[darkbrowneggs]

Hi all I have been up here since the end of last month, but the signal for the intentet is intermittent and often slow so cant always get online or update the journal, but have managed to add a few days and will try to do more tonight.  The photos are slow to upload, and really the photos I take cant possibly do justice to how beautiful it is up here. 


Have had quite a few beautiful days, though I think we are forecast bad wind and rain tomorrow.  I had intended to go the the South Mainland for the up helly aa, but as I am pretty far north and haven't seen as much as I want to up here I think I will give that one a miss and try and catch the Delting one.


Anyone thinking of trying for a self-sufficient lifestyle really should make the effort to come up here and have a look round.  The place is quite literally littered with semi derelict property and my guess is that if you stopped in any settlement and asked around there would be masses of places you could buy, and afford.  Apparently there were even grants to help with rebuilding at one time - not usre if it still the case.  Other than the fact that it is windy, which you would soon get used to I cant see any downsides.


When the sun shines, which is has done often, the landscape is so beautiful you almost get scenic overload.


I think the lifestyle here would be wonderful.  The facilities seem good, community spirit is high, everyone is really friendly and considering how far off the beaten track it is goods don't seem expensive to buy. 


I think it would be a superb place to live and bring up a family.  Just thought I would let any would be smallholders what its like up here


Will try and get some more piccies posted on the journal over the next day or two.   

[Lesley Silvester]

I would love to go to Shetland.

[Rosemary]

It's very beautiful  Nice cattle too 

[darkbrowneggs]

Just thought I had to add this in case anyone does look into being a smallholder here. 


I am parked up at one of the ferry terminals and had just let Phoebe out to stretch here legs when the bus pulled up and the driver jumped out.  He was going off shift and will leave his bus here now till tomorrow morning.  He was really chatty and had moved up here with his family four years ago from Merseyside and they are all loving it.  He said jobs were so easy to get if you wanted to work it was unbelievable and the money was good as well.  He said no one is out of work here unless they definitely dont want a job


And he told me that the fishermen would oftne give him mussels and scallops and that he had been given a whole pig and two lambs that a butcher friend had cut up for him and that he mostly never needed to buy meat or fish.  And that most folk are happy to do favours for one another.  When he first arrived and was skint he took the kids to the fish and chip shop to buy them some chips as he couldnt afford anything else.  The guy behind the counter said, and whats your order, when he said no - I cant afford anything else he was given masses of food, and just told to pay when he could.


I have no reason to disbelieve and others have told me they are often given things.  If I was younger and wanted to start smallholding Shetland would definitely be top of my list of places to move to. 


Life as it was meant to be lived I feel 

[shygirl]

I considered Shetland but was told it was full of very rich people so I felt we would be out of place just a wee bit 
there is a house for sale on Unst for £25k   
it looks very beautiful there.

dark brown eggs - are you watching the Shetland tv programme on tv? bbciplayer?

[darkbrowneggs]

Thebus has a satelite tv thing, but to be honest I could never be bothered to get to grips with it, but I made the effort to get out the instruction book and tuned in for Shetland.  Dont think they did justice to the scenery of the place at all - it is far more beautiful


I drove past this place a couple of times and though I didnt realise it was for sale I thought what a wonderful house it would make


http://www.tait-peterson.co.uk/property/braeside_cullivoe/braeside.html


Apparently the vast majority of houses for sale are not actually advertised but sold by word of mouth, and believe you me, there must be a huge amount of places you could buy.  I just asked a guy when the next ferry to Fetlar was and he asked if I wanted to buy a property he had over there. 

[shygirl]

that's really helpful, darkbrownseggs, thanks.
iv only seen a handful of potential places so its good to know.

[shygirl]

DBE - have you seen the Timeteam episode for Fetlar? very interesting.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team/4od#2927794

series 10 episode 4

[AndynJ]

 

[benandjerry]

Sounds wunnerful 

[darkbrowneggs]

Thought I had posted this, but must have pressed the wrong button.  Found it when reseaching Papa Stour, may visit the island later this week.  Not sure if this is still for sale but 135 acres plus a  nice house and some buildings for £165000 cant be bad value   


http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41018120.html[size=78%]mailto:http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41018120.html[/size]

[Lesley Silvester]

It says it's been removed but it is actually still there but very faint. Looks lovely though.

[darkbrowneggs]

Found a cheaper one though the £150000 doesnt include the house but has 63 hectares of croft plus a third share in 600 odd hectares of moorland grazing and and annual income of £15000 in subsidies.  Not bad I think, and a lovely island with friendly people, plus summer bird watching visitors if you wanted to do something touristy


http://www.neilrisk.com/croft-1-velzie.php

[shygirl]

looks lovely, are there many jobs up there?
have you seen many cattle?
do they lamb outside I wonder? have you seen any lambs yet?

 

[Clarebelle]

I know Shetland can be a bit rougher than Orkney but my neighbour on Westray doesn't lamb until May. They also don't get their weaners until July/August.