There are several special things about the quarterly magazine 60North.
It is beautifully designed and features some of the best photography of Shetland’s landscape, culture, wildlife and people ever printed. It feels and even smells fantastic (quality paper and printing, not the infusion of fresh Shetland air, although that helps). The content comes from a carefully-chosen group of Shetland’s most creative and knowledgable writers. It’s full of humour, history, cutting edge design, tasty food and wonderful scenery.
It’s a northern delight.
60North is a really joyful celebration of Shetland. And for just £15 a year, you can join in, or send some of that island joy to your friends and family this Christmas season.
It’s great value. And one that will not only remind visitors of Shetland’s many wonders, but could draw them back to the isles. For life. It is that good. And for a ‘peerie taste’, you can view some individual back issues online and order them in print form.
The autumn edition, for example, looks good enough to eat and focused on Shetland’s plentiful and inspiring larder. Until recently, much of Shetland’s produce was little known outside the islands and islanders themselves may even have taken some of it for granted. But that’s changing. Shetland mussels, lamb, beef, smoked salmon and much else are now enjoyed worldwide and, within the islands, there’s a refreshing new focus on food that’s local. The recent Shetland Food Fair was a resounding and delicious success.
This issue of 60North looked at the isles’ interesting food heritage, went cooking outdoors, baked huffsie and learned about Shetland’s medicinal plants. There was something for every palate - even those whose tastes run to the glories of the 1970s!
The summer magazine saw Jon Dunn searching for one of the UK’s rarest orchids - Shetland’s plants and flowers include some of most elusive and beautiful in the world - as well as showcasing the many craftworkers now active from Unst to Fair Isle, the magazine sent architect and artist Mike Finnie to analyse the dream of many visitors and local residents - building your own house - while the fantastic 1970s black and white photography of Tom Kidd brought the recent past of the oil industry to monochromatic life.
Tales of midwifery and what a ‘Shetland Night’ in London looked and tasted like, some mackerel recipes and a day out in Noss: The long days of the simmer dim are all within this 60North’s covers.
Back in the spring, young Dr James Morton, brought up from babyhood in Northmavine, was featured on the cover in his familiar national role as TV baker. His Great British Bake-Off days may be behind him, but three books and a medical degree on, he still looks back to his granny’s recipes, learned in her Heylor cottage.
There was, naturally for springtime, a bit of digging going on within the walls of four Shetland gardens, as well as some knitting and boat restoration.
But last winter’s edition was warm and toasty with all kinds of woolliness abounding. Donna Smith, who was the 2015 Wool Week Patron, wrote movingly of how knitting was at the core of her own life and the islands’ heritage, while Alistair Hamilton investigated the Shetland links with the conquest of Everest - Adies of Voe supplied the jumpers worn by Hilary and Tenzing.
You can browse these editions and subscribe on your own or somebody else’s behalf. There are gift cards too!