LERWICK | MAINLAND SHETLAND

Exploring Lerwick

We’ve made it to Shetland! We arrive in Lerwick, the most populated city of Shetland with a whopping 7,500 residents. During our time in Lerwick, we will head to Jamieson & Smith and meet with local knitwear designer and Shetland knitwear expert Ella Gordon. Surrounded by the beautiful colors of Shetland yarn, Ella will provide an introduction to Fair Isle knitting before helping you to select colors for your Crofthoose Hat.   

After lunch, we will also dive into the history of Shetland knitwear! Vintage knitwear historian (and legend) Carol Christiansen will take us through a private guided tour of the knitwear exhibited at the Shetland Museum & Archives, which houses hundreds of years worth of knitting history. Carol will speak to us about the varied and rich history of knitting on the Shetland Isles which is sure to inspire you to cast on about 10 new projects afterward. Perhaps we can discuss our new project ideas on the way to our cozy seaside hotel? 

UNST

A Journey North 

It’s time to head to the most northerly part of Scotland: the island of Unst! We’ll be joined by a local guide for the day as we slowly make our way northward, stopping for a cuppa in Yell before the short ferry ride to Unst. Here we’ll travel way back in time to the Viking era, and explore the Unst Viking project with in-person demonstrations of what viking life would have been like. Lunch will be at the delightful Victoria’s Vintage Tearoom before we go to the Unst Heritage Centre that showcases intricate and awe-inspiring displays of antique Shetland lace. Then it’s back on the ferries to our cozy hotel once more.

MAINLAND SHETLAND

Meandering through the Northern Mainland 

Before leaving for our next accommodation, you’ll be able to choose between a lazy morning in bed or a walk along the water for some possible otter or seal spotting and bird watching. Then it’s off to the beautiful scenery of the Eshaness Cliffs and Lighthouse. After a lunch break and a visit to the lovely Tangwick Haa museum, we’ll head to our grand home for the next few days: Busta House. With the original house built in 1588, this hotel boasts a rich and lively history with the families that have resided there over the centuries. We will get to roam the halls and have cozy evenings for knitting in the “long drawing room” after some fabulous meals made in-house over our final days in Shetland. Perhaps we’ll even encounter a ghostly knitter! Ella Gordon will join us again one evening along with a huge collection of vintage Shetland knitwear for us to ogle over! 

The next few days will be filled with a mixture of spectacular scenery, fascinating history, and woolly endeavors.  At St. Ninian’s Isle the gorgeous beaches will take your breath away, and you may even see a Shetland pony or two!  A slight drive up the coastline will bring us to Hoswick, where there will be time to explore the visitor center with historical knitting and textile artifacts on display, as well as some artisan shops from local knitwear designers and jewelry makers. As our Crofthoose Hats take shape, a visit to the Crofthouse Museum will leave us wistfully craving the smell of peat in the air and imagining life stitching beside the fire on long dark winter nights. At Uradale farm, Ronnie will meet with us to give a talk of contemporary sheep farming on Shetland, and allow for a little meet and greet of the sheep before getting some time to shop - believe me, you’ll want to have a shopping list at the ready before looking at all of their stunning, special colorways made from the sheep visible just out the window. Add in a wildlife cruise, some prehistoric ruins, shopping time in Lerwick and a visit to the Shetland Textile Museum, and we’ll have plenty to discuss as we knit together each evening in the Long Room!

MAINLAND SHETLAND & ABERDEEN

Our final day in Shetland and a jaunt back to Aberdeen 

It may be the last day on the island, but we are going to make the most of it! We’ll leave Busta house in the morning for a final adventure through the south of Shetland! We’ll make a final stop to the gorgeous, historic area of Jarlshof and eat a delicious lunch at the Sumburgh Hotel before we set off for the airport. With full hearts and even fuller suitcases we will bid our final goodbyes to the island, and take the short plane journey back to Aberdeen where we’ll stay for the night. I’m not ready for it to end! 

ABERDEEN

Farewell, explorers! 

We will bid farewell this morning and send you all on your merry way. Thank you all for a wonderful trip! 

 Heather loves designing and leading knitting and fiber tours. She’s fascinated with local traditions, unique yarns, and the modern twist added to both by current designers. Her ever-widening exposure to both has led to a long queue of patterns and a dramatic accumulation of stash!  She’s also been trying her hand at new wooly endeavors like felting and spinning. When not knitting, traveling or planning your next trip, Heather tends her small flock of chickens and ducks, volunteers in her local thrift shop, and spends time with her two dogs, her family, and friends in Dunbarton, NH.