Lerwick is a
fascinating place at any time of year. In summer, its waterfront is
brightened by yachts and cruise liners from ports around the North
Atlantic. In winter, the harbour is a refuge for all kinds of craft and
the twists and turns of Commercial Street defeat the wildest weather. The
town had the humblest of beginnings as a scattering of huts along the
shore occupied during the Dutch fishing season, but grew apace from the
seventeenth century.
Above the winding
shoreline track which became Commercial Street, development was tightly
packed into a patchwork of narrow lanes. In the 19th century, new docks to
accommodate the fishing fleet were created to the north of the town. At
Freefield, Hay's dock was the centre of Shetland's fishing industry and
the largest ship built in Lerwick, the barque `North Briton', took to the
water here in 1836.
By the late 19th century, the more prosperous citizens were moving from
the old part of town to flatter land west of the Hillhead and continued to
expand to become a thriving and welcoming place of around 7,600 people
serving all the 23,000 inhabitants of Shetland.
There's a wide range
of accommodation, a choice of good places to eat, pubs and clubs to suit
most tastes and some of the most advanced indoor leisure facilities in
Britain. Lerwick is also an excellent place to sample Shetland's
internationally celebrated musical heritage. The islands are best known
for their fiddle music, but there's a wealth of talent embracing a wide
range of styles.
