May 2007 Heritage Feature: Preview Shetland Museum and Archive

After years of preparationShetlandMuseum and Archive is due to open to at the end of this month. Built on the historic 19th century site of Hay’s Dock, this iconic building – a new landmark for Shetland - replaces the oldShetlandMuseum and Shetland Archives, and offers a rich insight into the development of Shetland from its geological beginnings to the present day. The new building is part of the wider heritage and culture services provided by the Shetland Amenity Trust

The museum will be an educational and entertaining starting point for visitors exploring the many other sites, visitor centres and collections on the islands. It will also be an important cultural hub for the people of Shetland. Its gallery displays will bring to life Shetland’s history through an imaginative interpretative layout comprising a remarkable collection of artefacts, documents, interactive displays, and reconstructions, including the inside of an 18^th century Shetland House.

Over 3,000 unique artefacts will fill the galleries of the museum, encompassing all aspects of Shetland life, industry, history, environment and culture. Some of the highlights will be from the collections of worldwide famous Shetland textiles, and unique archaeological finds, including the Pictish symbol stone from Mail in Cunningsburgh, dating back to the early seventh century. The museum has an outstanding collection of historic boats, including the last surviving sixareen, recognised as the ultimate development of the traditional Shetland boat. Five boats hang in the dramatic three-storey boat hall, whilst many of the other boats from the collection will be permanently moored in Hay’s Dock. Boats undergoing restoration will be stored in the Boat Shed adjacent to the main building. Here visitors will be able to watch them being worked on using traditional boat building techniques.

The building also houses a state-of-the-art archives facility, containing written records of Shetland’s past, from the fifteenth up to the twentieth century. It boasts the fourth largest collection of archive photography in Scotland and offers the visitor and researchers access to records of the Shetland Islands Council and its predecessors; some categories of crown records; a wide variety of papers generated by companies, individuals, estates and societies; and a large collection of printed material - books and newspapers - concerning Shetland’s past. There is also a large collection of oral history material, and a remarkable music archive collection including that of legendary Shetland musician Tom Anderson. The Archives will be an invaluable resource for genealogists and anyone interested in tracing their roots in Shetland.