You’re surrounded by Viking influences at every turn in Shetland. From the magical mayhem of the Up Helly Aa festival to the mystical splendour of Jarlshof and the Viking influences on many Shetland place names.
It’s no surprise then that on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland islands, Viking remains abound. Here you find the Viking Unst project, which, as well as reconstructing a traditional Viking longhouse, also has a longship replica where you can meet some modern day Vikings and learn about Viking crafts and skills.
The 26-metre wooden Skidbladner is displayed at the head of Haroldswick, at a spot where the Vikings might first have set foot on Shetland, around 1,200 years ago.
The Skidbladner was abandoned in 2000 when a group of hardy Swedish and Norwegian sailors failed in their attempt to emulate their ancestor Leif Erikson’s trip from Scandinavia to America.
The beautiful vessel, which is a 1:3 replica of the famous 9th century Gokstad longship, was bought by Shetland Amenity Trust and stored on land before being sent to Unst as part of the ongoing Viking project.
Meanwhile, Fair Isle, the most southerly island was named ‘Fridarey’ or ‘island of peace’ by early Norse settlers. But this stepping stone in the sea was vital in troubled times when Viking warlords used it as a lookout post and for sending fire signals to and from Shetland. Today the fire signals have been replaced by radio waves as Fair Isle's high technology relay stations carry vital TV, radio, telephone and military communication links between Shetland, Orkney and the Scottish mainland.
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to your booking!Q What makes Unst the focus for the Viking Project?
A There are more rural Viking long houses in Unst than anywhere else in the world including Scandinavia, so we’re keen to find out when the Vikings arrived, how long they stayed, and why they were so successful in Shetland.
Q Is it purely an academic study?
A No. It’s also aimed at tourists and local people. We’re working on reconstructing a longhouse. We also have a longship replica that’s open for five weeks in the summer (the last three weeks in July and the first two weeks in August). It’s staffed by Vikings in full costume and people can go on board and try out Viking craft skills.
Q And what craft skills do we know about?
A A lot of carving soapstone. The Vikings weren’t into pottery, but they did carve stone into the most unusual things – lamps, pots and dishes. There’s also cord-making and tablet weaving.
