Main Page

Cannons from El Gran Grifon The restored one in centre Photo from Shetland Museum

A new artefact was displayed in the foyer of Shetland Museum from the beginning of August; a bronze cannon from the Armada ship El Gran Grifon, which wrecked off Fair Isle in the aftermath of the Spaniards’ ill-fated attack on England in 1588.
The cannon has been in the museum's storage since the 1970's, but is now completely restored, complete with recreated gun mount. Iron fittings on the cannon have been handcrafted using authentic methods by blacksmith Bruce Wilcock, from Hillswick, and the woodwork has been manufactured by the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

The Gran Grifón, or El Gran Grifón, the 650-ton 38-gun flagship of the Armada's supply squadron of Baltic hulks (built in and chartered from the City of Rostock) was shipwrecked on Fair Isle, on the 27th September 1588. She sailed under the command and section flag of Juan Gómez de Medina and not – as often quoted – under the command of Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, Admiral of Spain and commanding officer of the Armada.
She had been attacked and badly damaged right in the first meeting in the Channel but managed somehow to escape into the open North Sea where she later met the rest of the beaten Armada. Because of leaks she had to run before the wind up the east coast of Britain. However, an unusually strong storm and the tides forced the ships to cross between Norway and the Northern Isles for about a week before they reached the Atlantic. Having the coast of Ireland nearly in sight many ships were thrown back north by another storm. The Gran Grifón, the Barca de Amburgo (a hulk, chartered from the City of Hamburg) and the Trinidad Valencera (1100-ton, one of the biggest ships of the Armada) were separated from the remaining fleet. The Barca de Amburgo foundered south west of Fair Isle, but was able to split her crew between the Gran Grifon and the Trinidad Valencera (later wrecked in Irish waters). Thus the Gran Grifon carried 43 crew and 234 soldiers - by far more sailors and armed forces than standard.

To read the full story , click on this link.

Click Map To Enlarge

Explore Shetland step by step
Make your choice from all our Shetland Settlements.
Or, visit our modern and ancient "capitals" Lerwick and Scalloway.
No visit to Shetland is complete without taking a ferry to visit one of the Outer Isles.

When rambling through Shetland
Look out for the historical attractions and local museums, or discover our naturally beautiful landscapes and our Voes, Firths, and Bays.

To get a taste of what you will see
Have a browse through our "picture galleries".

Looking for some indoor leisure activities?
Then join in and do some sports in one of our fine Leisure Centres: Go for a swim, try your skills in indoor bowling – or just watch the competing folks.
Or for something more leisurely take a look around our pubs and bars

Further advice for visitors to Shetland
Can be found by visiting our Tourism Pages

The 2010 South Mainland Up Helly Aa Galley 'Skidbladnir', and Jarl David Smith. Photo by Muckleossa

Shetland's best values: The people!
Here you can meet some of those who represent our community as well as some of the incoming folks and other native Shetlanders of the past.

Present Day Shetland
is a vibrant community based both in,

• a great variety of businesses representing traditional but still important industries like fishery to the spearheads active in the renewable energies sector and
• the active life in our communities, our schools and the modern colleges which play a major role in our social and cultural life.

Shetland Heritage
is represented by far more than our famous archaeological monuments such as Jarlshof and the Broch of Mousa.
Most importantly, it is a living heritage, living in our arts, crafts, music and festivals, as well as the continuation of traditional Shetland industries such as fishing, crofting, and knitwear.

Milo, Piper, and Missy, the first pure bred Shelties to be born in Shetland for 15 years.

Proud mother 'Mystery', with Missy.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Shetland Hamefarin. It took place from the 14th to the 26th 0f June.
The First Hamefarin was arranged in May 1960.
The idea for the Hamefarin came from Mr. John L. Arcus of Wellington, New Zealand, who in 1958 wrote to Zetland County Council and Lerwick Town Council and suggested a ceremonial return of those of Shetland extraction from all over the world in 1960. The suggestion was taken forward, and in March 1959 an executive committee was formed, the chairman was school headmaster George W. Blance.
The main party of ‘Hamefarers’ arrived in Lerwick on board the St. Clair II at 8am on Friday 20th May. The total number of Hamefarers was thought to be around eighty, many saw Shetland for the first time.
Read more : Hamefarin 1960
The second Hamefarin was arranged 25 years later, in 1985.
More than 500 Hamefarers attended the week’s celebrations. Seventy-four of them were from New Zealand, and twenty-eight were from Australia.
Read more : Hamefarin 1985
With Hamefarins in 1960 and 1985, and with one planned for 2010, a “25-year rule” was established.
The exception to this was in 2000, when a special “Millenium Hamefarin” was held. This took place from Friday 19th to Sunday 28th May 2000, when around 140 Hamefarers made their way to Shetland for the event.
Read more : Hamefarin 2000
To read more about Hamefarin 2010, please click here.

As the Mareel cinema and music venue is built we will add the latest pictures from the site here, on a regular basis.

August, Picture By: Jeannie.