Study Visit in Shetland












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            * Study Visit in Lerwick, Shetland
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            The third and final study visit of the HerInDep project took place between 29 January and 

            Shetland. Andrew Jennings (PI) and Andrew Lind (CoI) welcomed colleagues from Charles Univ
            and Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania) to UHI Shetland (Lerwick) for a programme 
            meetings and first-hand cultural experiences.


            Once the project team had completed their journey to Shetland by boat, plane and car, proc
            with a meeting between the project team and local stakeholders. The stakeholders included 

            partners, Shetland Heritage Association and Shetland Amenity Trust, as well as other third
            such as Dr Marc Chivers, Director of Moder Dy, a local non-profit coastal and maritime her

            The meeting began with short (10min) presentations from each of the HerInDep teams (UK, CZ
            provide useful context for the other participants. This was followed by a roundtable discu
            the team and the attendees on their experiences and views of/on heritage and depopulation 

            project team were able to capture and record these exchanges and answer questions from the
            regarding HerInDep’s objectives and upcoming plans. Discussion continued at dinner, which 
            formal session. The second day (30 January) began with a walking-tour of Lerwick, which fe

            activities associated with UpHellyAa, including the revealing of the galley, the parading 
            the posting of the UpHellyAa ‘Bill’. Jennings and Lind were on-hand to explain these activ
            some background information regarding the history and culture of Shetland. Following lunch

            Shetland campus, the team assembled for a project review meeting. This proved to be very p
            team made plans for future activities (including the upcoming publications and organizatio
            conference in 2025) and reviewed the progress of each of the national teams. This meeting 

            virtually by Nataly Trushina (CZ) and Conan Doyle (CZ). After all project business had bee
            Jennings and Lind gave a lecture to the rest of the team on the history, development and i
            UpHellyAa in Shetland. This provided useful contextual information for that evening’s even


            After grabbing some dinner, the project team took to the streets of Lerwick once more. The
            secure an ideal vantage point to witness the UpHellyAa fire procession and celebrations. T

            project team received the authentic UpHellyAa experience, following the procession they ma
            the Sound Hall in Lerwick upon the invitation of one of the hall’s hostesses, Robina Barto
            the Shetland Heritage Association). Intrinsically connected to the festival, the dozens of

            Lerwick act as venues where Shetlanders come together to celebrate. At these halls celebra
            drink local produce, dance to traditional and modern music, and witness the ‘acts’ of the 
            who perform a circuit of the all the halls, performing at each. The halls open from around

            open until around 7am the following morning. Given the late night, the team reassembled th
            (1 February) at 3pm for a final team meeting and reflections session. During the reflectio
            noted how inclusive, organic and community-led the festival was, commenting that it was a 

            ‘living heritage’! The project team’s thoughts and comments were recorded by Jennings and 
            conclusion of the study visits, the teams’ attentions have turned to the publication of th
            of the International Journal of Heritage Studies, due later this year.


            Full report can be accessed via this PDF [ URL "FHSH-20-version1-study_visit_report___shet