Knitting In Shetland
2025 Tour
See What's Included
- £1000 - Deposit Due immediately to secure your place on the trip
- £2990 - Final Payment due 4 months prior to the trip starting
Paid in two separate instalments.
£3990 per person
OPTION 2 - Private Room Price
- £1000 - Deposit Due immediately to secure your place on the trip
- £2490 - Final Payment due 4 months prior to the trip starting
Paid in two separate instalments.
£3490 per person
OPTION 1 - Shared Room Price
Price
2025 Tours SOLD OUT
10th - 16th Aug 2025
20th - 26th Aug 2025
SOLD OUT
8th - 14th June 2025
SOLD OUT
AUGUST
JUNE
2025 Tour Dates
Our immersive tours are designed to give an insight into Shetland's knitting traditions and local textile industry. Each trip offers a carefully planned blend of workshops and classes aimed at opening up the world of Shetland knitting, with walks and excursions to explore and appreciate the landscape and history of our islands. You will visit some of Shetland's most scenic locations and sample delicious local produce too.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime-holiday.
Join us on an unforgettable journey to discover Shetland and our unique textile heritage.
Create a thread between you & Shetland that spans oceans.
Trip Highlights
- A visit to Shetland Museum and Archives where we will be given a guided tour of the textile collection which was deemed a Recognised Collection of National Significance in Scotland in 2013.
- Visits to local crofters to learn about Shetland Sheep in their native environment
- A visit to the Sandness spinning mill, home of Jamieson’s of Shetland yarn
- A visit to Shetland Textile Museum, a vibrant centre of Shetland’s textile culture and heritage
- A visit to Jamieson & Smith where we will learn about the art of wool sorting and grading
- A visit to the Unst Heritage Centre to view their famous Shetland lace collection
- A Fair Isle class with Donna Smith
- A Shetland lace class with Elizabeth Johnston
- A Shades of Shetland class with Donna Smith
- A class on colour blending with Terri Malcolmson
- An introduction to the history of Shetland textiles and knitting talk
- Ella Gordon's Shetland knitwear trunk show
- A walking tour of Lerwick with Laurie Goodlad – step back in time to the 18th century to the days of the Dutch fishermen, smugglers and whalers.
- Excursions to many Shetland spectacular places and areas of interest such as St Ninian's Isle, Unst, Yell, or Burra
- Many Shetland yarn and knitwear shopping opportunities
1 0o is wool in Shetland dialect.
2 Please note that Jamieson's is a working mill so a tour of the factory is not always possible. If this is the case an alternative programme will be provided.
- After breakfast we will head to the Westside of Shetland. Our first stop will be in Bixter, at Marion Anderson's Breckenlea Croft and Shetland pony Stud to see her Shetland sheep, ponies and sheepdogs.
- Then we will head to Sandness to visit the Jamieson's of Shetland Spinning Mill, where their yarn and knitwear is made. We will be given a tour of the factory and we will learn about the full process of yarn and garment production including grading, scouring, dyeing, spinning, knitting and linking.
- We will then drive to Weisdale and we'll have lunch at Bonhoga Gallery.
- After lunch we will return to Lerwick to visit the charming Shetland Textile Museum, a vibrant centre of Shetland's textile culture and heritage, run by volunteers.
- We will then head to Jamieson & Smith Shetland Woolbrokers. Oliver Henry will give us a demonstration in Shetland wool sorting and grading and there will also be an opportunity to shop for yarn.
- After a delicious home-cooked dinner we'll meet Ella Gordon and learn about her fabulous Shetland knitwear collection.
Shetland Museum and Archives & Donna Smith
DAY 3
- Our day starts at Shetland Museum and Archives where we will be given a guided tour of the textile collection which was deemed a Recognised Collection of National Significance in Scotland in 2013.
- After tea and cake we will start our Fair Isle class with Donna Smith, Shetland Wool Week 2015 patron and the iconic Baa-ble hat designer. The class continues into the afternoon.
- After dinner we will take a leisurely walk around old Lerwick with a local writer, Lonely Planet guide contributor and guide Laurie Goodlad who will take us back in time to the 18th century; to the days of the Dutch fishermen, smugglers and whalers. We will soak up the atmosphere and hear stories about life in the old closes, courts and lodberries. Laurie will also explain the truck (barter) system, in place until the 1930s, by which Shetland knitters produced garments not for cash, but for credit at the local shop.
The Westside, Shetland Oo & Shetland Textile Museum
DAY 2
Independent travel to Shetland with an airport ferry pick-up. Meeting at 6.30pm for a welcome dinner. We will go over our planned itinerary and talk about the days ahead.
There will also be an introduction to Shetland textile heritage and tradition. Bring your knitting with you!
Arrival & Welcome
Day 1
Full Itinerary
- We will start our day with a visit at Ronnie Eunson's Uradale organic farm, to learn about Shetland sheep in their native environment and to draw some inspiration from Shetland's spectacular scenery. There will also be an opportunity to purchase their Uradale organic yarn.
- We will then continue to the isle of Burra, where Donna Smith lives. Donna will show us around her croft and we'll also learn about her designer practice, as well as the story of the wonderfully squishy Langsoond yarn.
- After lunch we will enjoy a Shetland hap class with Donna. A hap - a word meaning to cover, wrap or keep warm - was a traditional shawl of everyday wear for Shetland women. Haps have a particular association with Shetland where, for more than a century, they were knitted for everyday wear as well as for sale. This class is the perfect opportunity to learn about the traditional technique of the hap construction which is knitted from the outside towards the centre.
Uradale Farm, Burra & Donna Smith
DAY 5
- The fourth day will take us to Yell and Unst, Britain's most northerly island. Unst is one of the most spectacular and interesting islands in Europe, fascinating for both its natural and human history. The beautiful and varied landscape supports a rich variety of wildlife, Viking sites, as well as pure-bred Shetland sheep and Shetland ponies which roam the common grazing land.
- We will visit Unst Heritage Centre to view their world-renowned collection of fine lace knitwear, as well as another interesting local museum, the Old Haa Heritage Centre in Yell
Top of Britain - Yell, Unst & Lace
DAY 4
- On our last morning we will learn about traditional Shetland lace with Elizabeth Johnston and we'll knit a small lace sampler. Elizabeth was the Shetland Wool Week patron in 2018, is an acclaimed hand spinner and she also specialises in dyeing wool with plants.
Lerwick
DAY 7
- We will travel south to St Ninian's Isle to enjoy some of Shetland's fantastic outdoors and stunning landscapes. We'll walk across Shetland's most celebrated beach - the spectacular sand tombolo that links Mainland Shetland to St Ninian's Isle. St Ninian's Isle has fine cliff scenery, and the remains of St Ninian's chapel.- where Shetland's most valuable archaeological find was made
- On our way to the Sumburgh Head Nature Reserve (where we'll hopefully spot puffins), we'll stop in the wonderfully atmospheric Shetland Crofthouse Museum.
- After lunch we will visit Nielanell's colourful and inspiring studio in Hoswick and learn about the design and inspiration process behind the stunning and unusual garments.
- The highlight of the day will be a colour blending class with Terri Malcolmson. After taking inspiration from some unique knitwear designs we will take a class in blending colours for Fair Isle with her. Another delicious, this time farewell, dinner.
South Mainland & Wilma Malcolmsom
DAY 6
- Six nights accommodation in a centrally located super cosy and newly refurbished traditional house in Lerwick
- Deliciously healthy breakfasts, packed lunches with fresh home-baked cake, tea/coffee & snacks during the day and "Sensational Secret Shetland Supper" evening meals
- Transport within Shetland
- Knitting classes led by Shetland expert tutors, most of them will be held at the SWA creative space in the very heart Lerwick's historic lanes.
- All visits as detailed in the itinerary
- The services of a tour manager
- The services of qualified Shetland tour guides
- Knitting materials
- A gorgeous Shetland goodie bag
Pricing Includes
- £1000 - Deposit Due immediately to secure your place on the trip
- £2990 - Final Payment due 4 months prior to the trip starting
Paid in two separate instalments.
£3990 per person
OPTION 2 - Private Room Price
- £1000 - Deposit Due immediately to secure your place on the trip
- £2490 - Final Payment due 4 months prior to the trip starting
Paid in two separate instalments.
£3490 per person
OPTION 1 - Shared Room Price
Tour Details
*Please note that travel to and from Shetland is not included in the price.
For more information please email Info@shetlandwooladventures.com
CONTACT
Where possible, the food on our holiday is prepared by local chefs, who are passionate about using local produce to create delicious and balanced meals each day. We make sure all meals are healthy as well as tasty, and we'll make every effort to accommodate any dietary needs you may have.
FOOD
We have a team of talented and experienced
Shetland tutors who have a wide range of textile knowledge and expertise.
Our guides are professionally trained, accredited and insured and they are members of STGA (Scottish Tour Guides Association).
TUTORS & GUIDES
We reserve the right to make small changes to the tour where practical.
ITINERARY
We keep our group size small, with a maximum number of 6 participants, to ensure quality and individual attention.
Our expert tutors and guides are always on hand to help you and provide you with help, advice and insightful information, all backed up by years of experience.
We pride ourselves in a truly individual and personal approach to ensure you have the best possible experience.
GROUP SIZE
Details & Important Notes
Your Shetland Wool Adventure Starts Here
Explore native secrets, hiding in the nooks and crannies of the landscape. And get closer to the crafts and industries that have thrived in such a remote environment.
