palate of Cabernet Sauvignon blends. This wine was a heady wine that paired perfectly with our main course.
Whim-Wham
The meal concluded with Whim-Wham, a Scottish Regency trifle with raspberries, oranges, and whipped cream. The dessert, derived from the word "whimsy" is similar to most trifles in that it had cake layered with fruit. The berries were marinated in cream sherry and Scotch whisky (though I could not taste the Scotch). It was wonderful, as was the wine with which it was paired. I was expecting a sickly sweet wine, but this one was decided NOT that.
All in all, our experience at the Chef's Table was spectacular, and I'm already keeping my eyes open for another opportunity to enjoy it again.
We finished our evening in Pap's - The Explorer's Bar, listening to Paolo, the guitarist, who is far and above our favorite entertainer on board. He has a wonderful voice, and his repertoire of songs from the sixties are soothing and lovely.
No sunset tonight - just grey skies
And so, I bid you all a fond good night from somewhere in the North Sea
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