Shetland Islands

I made our morning jaunt through Shetland’s largest city of Lerwick betting that the clouds and wind would not produce a rainstorm. The bet paid off. We walked to the Shetland Museum, but then decided we would stroll through the scenic streets and alleys of Old Town. Lovely old buildings from the nineteenth century now serve everything from coffee and pastries to Indian cuisine. Just before we returned to the ship I insisted that we make one more little excursion down a lane called Commerce Street. It runs right down by the harbor, and I suspected it would lead me to my target. Indeed, within a block we found the building that serves as the home of Inspector Jimmy Perez on the British TV series “Shetland.” Our guide later that day told us that he had appeared as an extra in the series four times, and that unlike the drama depicted on television, Lerwick does not have a murder per week. He says that the locals watch the series not so much to follow the story, but to see which of their neighbors appear on the show. They are also interested in the locations the film crew uses. In some episodes Inspector Perez walks down the street to a nearby house. In reality the house is forty miles away from the city.

After a quick lunch back on the ship, I lost my bet with the weather. Glenda wisely chose to wear her rain gear, and her choice paid off. We took a bus tour of the island, but we were completely surrounded by fog. Most of the time we could see less than twenty yards. At the midpoint of the bus ride we came to a stable that raises Shetland ponies. The owner, a woman named Carol, told us about the breed. Originally raised to haul heavy loads in coal mines, now the little horses are used primarily to teach children to ride.

On the cruise out of Lerwick harbor, the fog cleared a bit, and I got a few good shots of the town. One shows Inspector Jimmy Perez’s house from the ocean. The real-life building houses the Lerwick Boat Club, incidentally.Read more