Westing Croft

My final photo from Shetland is the Jamieson family croft in the early morning light, with the Shetland flag proudly flying. It was built around 1921 as an extension to the original croft. It would have become a ruin like so many croft houses had it not been for a cousin who grew up there, left it for Lerwick, but had the skills and the energy to do it up and make it a comfortable country place for weekends for himself and generously, for Jamieson family holidays. The croft land was sold off to a neighbouring crofter for grazing, so the scene is virtually unchanged since my father's days, with a view west to the sea, save for the telegraph poles. What a thought living without communications! Interestingly, my father also built the dry stone dykes around the garden of the existing croft (in the photo) and they have stood the test of time, and are colonised by lichen. It's great to have this legacy of his handiwork.

My father used to recall the 3-mile walk to school come rain, hail or shine. Later as a young man he worked on the croft, raising and sheering sheep, fishing, cutting peats and so on, until the WWII changed everything. He came through this unscathed and used his training as a radio operator as a stepping stone to becoming an air traffic controller in Prestwick, Ayrshire, where I grew up. I never visited Shetland until relatively recently. Both my parents' ashes are buried here and I'm so glad to have eventually come to know better this glorious part of Scotland and my relations who live here. Also when there are a few of us and we need a bit more space it is just great to be able to stay in the fabulous renovated Georgian house 'Belmont' just down the road opposite the pier.

Here are direct links to the other six blips from this week's holiday in Shetland -
25th: Scalloway and its castle
26th: 'Bigga' - the Unst Ferry and Belmont House
27th: Simmer Dim at Unst, 2am
28th: Sandwick Bay's 1000 year old Viking settlement
29th: Croft on Fetlar
30th: 'Starry Nights of Shetland' at Belmont House
31st: Shetland Ponies