#whalsay

[mutant-distraction]

Highland Cattle Calf

Location: Whalsay, Shetland Isles, UK

Photo by: @chloemayirvine

[scotianostra]

On 11th August 1892 poet Christopher Murray Grieve was born in Langholm.

C M Grieve, or Hugh MacDiarmid as he is better known, was a journalist and writer of poetry and prose. He is now recognised as the principle force of the Scottish Literary Renaissance, a movement which radically altered the landscape of Scottish writing in the first half of the 20th century.

MacDiarmid worked as a journalist prior to the outbreak of the first world war, and in 1914 he was appointed to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Salonica, Greece and France. He developed cerebral malaria in 1918 and was sent back to Scotland to recover. Two of his poems, Another Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries and At the Cenotaph, angrily refute the notion of war as anything but futile.

After the war, he continued to work as a journalist and spent most of the 1920s living in Montrose, where he became chief reporter at the local paper. He was later appointed Justice of the Peace and a member of the county council.

After a time living in the remote Shetland island of Whalsay he moved to a cottage (with little in the way of comfort) near Biggar. Although never having made much of a living through his work he was much admired and his political beliefs saw him travelling to the old USSR and China.

MacDiarmid was interested in language and came to believe that the Scottish psyche could not be expressed in the English language alone, and had to be developed and written in a synthetic Scots to achieve a coherent national voice. He began to evolve a synthetic Scots gathered from many regional variants, and to reclaim archaic language which, once used by the Makars, had fallen from use.

For a man not keen on sentimentality he had a deep felt love for Scotland and wasn’t shy in showing where he belonged by wearing the kilt often.

There is a memorial to MacDiarmid just north of Langholm. It takes the form of a giant book and was designed by sculptor Jake Harvey as seen in the second pic.

Scotland Small?

Scotland small? Our multiform, our infinite Scotland small? Only as a patch of hillside may be a cliché corner To a fool who cries ‘Nothing but heather!’ where in September another Sitting there and resting and gazing around Sees not only the heather but blaeberries With bright green leaves and leaves already turned scarlet, Hiding ripe blue berries; and amongst the sage-green leaves Of the bog-myrtle the golden flowers of the tormentil shining; And on the small bare places, where the little Blackface sheep Found grazing, milkworts blue as summer skies; And down in neglected peat-hags, not worked Within living memory, sphagnum moss in pastel shades Of yellow, green, and pink; sundew and butterwort Waiting with wide-open sticky leaves for their tiny winged prey; And nodding harebells vying in their colour With the blue butterflies that poise themselves delicately upon them; And stunted rowans with harsh dry leaves of glorious colour. ‘Nothing but heather!’ ̶ How marvellously descriptive! And incomplete!

[mario0ricca]

[whateverbringsyouthroughthenight]

Whalsay

[crudeoilfacilitators]

EnQuest to Buy Whalsay's Bentley Discovery https://crudeoilfacilitators.blogspot.com/2021/04/enquest-to-buy-whalsays-bentley.html

[bestiarium]

The Njuggel [Shetland/Scottish folktales]

The Scottish Kelpie is one of the most popular and well-known water spirits. An unsuspecting victim comes upon a malicious creature that poses as an innocent horse. Enticed to ride it, the victim soon finds himself magically unable to dismount and can only scream as the horse plunges beneath the waves to drown its meal. The story certainly speaks to the imagination, but there are actually many variants of it: The Norwegian Nøkk, the German Nixe, the Welsh Ceffyl Dŵr, the Flemish Nikker, the Icelandic Nykur and many others are all variations of the same creature.

This relation can also be seen in their etymology: most of these names are similar, because they are thought to be derived from an old Germanic term for washing (as in, bathing something in a river, like the horse monsters do with their victims in the stories).

But I’m digressing. One of the most obscure variations of the tale comes from the Shetland Islands. Here, people told stories about the monstrous Njuggel (also called Njogel, Njuggle and in northern Shetland ‘Shoopiltee’ or ‘Sjupilti’). Like its relatives, this creature is an aquatic horse, usually depicted as a horse with fins. It also has a wheel for a tail (or a tail shaped like the rim of a wheel, depending on who you ask), but most modern interpretations drop that detail. Its hooves are backwards.

It lives near waterways and lakes and pretends to be a peaceful horse, taking care to hide its strange tail between its legs. Though it usually takes the form of a particularly beautiful horse, sometimes it is an old, thin horse. When a traveller finds the Njuggel, the creature influences them and convinces them to mount it. When the victim climbs into the saddle however, the creature runs away to the nearest lake to drown its prey. It runs at an extremely high speed, keeping its wheel-tail in the air. After accelerating to a high speed, its hooves burst in flames and its nostrils emit smoke or fire.

The victim cannot dismount, but if they can speak the monster’s name out loud, the Njuggel loses its powers and the victim can escape. What happens then varies between stories: sometimes the creature slows down and can be dismounted, and sometimes he vanishes into thin air.

Sometimes, you can see them at night: such sightings usually involve a white or grey horse emerging from water and run some distance before disappearing in a flash of light.

The Njuggel is not entirely the same creature as the Kelpie and the Ceffyl Dŵr. It has a connection with watermills and demands offerings such as flour and grain. If these gifts cease, it will halt the wheel of its mill. To avoid having to offer grain to this creature, people would light fires when a Njuggel appeared, for they are afraid of flames (usually peat was burned, although throwing a torch also did the trick). There is a story in Tingwall about a group of young men who tried to capture a Njuggel for themselves. They succeeded in chaining the creature but couldn’t hold it for long, and the Njuggel broke free and fled. But the standing stone to which it was chained is still there between the Asta and Tingwall lochs, and the marks that were supposedly made by the chain can still be seen.

Sources: Lecouteux, C., 2016, Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic. Marwick, E., 2020, The Folklore of Orkney and Shetland, Birlinn Ltd, 216 pp. Teit, J. A., 1918, Water-beings in Shetlandic Folk-Lore, as Remembered by Shetlanders in British Columbia, The Journal of American Folklore, 31(120), p.180-201. (image source: Davy Cooper. Illustration for ‘Folklore from Whalsay and Shetland’ by John Stewart)

[infamousstitch]

Pattern: Whalsay

Designer: marie wallin

I finally know where the name for this pattern comes from. Wish I could visit Whalsay one day but I don't fly and I don't go anywhere in boats. Nope keeps me feet on somewhat solid ground. I say somewhat because you never know when a sinkhole may open up, especially if you live in Florida 😬. I thank God I'm in Ohio the worst I have to worry about is snow and I love snow.

Finished first repeat on front, one sleeve and back.

[anotherplacemag]

Far From The Centre Of Things | Paul Walsh

"I was better with the sounds of the sea, than with the voices of men, and in desolate and desert places, I found myself again.”

       Hugh MacDiarmid, from The Stony Limits and other poems

In 1933 the Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid travelled from London to Shetland where he moved into to a small abandoned fisherman’s cottage on the island of Whalsay. He was on a journey of recovery, after several years of personal and professional disappointment. He spent 9 years living on Whalsay where, despite an unstable mental state and living in near poverty, he wrote more than half of his life’s work. Most of what he wrote during his Shetland years was driven by his experience of his surroundings, the North Sea, stony beaches, open skies and the isolation he felt on the small island. Whalsay became the centre of his imaginative universe and his writing reveals the introspection’s of a solitary man contemplating his place in the world.

Inspired by MacDiarmid’s writing during his time in Shetland, I travelled to Whalsay where I stayed alone in a small isolated cabin. From there I visited MacDiarmid’s cottage, and then made a circular walk around the island making photographs in response to the isolation I felt amidst the vast Shetland landscapes.

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zine - Paul’s series has just been released in our ‘Field Notes’ series of limited edition zines... available to pre-order now for just £8!  Check it out...

All images & text © Paul Walsh

[branda]

whalsay – ella gordon

[somanysoundtracks]

“A major breakthrough at the sanctuary - Luna the otter cub who arrived from Whalsay in January has finally caught fish in the pool. ...” from the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in Shetland, UK (May 30th, 2022) (Facebook)

Rescued otter learning to get over it's fear of water

[atsvensson]

Storbritanniens största fiskebåtar 2022

Storbritanniens största fiskebåtar 2022

De största fiskebåtarna i Storbritannien är i huvudsak pelagiska fiskebåtar som är hemmahörande i Fraserburgh, Peterhead och på Shetlandsöarna. De sistnämnda kan ha Lerwick eller nån hamn på ön Whalsay som exempelvis Symbister som hemmahamn. Den allra största båten är dock en demersal fiskebåt, H 72 Frank Bonefaas. Den enda övriga stora demersala fiskebåten är H 7 Kirkella. De flesta stora…

[scotianostra]

16th July 1832 was a very sad day on Shetland when tragedy struck .

On tis day 31 Shetland "sixerns", the traditional fishing craft of Shetland and a total of 105 crewmen were lost in a storm.

There were between 300 and 500 sixareens or sixerns in Shetland. The Haaf fishing proved to be a hard life for these boats and they only tended to last 5 or 6 years. When they finished their lives as a fishing vessel some ended up being used as a flit boat for moving livestock, peats and other goods between islands or from ship to shore. The sixareens may eventually have ended up as the roof of shed or outbuilding. Nothing was ever wasted in Shetland, especially if it was wooden!

The men would travel up between 20 and 40 miles offshore. As the men were dealing with a prevailing wind, they could usually only sail in one direction. They were always happier if they could row out with a relatively light boat and sail back with a heavy load of fish!

When they reached the fishing grounds, the fishermen would barely be in sight of the highest hills in Shetland. They would have sea all around them.

Haaf fishing was very dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of the weather far out at sea. However, when you look at the numbers of men that fished and the length of time that they fished for, the actual disasters are relatively few.

On 16 July 1832 31 Shetland "sixareens" and a total of 105 crewmen were lost in a storm. The event is still remembered as "The Bad Day". A London Distress Fund was set up and raised the sum of £3000. The money was raised for the dependants of the crofter-fishermen lost. The crew of one boat in 1832, did manage a lucky escape from the storm as they were picked up by a passing American sloop. However, the Captain of the American vessel refused to alter his course to Philadelphia and so, despite passing close to Orkney, the survivors had to cross the Atlantic and endure a further six months away from home before returning.

During another storm on 20th July 1881, hurricane force winds caught the fishermen by surprise. The boats that tried to come home were mostly capsized or swamped, but those that stayed at their lines for the most part survived. In all ten boats foundered and 58 Haaf fishermen lost their lives. They left behind 34 widows and 85 orphans. Six of these boats and 36 of the men were from the fishing station at Gloup in North Yell. It was a tragic loss for a small community.

On the morning of 21st December 1900, boats from Firth, Mossbank and Toft set off for the winter haddock fishing. They were some 32 kilometres (20 miles) away, between the Horse of Burravpoe and Da Snap, when they were caught in a sudden and severe gale from the north-west.Many were lost during the storm which came on in the space of five minutes. The fleet were scattered. One made it to Whalsay, Skerries and Lunning but the rest were lost.

22 men were drowned, leaving 15 widows (5 of whom were pregnant), and 51 children. Firth was hit the hardest. Many of the men were great fishermen and the disaster devastated the Delting fishing industry, which never recovered. The women continued to work the crofts. Children grew up and moved away, leading to a rapid decline in population.

The plight of the families left destitute led to a lot of publicity in local and national press. The Delting Disaster Fund was set up to help those affected and it was one of Queen Victoria’s last public acts to appeal for support

These major fishing disasters signalled the beginning of the end for Haaf fishing. The herring fishery in the 1880s and the Crofter’s Act of 1886, which put an end to the truck system, were two more nails in its coffin.

Larger safer boats were introduced and undecked sixareens were replaced by fully decked smacks. Fishermen could finally install a few home comforts. However, when the steam trawler was introduced, longlining in large sailing boats couldn’t compete economically. Haaf fishing stopped quite quickly at this point.

There are few sixareens left in Shetland, a couple of replicas and bits and pieces lying around here and there. At the Shetland Museum and Archives there’s a replica sixareen called the Vaila Mae. She sails regularly in Lerwick Harbour and you can even get a trip on her during Shetland Boat Week!

One of the only surviving sixareens from the past can be seen in the Shetland Museum. She was built as the Foula mail boat, which fished for a little while and then ended up as a flit boat for shifting peats. She didn’t spend much of her life as a fishing sixareen.

You can find memorials all over Shetland to those lost at sea not just for the tragedies I have mentioned today but all in general, the Shetland way of life having strong heritage links with the sea that surrounds it.

[mario0ricca]

[golfiya000-blog]

Golf in Scotland - Regional Golf Course Guide and Where to Play Golf in Scotland

Over 550 years ago, golf was born in Scotland. It was not the fastest growing sport by any means as by 1850, there were less than 20 golf courses in Scotland.

However, by the early 1900's there was 275 and today there are more than 550 golf courses throughout Scotland. Figures suggest than 1 in 10 play golf and when you are out traveling, Scotland is simply littered with golf courses at every turn and you can always see someone pulling or pushing their golf trolley down the pavement.

Scotland is the Home of Golf and as you would expect the Scottish Golf Courses are second to none.

Golf was originally played by the sea and the first links golf courses were born. Today, Scotland boosts many of the worlds greatest including the hallowed turf of St Andrews Old Course to the last major arrival on the Open Tour, Turnberry which today is often hailed as the best golf courses in Scotland.

Southwest Scotland Golf

Argyll, The Isles, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway

Every region of Scotland is literally littered with a lifetime of quality golf courses, links, parklands and moorlands included. But the Southwest of Scotland stretches from Gretna in the south to Oban in the north offering over 100 golf courses combined with stunning scenery and tourist attractions at every stage.

Wherever you start your visit, we would recommend that you take a trip to the Isle of Arran where you will find 7 courses to choose from. Our personal favorite would be Shiskine, with Brodick and Lamlash close behind. A new course is Machrihanish Dunes which is receiving wide acclaim as one of the newest links courses in Scotland. It sits on the Mull of Kintye.

Ayeshire is a golfers paradise with Open Championship courses to test all golfers - Royal Troon and Alisa (Turnberry) spring to mind testing all golfers to the limit. Lets not forget Dundonald, the sister course of Loch Lomond. Dundonald was designed by Kyle Phillips who gained worldwide acclaim with Kingsbarns.

Its a magically region with a superb coastline, great accommodation and hospitality and a lifetime of golf.

South East Courses, Scotland

Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Boarders

Any visit to Scotland should be combined with a visit to its capital, Edinburgh. What makes Edinburgh unlike any other capital in the world is that its surrounded by the widest selection of the best golf courses - all within 30 min's drive.

The Boarders offer the Dave Thomas designed Roxburghe and nearby in Peebles, Cardrona is set alongside the River Tweed with a stunning backdrop. If you in the region, add Peebles, Minto, Innerleithen and The Hirsel as must plays as all offer challenging golf.

East of Edinburgh is East Lothian - and I think you will find it hard to find any coastal stretch so packed with some of the best links courses to be played. Muirfield is one of the Tour's favorite scottish venues, but combined with the 3 courses at Gullane (No 1 in particular) Cragielaw, Dunbar and my personal favorite North Berwick its an exceptional region less than 30 min's outside of Edinburgh.

Within Edinburgh, you have some courses such as Braids No.1, Duddingston, Bruntsfield Links and Royal Bursges. Just outside and towards the west you have Marriott Dalmahoy a top quality resort with the West Course being one of the best golf courses in Scotland.

Edinburgh is a very vibrant and beautiful city which makes a perfect back drop for a quality golfing holiday or a base from which to start exploring the rest of Scotland.

Central Golf Courses, Scotland

Central

The central region of Scotland is the most populated area of Scotland and it is home to some of the finest inland courses. Many of the courses can be accessed from Glasgow with was the former European City of Culture. Its the creative center of Scotland and with it comes the restaurants, museums, bars and cafes as well as an upbeat nightlife.

Haggs Castle is one of Glasgow's top golf courses having hosted many professional tournaments. It is still regarded as one of the best inland golf courses in the country. Cawder should also be visited.

A little further away is Carluke - which combines beautiful views over the Clude Valley with a quality parkland course. Renfrew Golf Club has been used on various occasions for Open Qualifying and the same goes for Erskine and Ranfurly.

A little further north you will find Loch Lomond, and the Carrick on Loch Lomond which is well worth the visit. It was opened in 2007 and designed by Doug Carrick, the Canadian architect.

Traveling towards Stirling, you will find Stirling Golf Club and Glenbervie, an excellent test of golf. Cross over the River Forth and you will once again be spoilt for choice with Tulliallan, Braehead and Alloa.

The central region of Scotland is another golfing delight. You could spend a year playing the courses in the region and never be bored.

Heartlands Courses, Scotland

Perthshire, Angus, Dundee and Fife

There is no point describing the heartlands region as anything else than a golfing mecca. A list of the worlds best golf courses that would bring most golfers to their knees and if you do desire to play the top golf courses, then there is not better place on earth.

For any visit to this region, a base in St Andrews or nearby is ideal. Just being in St Andrews is a golfing experience that no one could deny. You have the hallowed ground of St Andrews Old Course which you can book a year in advance or enter the daily ballot. The St Andrews Links Trust also has 6 other courses including the new Castle Course. Less than 3 miles away your have St Andrews Fairmont and another 3 miles you will be playing Kingsbarns.

Into Perthshire and you have the jewel of Gleneagles with the Kings, Queens and the PGA Centenary Course host to the Ryder Cup in 2014. Lets not forget the hotel, the Gleneagles Resort, which is 5* luxury in the beautiful Perthshire landscape.

Further north lies the monster of Open Championship golf courses - Carnoustie - a simply unbelievable test of golf with the hotel and bar to recount, relive and re-evaluate your golf full-stop. Its got to be played.

There are also inland parkland courses such as Ladybank which deserves a lot of praise, and lets not forget Scotscraig, Crail or Lundin Links. These courses are often overlooked, but situated anywhere else, they would be the top courses in any region.

The Heartlands is simply a mind blowing experience for any golfer and with so many choices making any choices is hard. We have an in depth knowledge of the region, the golf courses, the golf hotels and how to make it the most memorable golfing trip.

North East Golf Courses, Scotland

Aberdeen & Grampian

The north east of Scotland has over 70 golf courses to choose from and its getting a lot of press at the moment with Donald Trump's new golf course on the move.

Throughout the region, quality golf courses hinge the fantastic links coast. This includes Cruden Bay which is perfectly situated amongst the rolling dunes. And then you have Royal Aberdeen and Murcar running along the coast. Murcar Links staged the Challenge Tour event in 2006 and Royal Aberdeen has hosted a wide range of top competitions including the Seniors Open in 2005 while being the 6th Oldest Club in the world. The Balgownie course is a classic links with 9 holes out and back hugging the shore.

With distilleries and castles everywhere, the region offers a great golfing destination either for short golf breaks or for the long golf holiday.

Newburgh-on-Ythan is another gem south of Aberdeen and lets not forget the Royal Terlair, Peterhead, Fraserburgh or Duff House Royal.

The North East of Scotland combines brilliant golf with excellent value for money. The hospitality is excellent.

Highlands & Island Golf Courses Scotland

The Scottish Highlands offer golfers that something extra special. They combine an unbeatable landscape where simply looking becomes a pleasure, with golf that challenges the very best in Scotland.

Inverness is the capital of the Scottish Highlands and it combines local charms with a bustling city. Nairn, a golfing haven is just a few miles down the road and both Nairn and Nairn Dunbar should be played if possible. And lets not forget Castle Stuart, the new golf resort in the Highlands with the course reopening in April 2010.

Further north, we have what many believe to be the best golf course in the country - Royal Dornoch. The reason it does not feature on the Open Championship Tour is because of far northern location and unpredictable weather. For mere mortal golfers like us - this is fantastic news as the green fees are reasonable and the club retains it personal and loveable character. A few miles away you can also play Brora, a loved and admired golf course by those who know.

If you are looking for remote golfing, keeping heading north and combine the Orkneys or even the Shetlands. Whalsay is Britain's most northerly course.

Working your way over to the west coast, the landscape is personally the best in Scotland and for any golfer visiting this region try and visit Durness Golf Course. Forget the luxuries of manicured greens and perfect lies, Durness Golf Course offers golf as it would have been and golf as it perhaps should be. The 9 hole course has 2 different tees making an 18 hole circuit and if you love golf, you will simply love it. The Par-3 9th/18th hits the ball over the Atlantic and the views are stunning.

We have some expert knowledge of this region so get in touch if you are looking for a golf break or golf holiday. https://golfiya.com/product-category/golf-course/

[snuffysnu2u]

I just added this listing on Poshmark: G by GUESS Style WHALSAY MULTI Patch Stitch Mid. #poshmark #fashion #shopping #shopmycloset

[just-tee-times]

Whalsay Golf Club, Scotland