From Myths to Meids*

A new book on Shetland’s maritime heritage is to be launched on Monday (10th June) as a result of a project coordinated by the NAFC Marine Centre UHI.

The book, ‘From Myths to Meids: Maritime Heritage of Fair Isle, Papa Stour and Skerries’, is one output from the Shetland Rural Islands Maritime Heritage Project (SRIMHAA) which began in 2017 and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Project coordinator, NAFC’s Charlotte Slater explained that “the aim of the project was to gather information on the maritime heritage of some of Shetland’s more remote islands through surveys, complemented by local peoples’ stories and memories as well as archive research.”

During 2018 the project focussed on the islands of Fair Isle, Papa Stour and Skerries. Volunteers visited the islands to gather information using sketchbooks, GPS and photographs and by speaking to islanders. Additional information was obtained from research in Shetland Library and Shetland Museum and Archives to create a more complete record of the islands’ maritime heritage, connecting physical remains with the stories of the people who lived and worked there.

A website (shetlandmaritimeheritageproject.com) has also been established to make available the information collected during the project and includes an interactive map which allows people to upload new photographs and information. Newsletters and additional information about the project can also be downloaded. And the project can be liked on Facebook (@SRIMHAA1) or followed on Instagram (@srimhaa).

Funding for the project is now at an end, but it is hoped to set up a group of interested people to keep the project going by continuing the survey work and sharing information. Members of the group would also have the opportunity to learn new skills in surveying and recording. More information will be available at the book launch event.

Anyone interested in Shetland’s maritime heritage or in helping continue the work of the Shetland Rural Islands Maritime Heritage Project is invited to attend the launch of ‘From Myths to Meids’ in Shetland Library on Monday 10th of June from 5.30 to 7.30pm.

For further information please contact: Charlotte Slater (charlotte.slater@uhi.ac.uk).

* In the days before radar and GPS features on fishing grounds around Shetland were identified by lining up pairs of onshore landmarks - known as 'meids'.