As the only town in the Shetland Islands, Lerwick is the most northerly town in the United Kingdom. It is located on the East Coast of the Shetland Mainland and unlike most of the other towns in the country; it only dates back to the 17
th century. Originally founded as a seaport dependent on the herring fishery, the economy of this town has not changed a lot because this is still the main industry. It is a ferry port, with the main ferry sailing on a regular basis to Aberdeen also calling in at Orkney. Other ferries sail from Lerwick to Bressay and Out Skerries and once every two weeks to Fair Isle. A Faroese ferry company also operates from here sailing to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Iceland.
There are many annual events, such as the fire festival, in Lerwick that draw many visitors each year. The largest of these events is the fire festival for Up Helly –Aa, held on the last Tuesday in January which sees a procession of costumed people parading through the streets of town. The procession ends with torches being thrown into a replica of a Viking longboat. There are parties held afterwards at the local halls where the performers put off a play.
There was once a pentagonal fort built here in 1665–57 to protect the area from a possible attack by the Dutch who came here to fish. This fort cost almost £30,000 and was built by the master mason of Charles II, Robert Milne. During the war against the French in the late 1700's, a new fort was built on this site with a pentagonal design. It was called Fort Charlotte after the wife of King George III. The town grew around the fort so that it is now in the centre where you will find streets such as Commercial Street with stores that still have their old–world charm. Fort Charlotte is open to the public and visitors are welcome to browse the fort to get a glimpse of Lerwick history.
You can see how fish was dried and salted in the early years with a visit to the Bod of Gremista. This is now the site of a museum that explains the process as it once was and shows how hard these early settlers worked drying fish on the beach.
Visitors enjoy walking through the town and climbing the nearby hills. From the Knab you have an exquisite view of Bressay and the more modern sections of Lerwick.
Photographs © Graeme G Storey ShetlandTourism.Com
