Knitting in Shetland

In the morning we disembark at Lerwick, capital town of the Shetland Isles. From here we travel to the southern tip of Mainland Shetland, where we visit the outstanding Prehistoric and Norse Settlement of Jarlshof, with over three acres of remains, spanning 3000 years since the days of the Stone Age, including oval shaped bronze age houses, iron age broch and wheel houses, Viking long houses and medieval farmhouses. Nearby is the glorious Sumburgh Head, a windswept sanctuary, and migration route, for all manner of birds.

Returning to Lerwick where we have an opportunity for lunch (not included), in the afternoon we visit the award-winning Textile Gallery of the Shetland Museum and Archives for a guided tour to learn all about the knitwear that once supported the island’s economy.

Our next stop is the Shetland Textile Museum, where we find an inspiring collection of local pieces located within a restored 18th-century fishing station, or “böd”.

Following our visit here we transfer to our comfortable accommodation at the historic Busta House Hotel, Brae. All rooms have en-suite facilities. Dinner will be served in the evening.

After breakfast we are joined by our local tutor for the first of our interactive workshops to learn the basics of Shetland hand knitting.

After lunch in the hotel we depart for a visit to the Nielanell Design Studio at Sandwick, where we discover an inventive range of alternative knitwear, including hand-spun batts just waiting to be used.

We continue to Hoswick where we will call in at the Visitor Centre, housed in a former woollen mill. The Centre includes weaving machinery, local items and an interpretation of the Hoswick Whale case. We will also visit the Laurence Odie Knitwear outlet at Hoswick Woollen Mill.

Following breakfast we depart on a tour of the western mainland of Shetland with visits to Walls, terminus for the ferry service to the island of Foula, and the headland at Sandness, overlooking the island of Papa Stour.

We return to the hotel for lunch before settling down for the afternoon at the second of our hands-on workshops: a great opportunity to ask your tutor any burning questions, and hone your techniques.

A leisurely breakfast sets us up nicely for the last full day of the trip, as we spend the rest of our morning engaged in a final knitting workshop with a local tutor. After lunch, we check out of the hotel and head for visit to Scalloway, the original capital of Shetland. The castle built by Earl Patrick Stewart (not a man you would want to have crossed) still dominates the skyline. More recently Scalloway was the secret base for the heroes of the Norwegian Resistance and the wartime exploits of the ‘Shetland Bus’ form a courageous memoir.

We continue to Lerwick where the rest of the afternoon will be at leisure. Here you will have the opportunity to browse the Jamieson’s of Shetland shop and view a video presentation giving an insight into the family owned business which has specialised in wool from the native Shetland sheep for five generations.

This evening we board our return ferry to Aberdeen, with dinner served in the ship’s own restaurant, a chance to reflect on the sights we have seen and the knitting skills we have learned.

We dock at Aberdeen this morning, and after breakfast on board we join our coach and return to our original pick-up points.