An oasis of innocence – Shetland Islands

A terraced street, Shetland

It’s around 200 miles from Aberdeen to Sumburgh on the southern tip of the main Shetland Island. Yet the most striking gap between these two parts of Scotland would be better measured in years, rather than miles. Shetland is in many ways like our parents told us our home towns used to be. An absence of crime and fear of crime is immediately evident, and the trusting and unassuming openness of the local people is disarming at first, and soon becomes infectious.

I made two working visits to Shetland in 2000. As an optometrist at the time I saw an ad from a practice in Lerwick, the biggest town on the islands. The owner was going away for a vacation and needed cover. I jumped at the chance, eager to explore this outermost part of the UK, and also aware that this location would offer a great chance to see the northern lights. Arrangements were made over the phone: I would stay in her house, have use of the car, and would be met at the airport by a staff member. No checks, no references required.

My strongest memory is from my second visit. Having arranged a return later in the year, the owner didn’t see the need to send anyone to meet me, so just asked me to collect the car and house keys from airport security. I duly arrived at Sumburgh and found security closed.  I approached one of the girls who was checking in passengers on the return leg, and said to her “Hello, I’m supposed to pick up some keys”. Nothing more. She nodded and walked off without a word. A moment later she returned with a bunch of keys in hand, smiled at me and said: “There you go”. How’s that for security?

Wintry landscapes, Shetland

Yet I had learned by then that in these remote treeless islands, there is an inherent trust that has been built up over generations. I even asked the receptionist in the place I worked about crime and she said that people in Lerwick were very concerned about the way things were going, as the previous month someone stopping on the island had had a jacket stolen. The locals were horrified!

It reminded me in a strange way of the creatures in the Galapagos Islands, where they have never known predators, and certainly not learned that man is their greatest threat. As a result their curiosity is stronger than any fear and many animals freely wander up to the visitors, posing for photos and oblivious of the shameful track record of the human race in wiping out other species.

One of only 2 tombolos in the UK

In a similar way, the people in Shetland lived something of a idyllic life as far as crime is concerned. My work there involved testing the eyes of children, and it struck me immediately how confident, polite and socially developed even the little ones were. When I greeted a 7 year old and asked them how they were, they typically returned eye contact and replied “Fine thank you. How are you?” There were many such encounters here during my stay, something I had never experienced elsewhere.

I often wonder how the open culture and fearless nature of these islanders might change as the darker elements of society spread here, as they surely will? It is 9 years since I was there last, and I have heard that there is a growing drugs problem among the young people of this tiny community, which is terribly sad to hear. I would love to return there someday, and harbour a strong hope that the innocence and trust of the people that made the islands so special to me is still present.