On the Move
On the Move explores how Shetlanders traveled around within the islands, and how they came to abandon rural life for urban life.
You will discover how road transport rapidly replaced age-old travel by sea. The move to villages allowed people to enjoy home improvements like electricity and sewage – things impossible in Shetland’s rural past.
With a regular ferry service, people could travel to and from Shetland easily. However, today’s boat has become a lifeline that islanders couldn’t survive without. Communication links speeded up, from postal to the internet era, making Shetland less isolated. However, this resulted in the islands losing much of their traditional identity.
Themes include: Transport, communications, urbanisation, immigration and emigration.
Highlights include:
- Model showing the development of Lerwick and its harbour from 1766 to 2001.
- North boat ticket machine – Tickets for the steamer bringing islanders home or away were dispensed by this machine.
- Shetland’s first telephone – This 1883 device connected a local business to the family home.