Orkney and Shetland
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of over 100 objects from Orkney and Shetland, which date from 1742 to 1986. This collection contains items that reflect domestic life, including peat cutters, baskets, shoes, rope and thatching equipment. It also holds items representing arts and crafts on the islands, including silver brooches, a print of the 18th century Earl of Orkney and sculptures of Shetland ponies, the latter most likely made for the tourist industry that developed on the islands from the 18th century onwards. Items from Orkney are especially strong in farming-relating objects, and represent tasks such as ploughing, milk production, and weighing and measuring. Items from Shetland best represent fishing and whaling, with some relating to cereal farming and the native textile industry. Orkney and Shetland are groups of islands to the north of the Scottish mainland. While they are part of the UK, they retain strong cultural links with Scandinavia, and in particular Norway. They have a rich heritage of traditional industries, such as agriculture, fishing and textile making. The islands also offer significant contributions to the study of prehistoric archaeology, natural history and botany.
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