Hanseatic League 15th-17th century Shetlanders traded their salt fish, and other goods, through the Hanseatic League of German merchants, in exchange for salt, cloth, spirits…
Trading booths or böds 15th-17th century Between the 15th and 17th century the salt fish trade was in the hands of German merchants of the…
Dutch trade 1580-1700 The Dutch monopolised the North Sea fisheries, arriving every summer in Shetland to catch herring on their large decked boats called 'busses'.…
Local opportunity - fishing trade 1710-1790 In 1707, the Act of Union meant that German merchants could no longer afford to trade in Shetland, due…
Napoleonic War 1793-1815 The infamous Press Gangs were at large, rounding up young Shetland men with valuable nautical skills to go to war. Did you…
Cod smacks: artificial beaches - 1820s-1880s The cod fishing in Faroe and Iceland, from the 1820s-1880s, was a hugely important summer fishery for Shetland, with…
The Far Haaf: Shetland's first commercial fishing 1750s-1900 When the German merchants left, the lairds saw an opportunity. They fitted out sixareens and, by the…
Danger of the Haaf 1750s-1900s Through the 1900s, sixareens were made larger to reach new fishing grounds. This meant a greater danger to the crew. The haaf…
Herring boom 1880s-1920s Shetland was on a roll, with plenty of fish in the sea and a great demand for cured herring in Eastern Europe.…
End of the Haaf fishing - 1900s Fishing had always been a risky business and accidents were common, but with the added pressure of debt,…