“You must never call it the Shetlands. Islanders are proud and can be prickly about the name: it’s either Shetland or the Shetland Islands.”
Anne Cleeves

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.
Thank you for listening in.
I am you host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am delighted that I am travelling virtually to Unst to meet up with my dear friend, Sarah McBurnie who was our guide on our 2018 Shetland adventures. Sarah conducts exclusive guided tours with personalized itineraries for visitors to Shetland from all over the world. We came as visitors to experience this amazing place and left as friends, thanks to Sarah and the many people we met along the journey through the Shetland Islands.
I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting dialogue on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Listeners, thank you for joining Sarah and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.
And a special thank you, Sarah, for sharing the stories, the history, and myths of Shetland. You were an excellent guide on our visit and I’m looking forward to meeting up with you again on Tea Toast and Trivia.

Listeners, I invite you to connect with Sarah on her website, See Shetland. You are only an internet click away from a remarkable adventure that will take you from birdwatching, archaeology to the celebration of Up Helly-Aa.
Until next time we meet, dear friends, keep safe and be well.





21 replies on “Season 4 Episode 18: Sarah McBurnie on the Stories of Shetland”
Great photos of the Shetland Islands! Mousa Broch is beautiful.
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Looking at the photos, I can say they have a right to be “prickly about the name.”
Thanks for introducing us to Sarah and thanks to Sarah for introducing us to Shetland. I loved learning about Mousa Broch, and the festival.
I enjoyed hearing the history of the people and the islands. Thanks to both of you.
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Thank you for writing about this delightful place, and from a conversation with a person to lives and has walked the expanse of this lovely place on earth. It is no wonder people come from all over the world to visit! I will remember not to call it “The Shetlands”! The whole group of islands are full of beaty, trees, flowers, greenery, hills, valleys and more, plus magnificent views of oceans. I especially enjoyed hearing about the rock, the only one in the world. I will be listening to this description over and over! Sarah’s engaging with the rock. the walls, the one door, the sun and its moving
in interesting ways to light the whole place from top to bottom and into each corner! ! The beauty of the ocean is all around and the greenery is in every corner. Can you imagine one part of the ocean being higher than another? The North Sea is always higher This place is certainly a “must see” place! ! This is just a start of this interesting place, the history and the people of times past should be the subject of further study. Shetland Islands is a busy place, always improving their beautiful land! !
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Thank you, Frances for you comments – very very much appreciated. Looking forward to meeting up tomorrow!
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Thank you Dan for listening in and joining the conversation. Sarah was a wonderful host on our Shetland adventure. I am delighted that she joined me on TTT. We came as tourists and left as friends.
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That’s a very special friendship.
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I enjoyed this conversation a great deal. The information about the Mousa Broch is fascinating!
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Hi Liz – sorry for the late response – just back into WIFI. Sarah was an amazing host – Shetland was an unforgettable adventure. I LOVED your recitation of Mary Jo’s poem, “Not What.” Your voice added so much to the poem’s meaning for me. Many thanks!!!
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Thank you, Rebecca–and you’re welcome!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this little outing up in the far north!
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I am delighted that you joined Sarah and me at the Broch. Sorry for the late response. I have been on the road and have just come back into WIFI. Your comments and visit mean a great deal to me.
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Hi Rebecca, what an interesting discussion. I am pleased to have learned more about Shetland and, in particular, this Broch and the sun dial. I am always astounded by how advanced our ancestors were in many ways.
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Please forgive me late response Robbie. I have been on the road meeting up with my siblings to celebrate my youngest brother’s early retirement. And just got back into WIFI. I knew that you would be interested in the Broch. I also think that you would be interested in the books of Ann Cleaves, (Shetland the TV Series is adapted from her Crime Novels). I just downloaded one and plan to read it sometime this year!!!
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HI Rebecca, you are never late when you are a blogger, you are always just in time. I knew you were doing something nice as you hadn’t been around. I am sure I have read a book by Ann Cleaves. I will check. Thanks and have a good weekend.
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I really do enjoy these TTT top-of-the-world podcasts! That stone structures like the Mousa Broch are suspected of being seasonal and time predictors doesn’t surprise me a bit. Although the Creator made the sun and moon for this very purpose (as evidenced in several Psalms), we need ways to utilize them. I can only imagine what it’s like living in Shetland…the sky…the water…and the wind!
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Thank you so much for adding to this conversation, Mary Jo. Sorry for the last response. I am on the road for the next month so will be in and out of WIFI. I have been meeting up with my siblings to celebrate my youngest brother’s early retirement. Time goes Zoom Zoom!!!
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Oh how wonderful! Enjoy 🙂
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Fascinating! Sarah McBurnie is a great virtual tour guide in this podcast, painting excellent word pictures. Thank you, Sarah and Rebecca, for sharing your love of Shetland from the vantage points of a resident and a visitor.
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I am delighted that you enjoyed this conversation, Dave. As I mentioned in the podcast, the TV Series “Shetland” was the reason why we chose to travel to Shetland. The cinematography of the series was spectacular, showcasing the diverse and majestic landscapes. But it was also the story that fascinated me, which was based on the writings of Ann Cleaves, a British mystery crime writer who is also known for Vera Stanhope and Matthew Venn series. All of these have been adapted into TV shows that are very popular. This past month, I decided that I would read one of Ann Cleeves books. This is the trailer for one of the first episodes of Shetland.
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I enjoyed learning more about the Shetland Islands. We had a Shetland pony when I was growing up and I have been intrigued about the place they originated from all my life. I would love to visit this place one day. I have been to Arran Island and loved it. Every island has its own personality and there is something special about the people that live on them. Thanks to you, Rebecca and Sarah, for a delightful virtual visit.
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Oh, Darlene – you must visit the Shetland Islands and feel that fresh sea air coming from all sides. You will find many Shetland ponies along the way. The landscape is unforgettable and the stories comes through the centuries. We took the NorthLink Ferry from Aberdeen. It was a wonderful adventure. If you watch the Shetland series, the Aberdeen Ferry was featured.
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