A great project by Historic Environment Scotland and  I Hear Dee has now put into Shaetlan quizzes and information sheets at the wonderful Jarlshof site.

I Head Dee aims to document, describe and promote contemporary Shaetlan, working to raise its profile as a fully viable language variety in its own right locally, nationally and internationally.

Prof. Dr. Viveka Velupillai, principle investigator at I Hear Dee and affiliate of the Department of English at the University of Giessen, said:

“This is such a symbolically significant step as this is the first time ever that Shetlanders can see their own language represented as an equal among other languages on one of their own historical sites.

“HES has taken the first step to normalising Shaetlan in this bilingual community and give Shaetlan speakers pride of place in both its tangible and intangible heritage. It’s a truly inclusive step to take and as a linguist engaged in documenting, describing and mapping languages of the world, I thoroughly applaud your hospitable and welcoming stance.”

To find out more about Shaetlan click on this link: I Hear Dee

Jarlshof is a complex site with buildings dating from the Neolithic, through to thousands of years of occupation.

Corwen Broch, District Visitor and Community Manager – North Region (Orkney & Shetland) at HES, said:

“We’re really pleased to have partnered up with I Hear Dee to help champion the use of Shaetlan, by bringing it into one of the island’s most well-known visitor attractions.  

“Incorporating the language into our interpretation highlights the importance of our intangible heritage with our built environment, both of which are closely related, and we hope that locals and visitors alike enjoy these new materials, which tell the story of the site through the distinctive words and phrases of Shaetlan.”