Hamefarin 2022

Some family members met at the Whalsay Heritage Centre.

 "Hamefarin" means coming home in Shetland. If you are a Canadian or New Zealander in my Shetland family, Shetland is regarded as your home. If you visit, you will be hosted by as many relatives as possible. It is important to introduce each successive generation to their Shetland roots. 

Our family comes from the island of Whalsay, "The Bonnie Isle". Yesterday, we visited the house where my grandfather lived and had tea, ate in the only restaurant on the island (not quite soft opening) and attended a gathering held in our honour atThe Whalsay Heritage Centre.

Whalsay is an island of about 1000 people where everybody waves at passing cars because they are probably family or friends. My ancestors can be traced back 3 centuries on the island. If you visit he Centre's webpage, you can view the gorgeous display of Shetland lace knitting. We looked at photos of Whalsay weddings over dating back to the 1880's, war medals, deserted villages of stone houses. The older people "filled in" some of the details.

My grandfather lived in this house before he joined the Merchant Navy.

I always visit The Hoddens, my grandfather's boyhood home. His nephew's widow lives on the property today. Land on Whalsay stays in the family. Young couples often build a new house on the land. Where once people depended on the land and sea for their living, most people have jobs now.

Many of our Whalsay family are buried in the churchyard.

I believe that connection to our roots enriches our lives. It has been a wonderful experience to share with my daughter. She has met some younger family members. E-mail addresses and Facebook requests have been shared. 

After a full day of visiting, my daughter and I visited The Dowry restaurant for some wine and charcuterie. For a small town, Lerwick has some excellent restaurants.

The Dowry Restaurant where "Jimmy Perez" eats sometimes.