A. L. Laing

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A. L. Laing is a pharmacy at 101 and 103 Commercial Street at the Market Cross in Lerwick.
The business was founded by Arthur Laurenson Laing (at one time Provost of Lerwick) in no. 101 in 1886 and these premises have been a chemists shop ever since, under several different owners, but retaining the A. L. Laing name. They also have a chemist shop, The Freefield Pharmacy on the corner of Commercial Road and Burgh Road, Lerwick.
Prior to 1886, the premises had been occupied by Thomas Angus, selling groceries and before him, R.B.Laurence, a draper and outfitter.

The adjoining building at 103, has previously had a variety of occupiers, including George Irvine baker, Andrew Nicholson, grocer, James Coutts, grocer, and Robert Jamieson, flesher.
It was a butcher shop for most of the twentieth century, early on owned by Peter Anderson, later by John Henry and William R Jamieson in partnership. From 1920 until his death in 1956, William R Jamieson was the sole proprietor. For the next 20 years , the shop was owned by Peter Barclay and for a few years later traded as The Market Cross Meat Company until the premises were bought by the owners of A L Laing and they became an extension of their chemist shop.