Shetland winter words

At the tip of the British Isles, we have the UK’s ‘shortest day’ at the winter solstice. The weather can change rapidly from wild wintry storms to crystal clear skies … and everything in between!

It is a time when Shetlanders find comfort in coming together, socialising, and celebrating. Blogger Catherine Munro reflects on Shetland winters and has been thinking about some of the unique dialect words to be heard at this time of year.

It will be no surprise that we have many different weather words and sayings. Weather is always part of island life, but this is especially true in winter, when wild winds and stormy seas batter the islands, creating dramatic natural spectacles.

Gaa is the name for the rainbow spots that sometimes appear next to the sun. Commonly known as sundogs in other places.

Weatherlore says, “A gaa afore is something more, a gaa behind you needna mind; Bit a gaa afore an ane behind is wadder o da sam kind.”

The location of the gaa is thought to indicate what weather is coming. People often refer to the ‘halo’ around a full moon as a gaa, and this is always considered to predict that bad weather is on its way.

“He jöst lowsed”, means that it started to pour with rain. It’s the kind of weather that will leave you drookin, soaking wet.

One indication that lowsing weather is approaching is if there are clouds above Foula, the most westerly of the Shetland islands.

A local saying goes, “When Foula Isle wears his hat, Aa da Mainland pays fur dat.”

Although we may get some heavy downpours in the winter months, one of the advantages of our near-constant winds is that rain tends to blow over quickly. The ert (direction) of the wind makes a big difference to the feeling of storms. Winds from the north and east can be bitterly cold, while southerly and westerlies may be a little warmer but are more associated with wetter weather.

People are often surprised at how little snaa (snow) we get. At 60º North, Shetland is Sub-Arctic, and many places on a similar latitude will experience regular heavy snowfall during winter. However, nowhere in Shetland is more than three miles from the sea and the warmer ocean currents of the gulf stream heat up our temperatures. The result is we don’t get much snow and ice.

We do get some magical days where the islands are blanketed in snaa and it is time to go sledging!

When the weather is chilly, you wouldn’t want to be without your Gansey! Ganseys are our beautiful knitted jumpers.

Shetland is rightly famed for its knitwear. The native sheep have wonderful fleeces that are perfect for making warm jumpers, and knitting skills and patterns have been passed down through the generations.

Although colourful Fair Isle is the most common, ganseys can be different styles, colours and patterns. Folk will often have a favourite for cold winter days, and many will have been passed through the generations as heirlooms.

You also need a toorie to keep your head warm. Toorie refers to any kind of knitted hat, but again, these are usually in Fair Isle patterns. Each year, Shetland Wool Week has a toorie designed for the event and folk attending will often knit it in advance so they can wear it when they visit.

There are some beautiful designs, and it is always lovely to see how different the same pattern can look with all the different colour choices folk make.

Our summer months are known for the endless daylight, the simmer dim. In winter, we get as few as six hours daylight. Even at midday, you can feel the darkenin, the twilight approaching.

Although our winters may sound dark, there is beauty to our winter light. The sun doesn’t rise high above the horizon, meaning the days are often filled with a golden, sunset glow.

Once it does get dark, Shetland skies can be incredible. There is very little light pollution, so it is the perfect place to enjoy starry skies on a frosty night. If you are lucky, you might even see a display of the mirrie dancers. This Shetland name for the northern lights comes from mirr, meaning blur.

The aurora really does look like dancers moving across the sky, the speed of their dance causing their edges to blur with the night.

When the hegri (heron) returns to Shetland, you know winter is not far behind. You don’t usually see herons here in the summer, but they are a familiar part of our winter landscapes. The shalder, on the other hand, is the harbinger of spring. When the first oystercatchers begin to appear, you know that the finer weather isn’t so far away.

While most of us in the islands celebrate Christmas, the traditional festival was yule (or yöl). It began at midwinter and lasted 24 days, and each of these days had its own dances and rituals. Although many traditions have changed over the years, a lot of yule dates are still noted and observed by Shetlanders with dances and bonfires across the islands.

Most notable are residents of the island of Foula, which continues to use the Julian calendar long after most places adopted the Gregorian calendar. That means in Foula, Christmas day is celebrated on 6^th January.

A traditional yule toast is ‘yule guid an yule gaer be wi wis aa year’ that wishes a good yule to everybody and hopes that the rest of the year will be as good as this day.

It is also the time you are most likely to encounter trows, small mischievous beings said to live in our hills. Although folktales describe trows’ presence throughout the year, they are thought to be particularly active at yule. You can listen to Shetland winter folk tales here.

On Tulya's E'en, a week before Yule, people would make a straw cross and put it by their door to keep the household safe from trowie visitors. Yule was also the time for skekklers. These straw-adorned figures would go from house to house, playing fiddle music in return for food and drink.

A highlight of the festive period is Newerday New Year’s day. Like many places in Scotland, the new year is associated with friends and family visiting each other. Traditionally, households would make a big pot of reesit mutton soup. Reesit mutton is lamb that was preserved by heavily salting it and having it dry over the peat fire over winter. The soup includes a small amount of this meat mixed with potatoes – you might also hear it called tattie soup – and is still a popular dish today.