Murrister ia a traditional croft holiday cottage in Uyeasound at the south end of the beautiful Shetland Island of Unst.
Surrounded by fields often with a range of cows, sheep and Shetland ponies, and rabbits, birds and wild flowers in profusion the cottage overlooks the village itself. There are numerous walks for all levels in the area, long sandy beaches, remains of Viking settlements, a ruined castle and fishing lochs.
Accommodation
The self catering house itself has recently been upgraded with a new roof, insulation and double glazing, and new fitted kitchen, bathroom and flooring in the extension. The small extension to the right was the original barn and is set for conversion to a studio should any visiting artists wish to make use of it. Beyond the barn was the byre, now roofless but a wonderful sight in summer as it is full of honeysuckle and just opposite the barn is the remains of the hen house.
The house has been in my family since the mid 1800s and many of the items of furniture and ornaments belonged to my grandmother and have been there for all of my memory. My grandmother was an amazing woman, living here on her own with a peat fire no bathroom only a single cold tap, yet totally blind. I don’t think as a child I really thought of her as blind, she was so independent.
To the front of the house there is a small garden – somewhat overgrown but a project for another year. Facing the west it makes a pleasant place to sit in the evening with a glass of wine. (weather permitting!)
You enter into a small vestibule with a rather large sideboard. It belonged to my mother along with the table in the kitchen. However because the doorways in the original part of the house are narrow it is impossible to fit it anywhere else! Sometimes you don’t think about these things – I discovered that a chair I had brought up for the sitting room would not fit through the door no matter how I tried. After a variety of unhelpful suggestions it found a home in the local coastguard station!
The kitchen is fully equipped with hob/oven, washing machine/tumble drier and fridge/freezer. Outside there is a drying green with clothes poles and rope. Plenty of crockery, cutlery etc is supplied. There are also some spare wellies, torches and a mobile phone linked to Vodaphone for emergencies as O2 reception is erratic. The views are very peaceful and rabbits can frequently be seen just outside the window. Large families of starlings live in the stone dykes so don’t be alarmed when they tap dance on the roof at certain times of the year!
The bathroom is compact but provides both a shower and bath. Products from the Shetland Soap Company are there for you to try, and can be purchased from their shop in Lerwick.
A narrow passage links the extension to the original house – various appliances are stored under the stairs, and a ‘jumper board’ complete with jumper adds the traditional feel.
This was the ‘but’ end – the room used for everyday living. A Raeburn stove used to occupy the space where the solid fuel heater now stands. I can clearly remember my grandmother cooking and baking there. If you have experience of using a coal/wood burning fire please enjoy the experience but for those of you who are less sure there are electric heaters throughout the house and electric storage heaters in most rooms. Most of the furniture in this room has always been there but a television/DVD has been added and the bookcase contains a range of reading material for you to browse.
The ‘ben’ end was always the ‘good’ room reserved for special visitors. It once contained an organ which I can remember trying to play as a child. Again much of the furniture is of a traditional nature. Here you might enjoy relaxing with a cup of tea or gather round the table to play some of the varied board games provided.
Originally the window at the bottom of the stairs was a door way to a porch with access to the front garden but this was demolished and the wall built up to make the whole house warmer.
The stair is quite narrow and steep so do take care – make use of the original brass hand rail which has been carefully polished by generations!
The stair leads up to the two bedrooms, both of which have sloping ceilings with sky lights which let in a surprising amount of light. On the right is the twin room and on the left the double. An additional folding bed is stored under the stairs and could suit a child or overnight visitor.
Bedding and towels are provided, and there is both drawer and hanging space in both bedrooms.
Local Area
Sadly the local school, church and shops have closed but travel 6 miles north to Baltasound and you will find all amenities – church, school and leisure centre which is open to the public, 3 shops one with a bakery attached, cafes, post office and hotel. Move north again to Haroldswick where there is a restaurant on the converted RAF base Saxavord along with the local brewery and small chocolate factory.
You can also visit a reconstructed Viking long house and ship, an excellent maritime museum and the local heritage centre where you can find out about the history of Unst and see examples of crafts. Again there are many walks in this area including the nature reserves at Hill of Hamar and Hermaness. Pick your route carefully and you will be able to see Muckle Flugga and the Oot Stack – the final rock of Britain or Ultima Thule (the end of the earth). Always check out the public notice board in Sandisons shop for local events – music evenings especially should not be missed.
For more information please visit our website:
https://www.theholidaycottages.co.uk/Shetland-Islands/13803
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