It Doesen't Take Much.

[TheGuru]

(22 December 2012, 21:21)Highlander Wrote:

(22 December 2012, 13:41)Barneyboy Wrote: cant they have garden or and there own stores wouldnt be a prob then

If you are refering to having a garden on the Shetland,.. then you have clearly never been to the islands,... the weather up there is not good for gardening, it blows away the soil let alone anything that just happened to start growing in it,... and I am not kidding either,... they do really rely on food brought in

Spot on Highlander all the islanders have the same haircut to like a blow dry comb over sort of thing.

[Highlander]

^^^^^^^^...

[Barneyboy]

(23 December 2012, 13:45)TheGuru Wrote:

(22 December 2012, 21:21)Highlander Wrote:

(22 December 2012, 13:41)Barneyboy Wrote: cant they have garden or and there own stores wouldnt be a prob then

If you are refering to having a garden on the Shetland,.. then you have clearly never been to the islands,... the weather up there is not good for gardening, it blows away the soil let alone anything that just happened to start growing in it,... and I am not kidding either,... they do really rely on food brought in

Spot on Highlander all the islanders have the same haircut to like a blow dry comb over sort of thing.

wot did they do when there was no shops

[bigpaul]

(23 December 2012, 14:13)Barneyboy Wrote: wot did they do when there was no shops

chase the sheep with a condom in one hand and a packet of mint sauce in the other

[Barneyboy]

(23 December 2012, 14:21)bigpaul Wrote:

(23 December 2012, 14:13)Barneyboy Wrote: wot did they do when there was no shops

chase the sheep with a condom in one hand and a packet of mint sauce in the other

dont they get upset about that BP

[Highlander]

(23 December 2012, 14:13)Barneyboy Wrote:

(23 December 2012, 13:45)TheGuru Wrote:

(22 December 2012, 21:21)Highlander Wrote:

(22 December 2012, 13:41)Barneyboy Wrote: cant they have garden or and there own stores wouldnt be a prob then

If you are refering to having a garden on the Shetland,.. then you have clearly never been to the islands,... the weather up there is not good for gardening, it blows away the soil let alone anything that just happened to start growing in it,... and I am not kidding either,... they do really rely on food brought in

Spot on Highlander all the islanders have the same haircut to like a blow dry comb over sort of thing.

wot did they do when there was no shops

The Shetland islands were always fairly sparsly populated in years gone by, sure there have always been cofters on the islands, but they tended to grow for themselves, and could do so with the population being so small, ... they also relyed very heavy on fishing, they also suplimented their diet with seagulls eggs which the harvested from the cliffs.

Even though the crofters were there, they still relyed heavy on the sailing ship, bringing in almost everything from tools, lamps, clothes they couldnt make themselves,... even wood was brought by ship,... then all the other islands had to be suppied by rowing boat

.... but all this was well before the modern population was boasted to what it is today

---

incidently, the Shetlands were no different from any other part of the Highland in those days,... not a lot of people make this connection,.... but at the very same time that the Highlander was sitting in his one room `black house` with a fire in the centre of the floor,... the English were at the height of Victorian splender

[TheGuru]

(23 December 2012, 14:21)bigpaul Wrote:

(23 December 2012, 14:13)Barneyboy Wrote: wot did they do when there was no shops

chase the sheep with a condom in one hand and a packet of mint sauce in the other

The further up the highlands you go and in to the islands you notice that most of the male population wear the wellies with the wee buckles at the top, thats for srapping the sheep back legs in when tending them and that sort of thing. And before anyone asks yes I can get away with saying that as I have a lot of freinds there and they give me more than equal pelters back ye ken.

[Tarrel]

Shetland has been populated since the bronze age, probably earlier. Early settlers chose their living space in coastal, sheltered locations. See our blog entry for a detailed description of Jarlshof. Crops were planted in the fertile, coastal soil. Driftwood was scavenged for firewood. Dwellings were imaginatively constructed of stone, with butresses to support a roof made from the limited amount of timber available. It's a myth that Shetland has no trees. There are areas of copse that have been planted and survive. Admittedly, it is more difficult to grow trees there than on more sheltered mainland locations. Much of the deforestation on Shetland is as a result of sheep grazing, as in many other parts of the UK.

As Highlander says, the big difference now is the population. It's unlikely that the current population could be supported without importing some commodities. Electricity, for example, is supplied by a coal-fired power station, and the coal is imported (as far as I know). Surprisingly, there is little wind power evident on Shetland.

As with other posters, I find it surprising that there isn't a greater focus on maintaining greater stocks. If I was running Shetland Isles Council, I would ensure this is the case as a duty to the islanders, as well as encouraging the islanders themselves to maintain stocks (as I'm sure many do). I wouldn't rely on an organisation who's prime motives are profit and fast stock-turn to do this for me.

[TheGuru]

I would not worry too much about the Shetlanders, never mind yer 3 bird roast they do a very nice seal pup in a whales arse sauce all lovely and fresh, and if that runs out the next best thing is a peeled and roasted white settler, plenty of them around.