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Black & White Photography inspired by History
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Shetland at War

Traces of war at the Shetland Islands

The Knab, Lerwick
Ness of Sound
Bressay

Ander Hill, Bressay
Ander Hill, Bressay
Hill of Setter, Bressay

Bressay
RAF Skaw, Lamba Ness, Unst
RAF Skaw, Lamba Ness, Unst

About the project

Waiting in the terminal for my flight to Orkney, I always looked at "Sumburgh" on the flight schedule monitor and thought: one day, I will fly to the Shetlands. In 2016, I completed my project Scapa Flow about Orkney's defences and in September 2017 I landed for the first time at Sumburgh.

I knew that Shetland also had many remnants from both world wars, but I had no intention to start a photo project here. I was afraid it would be too much like what I already had done on Orkney. However, I visited some remains of the defences around Lerwick. I found structures that were different from what I had seen on Orkney and soon the idea of ​​a new project came to mind. The various traces are scattered across the different islands of the Shetlands, so one week was clearly not enough. I therefore focused on the Mainland first, determined to go back next year.

I returned in April 2018 and visited several locations on Bressay, including the imposing tower at Ander Hill. However, the highlight of that week was a trip to the former RAF Skaw radar base at Lamba Ness on the northern island of Unst. A 2,5-hour drive from Lerwick, including two ferry crossings, took me to this outpost of the Shetlands. The remains of the base are spread over a desolate area on the coast. It was an unforgettable experience.

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Images on Historic Landscapes ©André Ruiter 2006 - 2021
Images on Stereoscopy Blog ©André Ruiter 2019 - 2021, unless otherwise stated
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