Shetland Shopping

Shopping in Lerwick – not much diversification in spite of oil boom. Plethora of traditional knitwear shops selling variations on same theme, but individually made. The Shetland Times Shop is a wide-ranging bookstore with excellent local selection and Stove & Smith is a splendid old-fashioned ironmonger-cum-toyshop where paraffin is measured out by the copper jug.

Food shops are in short supply with little variety in fresh fruit and vegetables, but Malcomson’s fresh warm bannocks, Scotch pancakes, baps, help a picnic along. Smith & Co’s haggis and mealy pudding are home-made and J. & M. Fraser have wonderful displays of foot-high crisscross piles of fresh fish. Apart from Frasers, on Esplanade, all are on Commercial Street. Most shops in Lerwick close all day Wednesday. While, food shops close from midday.