Dates
Monday 28th September 2026
Departure Details
9.45am = Meet in Shetland Museum and Archives Car Park.
The tour will finish there again at 5pm.
Overview
An outside talk with a demonstration of native Shetland sheep and kye (‘cattle’). Uradale is an Organic farm that focusses purely on the native breeds. All the livestock remain on the farm until fully grown, then their meats are sold to customers. The sheep are shorn once a year, and their wool is spun to yarn.
The farm pursues a policy of sustainability with regenerative practices. Light grazing of low numbers of both sheep and kye encourages carbon sequestration over a large area of peatland, the most efficient terrestrial carbon store on the planet. These goals are only attainable through the use of the two indigenous breeds of livestock. Their adaptation to life in this challenging environment at the same latitude as southern Greenland makes them exceptional, and offers sustainable solutions in a climate emergency.
The kye nearly went extinct in 1981, when only 27 were left, as a result of modern agricultural markets. The sheep, now world famous for their wool, are also now in declining numbers, also victims of agricultural markets. However, you will hear about the very special features of both animals, long lost to modern food products, and why they must be protected in their historic form, both for the sake of our nourishment and for the sake of environmental health. The farm has its wool crop spun annually, and over the years has sought to offer yarns with distinction and a unique character.
All will be revealed at Uradale for those with curiosity and discerning tastes.
Afterwards, we will head to the former capital of Scalloway and have lunch before begining a basket making class with Eve Eunson.
Eve is a native Fair Islander - and cousin to Ronnie! In 2018 she embarked on an ambitious project to track down and survey all the traditional chairs made on the island. The project snowballed when, in 2019, thanks to Eve’s project, the UK’s Heritage Crafts Association listed Fair Isle Strawback Chair making on their Red List of Critically Endangered Crafts. https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/
Fair Isle Strawback Chairs are similar to Orkney Chairs – a timber chair frame with a cocooning back of oat straw. Traditionally, the frames were made from timber, salvaged from beaches and shipwreck, as there are no trees in Fair Isle. The straw is a local landrace crop – once very common but now rarely grown. Shetlanders traditionally made all manner of items from straw and these chairs are just one example of this ingenuity.
Eve learned Fair Isle Strawback Chair making from the only remaining maker. She now makes a living from the craft – producing beautiful heirloom pieces for sale. She also works hard to promote the craft and to pass on these skills to others. She developed the rope baskets as an easy way to pass on the unique knotting technique to new audiences.
For more information on Eve’s research and work see eveeunson.com
What Is Included
- Transport throughout the tour
- All entrance fees
- Lunch and refreshments
- Basket making kit
Price
£260 per person
Places available
12
Additional Information
Part of this tour will be conducted outside on uneven ground and will require up to 40 minutes of standing.
Dietary Requirements
If you have any dietary requirements, please let Island Vista know: info@islandvista.co.uk
Tickets are non-refundable.