Lerwick, Shetland Island; Shetland Ponies

It is always a pig in the poke when you book an AirBnB or a Hotel online.  Some live up to the common standards, some don't, and some exceed.  Here in Lerwick we are staying at the Nolande Guest House.  It is a bed and breakfast though breakfast is a basket that is in the room each evening, this place is perfect for the two of us.  The room is spacious, the bath and shower luxurious.  Sandy says this is her favorite stay so far on this trip.  I'm not sure whether I prefer this one over the Greenacres Guest House in the Isle of Skye, they did serve a phenomenal breakfast, but I will give you that this is an outstanding guest house. We are located in the main town of the Shetland Islands, Lerwick.

The road to Lerwick

The Norlande Guest House

There is archeological evidence that small horses (ponies) have been on what is now the Shetland Islands for over 4,000 years.  These proto-Shetland ponies migrated here via the land bridges and ice fields that existed as the glaciers were retreating across this area of Europe.  Later Celtic settlers introduced small mountain ponies creating the Shetland breed.  Large horses were also originally on the island but since the Shetlands adapted to eating seaweed during harsh winters and the larger horses could not, eventually the small ponies prevailed.  Pound for pound, Shetlands are the strongest horses/ponies in the world.  During the early industrial ages this made them prized as draft animals working in the coal mines of Europe.  It is estimated that at least half of the pony population was lost to the mines.  Shetlands keep their long manes which act as a rain jacket keeping moisture and wind away from their faces.  All year round they have a layer of fat over their ribcages which gives them a potbellied look.  And, in the winter they grow an extra layer of fur giving them two layers, a long one, and a short one, to keep out the rain and wind.  In the summer they shed off that longer second layer of hair.

Today Sandy and I went to an active crofter farm that among other things raises these amazing little creatures.  They are friendly, like to be brushed, and can be somewhat of pranksters.  They do have minds of their own but if what you ask them to do is not completely against their nature, they will go along with you, at least for a while.  I had a good time putting my pony through his paces, but in truth, he already knew pretty much what to do.  Our two hosts a mother and daughter, Barbara and Elaine, who raise the ponies for sale and for their riding school love these ponies and seem to truly enjoy showing them to travelers like us.  Their business is called "The Shetland Pony Experience". 

Interestingly, while visiting the Shetland ponies we met two sisters traveling with their teenage children.  The sisters grew up in upstate New York but now one lives in Switzerland and the other in Kenya.  That's not the everyday story for two girls from Saratoga Springs.  I guess with a geographical history like that the Shetland Islands are as good a place as any to meet up.

Another thing about the Shetlanders, ... they are Shetlanders, not Scotsmen.  So much so that there is not a restaurant to be found with a traditional Scottish menu.  Even the pubs do not follow the Scotch standard of having pub grub, just whisky and beer.  The history behind this is that the Norse took control of the Shetlands and Orkney from the Pictish Kings and then controlled them for 600 years.  Shetland became first part of Norway and then after Norway was absorbed by the Danes, they became part of Denmark.  In 1471 in lieu of a dowry the Danish king ceded Shetland and Orkney to the Scottish King James III.  To hear our crofters tell the story they found it incredulous that "we were just given away as a wedding gift".  So there it is, not Danes, not Scots, but Shetlanders to the bone.  There is a restaurant in town called The Dowry .... they won't sell Scottish food either.

So Sandy and I had our last Scottish meal of Bouillabaisse, French Basque Cheese, Olives and Crème Brûlèe at a nice French Restaurant in Lerwick.  Later we toasted a goodbye to Scotland with our flasks of Scotch Whisky.  Tomorrow we go to Norway.

Bouillabaisse

Crème Brûlèe