Shetland Noir

I'm back home briefly - before setting off for Bodies from the Library - after a wonderful trip to Shetland Noir, my first ever visit to Shetland. Over the years I've heard a great deal about the islands from Ann Cleeves and they certainly lived up to their advance billing. A couple of guided tours, with Ann driving, were a very special bonus, as was the wonderful weather. In the photo below, that's St Ninian's Isle in the background. Jahrlshof is in the above photo.

The festival took place at Mareel, the home of Shetland Arts, and it was gratifying to be greeted as a 'headliner' and to be interviewed by Ann, as well as being asked to interview Richard Osman. There was a shock on Saturday morning, when Richard emailed me to say that his flight was cancelled and he wouldn't be able to make it. Thankfully, the tech experts at Mareel were able to reorganise, so that we conducted the interview by Zoom. Richard couldn't see either me or the audience, but we could see him, and in the circumstances it all went very well, with very pleasing feedback.

It was great to see the likes of James Grieve, Val McDermid, Wendy Jones, Verena Rose, Jason Monaghan, Elly Griffiths, and  Shari Lapena again, as well as to meet some of the Shetland-based enthusiasts. Marsali Taylor, who lives on Shetland, where she sets her books, was a key organiser, while Ann was the patron of the festival. There was an enjoyable welcome reception and also a farewell event, for which I set a quiz....

In the time available, it was impossible to see everything the Shetland islands have to offer, but highlights included a visit to the astonishing archaeological site of Jahrlshof, Scalloway, and a splendid second hand bookshop (Kergord Hatchery by name) in the middle of nowhere, which had an excellent stock. Ann and I were invited to inscribe the glamorous cow in the shop's lobby with the names of favourites among our novels. And I made several purchases... For the duration of the trip, I felt very at home in a self-catering annex in a glorious setting just outside Lerwick (the view from the window is in the third photo below). Lerwick itself is a fascinating old port, and looked lovely in the sunshine.

All in all, an unforgettable trip. I'm truly grateful to have been invited.