This week, for PODcast’s Alphabet Photography Challenge I is for Iron Age. The youngest and I recently went on a little adventure to the south mainland to drop off our elderly neighbour at the airport and on the way home we went puffin spotting at the Sumburgh Head RSPB Nature Reserve. We were in luck as there were hundreds of puffins to watch, and they’re not camera shy – they’ll let you get quite close to them.
After puffin spotting the sight of smoke gently wafting out of cooking fire in a replica Iron Age house tempted us to have a peek at the Old Scatness archaeology site near the local airport. The site was found in the 1970s when they were digging an access road.
The remains of this Iron Age village date back to 400-200 BC. You can read all about what we got up to there (and see a puffin photo!) on my Taste of Shetland post. There’s also a recipe there for a prehistoric unleavened malted wheat bread.
H is for… Helicopter #AlphabetPhoto
Fab pic. I missed out as I didn’t go there when I went to Shetland.
This must have been absolutely fascinating! Such an atmospheric photo too. Thank you so much for sharing with #alphabetphoto
It’s a fantastic site for sure; I love it there.
What a fabulous photo! x
Thank you x
I love this photo, it looks like some witches are about to come out though the smoke and start stirring the pot
Doesn’t it! Or some tiny picts 🙂
That looks like a great place to visit 🙂
It certainly is! They’ve got a fab visitor centre and gift shop too, and there is so much archaeology to explore. A fantastic place!
Love that photo, so atmospheric #alphabetphoto
Thanks Mary 🙂
Hopping over to look at the puffins now. Love this account of a part of the world I know little about (except from via Katy Morag).
Puffins are awesome, I hope you enjoyed the photo! 🙂 Katie Morag is based on the western isles – we’re quite further north!
I love the smell of a peat fire. A very different way of cooking compared to most kitchen’s nowadays. #AlphabetPhoto
True, true, although a lot of households here still burn peat (there’s a peat hill just behind our house) so the smell of the smoke wafting in the winter is quite lovely.
I find this beautiful. All the small details. The pot and plates and that simple fire/cooking structure. Its so amazing how things are then =) #alphabetphoto
I have to agree with you 🙂 Thanks for popping by!
I really want to visit the Shetland Isles and the more I read your wonderful posts about the islands the more I want to come for a visit. Wonderful picture.
Oh do come visit!! 🙂 You’d love it! Come in the summer though – winters can be harsh. Thank you for your lovely comment – it’s comments like yours that encourage me to keep sharing x
Oh, imagine only having this to cook on… Great atmospheric photo
I would love to get a Dutch Oven like that and a tripod to hang it from, but I fear it would be rarely used! We spent 5 nights camping in the Lake District last week (hence my delay in replying to comments!) and cooking over an open fire was positively heavenly!
That must have been fascinating, love old sites like that x #alphabetphoto
It’s a really intriguing place to visit for sure.
That is one very atmospheric picture.
The whole place was so very atmospheric – I love it there 🙂
What a great place to visit. Having moved to a country with hardly anything older than 100 years (as you know!) I have found a new appreciation for history. I love your photo it looks like something from a movie set 🙂
I hear you! I am still in awe at how back the history goes here. Love it 🙂