Scottish Stereotyped Islands - Shetland

Many people have stereotyped views of areas in Scotland that are often very wrong. “So you live in Glasgow, you’re going to get stabbed!” is something that people frequently say to me. But it’s definitely not true. Brits also seem to think that the Northern Isles are places that civilisation has not yet touched with terms such as “the middle of no-where and mud huts” being branded around. Shetland is no different, except in reality it is.

Boats in Roots, Fair Isle - by claire.shovelton

Voted one of the world’s top ten holiday destinations by Lonely Planet, the Shetland Islands have a huge range of attractive features. Shetland is home to the largest fire festival in Europe and houses over 100,000 visitors each year compared to its almost 22,000 person population. The local produce of fish, livestock and knitwear is shipped to countries across the globe. (www.shetland.gov.uk) Shetland is also well known for its stunning scenery and local sports. (visit.shetland.org) The varied landscape makes hiking and fishing popular pastimes for tourists and locals alike. Visitors to Shetland include famous presenter Simon King.(www.simonkingwildlife.com)

Donna Marie Hughson (18), resident of Vidlin, said: “The nature, landscapes and wildlife are the things I miss most about Shetland. The people are all very friendly and there’s a great sense of community. It does surprise me that it’s 1 of the top 10 holiday destinations because there are so many other places I would rather go too. But it is really beautiful I suppose.”

“When people say bad things about Shetland it makes me feel annoyed because they have no idea what it’s actually like. Even though it might be a bit behind, it’s still an amazing place to live and it doesn’t make it a bad place to live. Other people get really angry about it but they’re a lot more fond of the place.”

The fire festival, Up Helly Aa, is a tradition which is over 100 years old and begins on the 31^st January. It includes a torch-lit procession of around 1,000 guizers and the burning of a “Galley” or, traditional Viking rowing boat. (www.uphellyaa.org) The event attracts visits from around people, this year even featuring as the main story on the front page of MSN.co.uk this year.

Lerwick - by Vincenzo_1949

Donna Marie continued: “It’s pretty exciting. I've grown up with Up Helly Aa so I’m not amazed by it like I would be if I was seeing it for the first time. The after-party bit is very very good. I still like to go and see it but it’s more because I recognise people in their funny costumes. Local people sometimes call it transvestite Tuesday! A lot of the men dress up as women when they go out on the parade.”

Perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence to stop slating Shetland is the oil they produce. Around 600,000 barrels of oil are pumped out of the sea surrounding the island every day. This amounts to about one third of Britain’s oil production. As well as paying the usual business rates, the council collects its own royalties. This is money which is used to fund local activities, because of a deal that the Shetland Islands Council set up with the government in the 1970's. The deal was to ensure that Shetland would not break away from Britain, taking much of its oil with them. (www.economist.com)

The only negative points I can make about Shetland is it is a 12-13 hour overnight crossing from the Mainland, often across choppy waters. Also the weather can be quite unpredictable and the islands are renowned for their gale force winds. (visit.shetland.org) But, the economists have proven that if Shetland separated from the rest of the UK it would be a great loss for us in terms of oil and tourism. These contributions are even recognised by the UK government. So maybe we should stop taking our little Scottish islands for granted.

Sources:

http://www.shetland.gov.uk/documents/sins2008.pdf

http://www.simonkingwildlife.com/ShetlandItineraryW.pdf

http://www.uphellyaa.org/

http://visit.shetland.org/about-shetland

http://www.economist.com/node/741453