Shetland - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 370

SHETLAND PONIES, SHEEP AND SHEEPDOGS
Shetland is famous for its diminutive ponies , but it is still a surprise to find so many of them
on the islands. A local ninth-century carving shows a hooded priest riding a very small pony,
but traditionally they were used as pack animals, and their tails were essential for making
fishing nets. During the Industrial Revolution, Shetland ponies were exported to work in the
mines in England, being the only animals small enough to cope with the low galleries.
Shetlands then became the playthings of the English upper classes (the Queen Mother was
patron of the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society) and they still enjoy the limelight at the
Horse of the Year show. You can see them in action at the annual Shetland Pony Show in
August, or visit Trondra & Gott Shetland pony stud near Tingwall airport ( T 01595 840330,
W trondraandgottponies.co.uk).
Shetland sheep are also less substantial than their mainland counterparts, and are
thought to be descended from those brought by the Vikings. Shetland wool comes in a wide
range of colours, is very fine and is used to make the famous “Fair Isle” patterns and shawls so
gossamer-thin that they can be passed through a wedding ring. To round up Shetland's small
sheep, an even smaller sheepdog was bred, crossed with rough-coated collies. These dogs
are now recognized as a separate breed, called “shelties”, known for their gentleness and
devotion as well as their agility and obedience. Their coat is distinctive, being long, straight
and rough over a dense, furry undercoat - perfect for Shetland weather.

to James III, who annexed Shetland in 1472: the mortgage was never redeemed.
Though Shetland retained links with other North Sea communities, religious and
administrative practice gradually became Scottish, and mainland lairds set about
grabbing what land and power they could. The economy soon fell into the hands of
merchant lairds ; they controlled the fish trade and the tenants who supplied it through
a system of truck, or forced barter. It wasn't until the 1886 Crofters' Act and the
simultaneous rise of herring fishing that ordinary Shetlanders gained some security.
However, the boom and the prosperity it brought were short-lived and the economy
soon slipped into depression.

8

The world wars and the oil boom
During the two world wars, thousands of naval, army and air force personnel were
drafted in and some notable relics, such as huge coastal guns, remain. World War II
also cemented the old links with Norway, Shetland playing a remarkable role in
supporting the Norwegian Resistance (see box, p.380). Since the 1970s, the oil industry
has provided a substantial income, which the Shetland Islands Council (SIC) have
wisely reinvested in the community, building roads, improving housing and keeping
the price of ferry tickets down. In Shetland, at least, the oil boom seems set to continue
for some time, with tourism playing only a minor role in the economy. Comparatively
few travellers make it out here, and those who do are as likely to be Faroese or
Norwegian as British.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE SHETLAND

By plane W hial.co.uk. Flybe ( T 0871 700 2000, W flybe
.com) operate direct flights to Sumburgh airport, 25 miles
south of Lerwick, from Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Kirkwall in Orkney, plus summer flights from
Bergen in Norway. Regular buses take you to Lerwick; a taxi

will cost around £25.
By ferry Northlink ( T 0845 600 0449, W northlinkferries
.co.uk) run overnight car ferries from Aberdeen to Lerwick,
sometimes calling in at Kirkwall in Orkney on the way.

GETTING AROUND AND TOURS
By plane Directflight ( T 01595 840306, W directflight
.co.uk/shetland) runs flights from Tingwall airport ( T 01595
745745), 5 miles west of Lerwick, to the more remote
islands. To reach Tingwall airport, there's a dial-a-ride taxi

service (£1.70), which must be booked a day in advance.
By ferry The council-run interisland ferries ( T 01595
743970, W shetland.gov.uk/ferries) are excellent and fares
are very low.