Edinburgh & District Shetland Association

See our Programme of Events for latest details

The Edinburgh and District Shetland Association was established in 1928 to cater for the social needs of an extensive Shetland connected community in and around Edinburgh and Leith. In many ways it superseded the Leith Thule Club, which thrived in the Victorian era but disbanded during WW1 (see our Archives). 

While the size of this community of Shetlanders in Edinburgh has varied over the years and the style of social events has changed, the aims of the Association remain the same. Up until the Covid pandemic, when social distancing and lockdown measures started in March 2020, the Association was a lively forward-looking community running regular ceilidh dances during Winter months in the Thomas Morton Hall at Leith Town Hall and other events with a specific Shetland flavour during the year. By Spring 2023 we were starting to try to recover some of that pre-Covid vitality, especially with the engagement of a younger generation of Shetlanders in the management and activities of EDSA. The previous regular venue, the Thomas Morton Hall, had become unavailable for the foreseeable future due to refurbishment and revision of their parent-organisation, but an alternative venue, the Lauriston Hall (28 Lauriston St, Edinburgh EH3 9DJ), has now been successfully used for some EDSA events and EDSA will continue to hold upcoming events there. Members, their friends, and visitors are very welcome to join us at all events. We especially welcome former members of our shared "Norn heritage" Orkney and Caithness societies in Edinburgh, which did not survive the Covid lockdown but with whom we formerly interacted extensively in each other's events.

Collection of Membership Annual Subscriptions has resumed (see Membership)

We hope that existing members will renew membership, and new members (full for Shetland-connected folk or associate for friends without Shetland links but who just enjoy our events) are always welcome. We are aware of Shetland folk and/or their families in and around Edinburgh (or further away) who are not current members, and we are keen to get you involved to keep the society relevant and vibrant as generations change, but still want to enjoy a flavour of "hame and hame-folk". Volunteers to help at events, especially with catering, are particularly welcome if you want to get involved. Note that membership is free for Shetland students located in Edinburgh for their various courses. You don't have to be a member to come along to events, but your support through membership is appreciated, and you will be put on our mailing list for any information that is sent out, including the programme/syllabus.

Update:

Tickets for the Up Helly Aa Dance on the 15th February 2025 are now on sale using this link. There are also still spaces open for squads - if you are interested, please contact the EDSA Secretary to book a slot.  

Council meetings are now usually held in the Committee Room, 1st floor, Stockbridge Life Care Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB.  

See our Programme of Events for details, so far, of upcoming events

Reminder - you can get your tickets for the EDSA events via the Eventbrite bookings site (link) - just search there for Edinburgh and District Shetland Association

EDSA re-initiated the monthly pub lunches in the Conan Doyle (first Fridays of a month) after lockdowns ceased - if you aren't on Malcolm Linklater's email list for those, contact him (at melinklater@blueyonder.co.uk). The Conan Doyle pub lunch is usually the first Friday of the month at 12 noon. 

The "Sheeksin" (Wednesday Afternoon Club - WAC) monthly meet-ups have also restarted, but the venue has changed. Vaila Irvine has offered use of the Residents' Lounge in Homecairn House (where she now resides) at 2 Goldenacre Terrace (Buses to Inverleith Row – nos. 8, 9, 23 and 27). The first meeting for 2025 will be at Homecairn House on Wednesday 5th February, then on Wednesday 5th March and finally on Wednesday 2nd April. All meetings are from 2 - 4 pm.

Facebook: We have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/edinburghshetlanders/ and events and other news and photographs will appear there (probably before it appears here, or it may only be there). You should be able to access it even if you have not joined Facebook, and Facebook members should be able to post and comment as visitors. An archive of images will be built up.

Archive: we have added an archive page for copies of old photos and documents. If you have anything that might be of interest, please get in touch.

Check Events News for reports of recent and previous events and  "Dis an' Dat" for other news and information snippets. Contact Robin Barclay (email) with any news, information or comment to place on this website. Photos and stories are always welcome from any members.

For any enquiries, in the first instance contact EDSA Secretary John Mouat (secretaredsa@gmail.com)