Ambitious new ideas are emerging from Fetlar that the community hopes will inspire fresh investment and attract more families to live in the isle.
Fetlar, one of Shetland’s three North Isles, is known as the ‘Garden of Shetland’ thanks to its fertile soil and lush landscapes.
It is also home to a forward-looking community of around 60 permanent residents, ambitious businesses, and one of Shetland’s most intriguing buildings – Brough Lodge.
Fetlar is the fourth largest island in Shetland, but as one of the “islands with small population”, there is also a desire to attract new residents to work and live there, helping the place thrive.
An impressive mansion built by Lerwick merchant and landowner Arthur Nicolson, Brough Lodge was completed 1825, displaying design influences from around Europe.
Among the lodge’s features are a folly, at one time used as an observatory, built on top of an Iron Age broch. Such is its uniqueness that all the structures on the site are protected, having Category A listing from Historic Environment Scotland.
And there are bold and ambitious plans for preserving the building and developing it as a luxurious destination, that could make a major contribution to Fetlar’s prosperity.
Brough Lodge Trust, which owns the site, has developed plans for a ‘retreat’, providing deluxe accommodation for guests, especially those interested in Shetland’s unique textiles and distinctive musical heritage.
Trustee Drew Ratter explains more: “Shetland has a unique position in the world of knitting and that is recognised globally. Every year, hundreds of visitors from every continent attend Shetland Wool Week, where they learn about aspects of the islands’ textile heritage. Our research has shown that there is a strong market for the kind of ‘retreat’ experience we have in mind.”
The Brough Lodge Trust has supported the Shetland hand-knitting tradition for several years.
When the local authority, seeking to cut expenditure, ended the provision of knitting classes in schools, there was concern that the skills which have been passed down the generations, would gradually be lost.
Drew adds: “The trust understood that, if any vision for Brough Lodge that involved textiles was to be realised, urgent action needed to be taken. A series of pilot projects was launched, aimed at providing hand-knitting tuition in primary schools, using volunteer tutors. The projects were so successful, and demand was so strong, that the programme was steadily expanded across Shetland.
“We were very fortunate in being able to receive various grants, but we were delighted that many individuals around the world chose to make donations. More recently, Shetland businesses have stepped forward to sponsor the programme. One of them, the spinning firm Jamieson’s of Shetland, has backed us from the very beginning by providing the wool the children use.”
Shetland has a unique position in the world of knitting and that is recognised globally. Every year, hundreds of visitors from every continent attend Shetland Wool Week, where they learn about aspects of the islands’ textile heritage.
Shetland has a distinctive musical heritage and it is expected that would be part of the attraction to Brough Lodge, as well as textiles. The trust also believes that the peaceful setting could make the venue attractive for the teaching and practice of yoga.
The trust has gone as far as having plans developed by Groves Raines Architects – experts in building conservation – for discussion with the local planning authority and Historic Environment Scotland. The plans involve converting the main part of the lodge to form meeting rooms and adding two new wings, sympathetic to the site, providing 24 bedrooms. There would also be an elevated dining room “enjoying wonderful views”.
Drew believes that, if these aims can be achieved, the retreat would greatly benefit the island community:
“Fetlar is a relatively remote corner of Shetland and that, of course, is a big part of its appeal to visitors. But – like all remoter areas – it has faced the reality of depopulation. Providing well-paid, skilled jobs is really important if the community’s future is to be secured.”
It is estimated the retreat could provide 14 jobs, with a ripple effect with guests taking part in activities like guided wildlife tours or angling. Fishermen, crofters and craft businesses could also benefit too, in Fetlar, the neighbouring islands of Yell and Unst and further afield.
For the ambitious plans to become reality the trust needs wider support, and ideally a “philanthropic entrepreneur” to lead the project.
Drew says: “We think the vision for the project is well developed and we know we have local support. We also have green lights from the main agencies involved. I hope that there’s someone out there who shares our ambition for the building, for Fetlar and of course for the strands of Shetland heritage that the retreat will support. If you are that person, we’d love to hear from you.”
If the building is sold, the proceeds will be used to provide further support to the hand-knitting tuition project.
Discover more about the building and retreat project on the Brough Lodge Trust website.
Plans to create a luxury retreat in Fetlar are bold and eye-catching, but there are many other ways that the forward-looking community is plotting a bright future for the island.
In a conspicuous sign of the ambition in the island, three new websites – Brough Lodge Trust; fetlar.org and fetlarshetland.co.uk – have been launched within weeks of each other.
The latter is the online home of Fetlar Shetland, a business offering accommodation and supplies. It’s a useful resource for anyone planning a visit to Fetlar, with information about the island, its wildlife, heritage and folklore.
One of the business owners is Lucy Cummings who moved there from Surrey with her sister and brother-in law in 2016. Together they run a farm in Fetlar, with beef cattle and sheep, and also run the island guest house, shop, café and post office – all of which are housed in the same building.
If Fetlar Shetland offers a sign of the enterprising spirit within the island, fetlar.org exemplifies the sense of community. Indeed, the community is responsible for the website which is packed with information about life in the island – and why it is an excellent place to call “home”.
Whether you want to know more about Fetlar’s history, volunteering opportunities, eco-friendly outlook, or access details about the extensive list of things to do, fetlar.org includes lots of useful information.
That information includes the Fetlar Welcome Pack, a comprehensive guide to life in the island. The pack and its contents belong to the Fetlar community which created the document in collaboration with the Promote Shetland service.
Lucy explains that the idea was to compile as much helpful information in one place, so anyone considering relocating to the island could easily access the collective community knowledge.
“At the time the Fetlar.org website had not been updated for some time and we thought it would be a good idea to create a document we could keep up to date which would give anyone thinking of moving to Fetlar a lot of relevant information and links to further information all in one place.
“We would love to attract more families to the island to balance out an ageing population.”
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When Lucy Cummings moved to Fetlar in 2016, she had never previously set foot in Shetland.
But stories of the islands’ beauty, incredible wildlife and the majesty of simmer dim were enough to convince her that it was a good idea.
To give the full picture, her sister and her husband had visited Shetland several times – and they were honest enough to speak of short winter days and strong winter winds. That is all part of living in Fetlar.
Lucy says: “I had never been to Shetland before moving here. I had been working with my sister and her husband on our small farm in Sussex where we could not get the economies of scale to make it viable.
“We discussed over a five-year period where to move to – my sister and her husband had spent three very happy holidays in Shetland in the 1980s and were very attracted to it. They fairly described the advantages (the beauty, the simmer dim, the wildlife) and the disadvantages (the short winter days, the wind) and we decided to give it a go.”
Having identified the Northern Isles as a location, Fetlar was the first place where suitable croft land became available.
“At the time Fetlar had a working webcam which we checked on regularly. Fetlar has been more challenging in some ways but has surpassed expectations in terms of its ever changing beauty.”
Lucy says the daily dose of natural beauty is the best thing about being a Fetlar resident, adding that the island’s appearance alters dramatically dependent on changes in the wind, sun, weather, and the light off the sea.
Of course, the weather can pose the occasional challenge, “especially in winter when you have to get out for livestock”.
Asked about other challenges she points out the time and expense of getting supplies, including agricultural feed, to the island. And “the challenges of living in a small community where we all know each other’s business!”
But if community represents one of the challenges, it’s also one of Fetlar’s great strengths as demonstrated by the creation of a new fetlar.org website.
The move has suited Lucy, and she would love to see others move to the island too. She has a word of advice for anyone considering whether they should go for it. “I’ve only lived here for six years but have seen quite a few people come and go for various reasons – so going against my reluctance to give advice I would say do your own research and make sure this is the right move for you.”
The existence of a Fetlar Welcome Pack has made that research much easier.
Download your free copy of the Fetlar Welcome Pack today