Who we are
A tradition with Norse roots and a Lerwick home
The Shetland Fiddle Society is a gathering of players who love the bright, lilting bowing that sets these islands apart. Our style carries the lift of Norwegian fiddling alongside the drive of Scottish folk — a sound shaped by long winters, dancing, and tunes passed hand to hand.
We meet every week in Lerwick, welcoming everyone from first-timers finding their feet to seasoned players. Between sessions we tend an archive of more than 300 transcribed tunes and travel together to folk festivals across the UK and Scandinavia, carrying Shetland's music wherever we go.
What makes us us
A few things we hold to as a society.
Every level welcome
Whether you've never held a bow or you've played for decades, there's a seat at the session for you.
The tunes, preserved
Our living archive of 300+ transcribed tunes keeps the old settings and local variants from being lost.
Learning by ear
We pass tunes on the way they've always been shared — listening, repeating, and playing together.
Out into the world
Annual trips to festivals across the UK and Scandinavia keep our playing fresh and our friendships wide.