April 2012
What's happening in Shetland in August 2011
August is a great month to visit Shetland - the islands see some of the best weather in August 
and there are many events planned for the month. Amongst these is the Fiddle Frenzy. Fiddle Frenzy is part Shetland traditional fiddle school (days) and part fiddle festival (nights) over six days starting from Sunday 7 August. However, Fiddle Frenzy does not just consist of fiddle workshops run by trained fiddle tutors and top traditional musicians. Additional workshops are offered in guitar playing, creative writing, textiles and knitting, painting and drawing. Acts playing this year include Aly Bain (the patron of the event) and Phil Cunningham, Bodega, Harris’s Big Band Project and The Nordic Fiddler’s Bloc.
The Cunningsburgh Agricultural Show takes place on Wednesday 10th August, and has been an annual event since 1935. It is located 
opposite the Cunningsburgh Football Pitch and Cunningsburgh Hall. The Cunningsburgh show started life as a show of agricultural produce, but has since grown and evolved to include categories for most domesticated animals, craftwork, homebakes, and hobby pursuits. Other attractions at the show include sheepdog trials, trade demonstrations, and a fun run/race to the top of the nearby Virdik Hill.
Apart from these events there are other recommendations for things to do in August. The first would be a visit to Scalloway, Shetland's former capital. The Castle there is very impresssive - a largely intact tower built in 1599 by Earl Patrick Stewart. 
The castle was one of the most prestigious buildings of its time in Scotland and is now looked after by Historic Scotland.
Exploring Scalloway Castle is a joy - and the store, kitchen, main hall, prison and stairways can be visited. There were originally two more floors above the main hall, providing secure accommodation for the castle's most important residents, and the roof is now gone, however, much of Scolloway Castle;'s beauty remains, particularly in the corbelled footing of the turrets at every corner of the tower.
One of Scalloway's other main attractions opened in July 2011 - the new Scalloway Museum. 
Located just a short walk from the Castle, the museum has a fascinating range of displays and exhibitions centred around various different themes, including Scalloway's maritime history, Scalloway at war, industry, people and the Shetland Bus. During World War 2, Scalloway housed the headquarters of The Shetland Bus, part of the Norwegian resistance against Nazi-Germany. Using fishing boats and later, submarine chasers the group of civilians made 198 trips to Norway, bringing agents in and out of the country, and bringing them weapons, radios and other supplies. They would also bring out Norwegians who feared arrest by the Germans. A memorial can be seen on the Scalloway waterfront in memory of the brave crewmen who lost their lives. The new Scalloway Museum is open with a temporary exhibition between July and the end of September and will be filled with many more items of interest over the winter months. Admission is £2 and the museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am - 12 noon and 2pm - 4.30pm and Sunday 2pm - 4.30pm.
Another museum to visit in August, though quite different, is the Old Haa Museum in Burravoe, Yell. Located in the south east corner of the island, and originally built for Robert Tyrie, a merchant, in 1672, Old Haa (Yell's oldest building) has lots of information about island life in bygone days. 
As well as a fascinating permanent exhibition on the history and folklore of Yell, the Old Haa also features displays on different local themes, a gallery showing the work of local artists, a craft shop and a café with a croft house interior serving delicious home-bakes!
The seasonal exhibition for 2011 (which comes to an end on Friday 30th September 2011) includes information about 'Vod Townships' with photos and history of empty townships from various parts of Yell. The museum also has a large picnic garden with a boat for the children to play in! Admission is free and the museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am - 4pm and Sunday 2pm - 5pm.
Booking directly with NorthLink Ferries on www.northlinkferries.co.uk is cheaper than booking 
with another website and we never charge for any amendments made to your booking!
