New Shetland Straw Society Launched to Safeguard Endangered Crafts and Traditional Crops

A new heritage organisation, the Shetland Straw Society (SSS), has been formally established to protect and promote Shetland’s endangered straw crafts while supporting the revival of traditional grain varieties such as Shetland Aets and bere.

The society has been created by a dedicated group of local practitioners who have spent the past several years working together to revive interest in straw crafts and ensure these important local traditions are not lost. The formation of the constituted group marks a significant step forward in securing the long-term future of these skills, which are currently recognised on the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts and are to be included on the UK’s brand new Inventory of Living Heritage.

Building on a successful programme of winter workshops over the past few years, originally delivered in partnership with Shetland Amenity Trust, the group has already helped bring these crafts to a wider audience. The classes have proved highly popular, attracting participants from across the community. Established makers including Eve Eunson, Deepa Shah, Samantha Dennis, Ewen Balfour, Maurice Henderson, Jan Robertson, and the late Leslie Smith have shared their expertise, teaching a range of traditional techniques such as:

• Stitched straw basketry

• Knotted straw work used for Fair Isle straw-backed chairs

• The making of kishies and traditional skeklers’ costumes

As interest in the crafts has grown, so too has demand for suitable materials. Traditionally, these items were made using Shetland Aets, a locally adapted variety of black oats. However, current seed stocks remain critically low, making it difficult to source materials for larger projects such as thatching.

In response, members of the group have been actively encouraging the cultivation and exchange of Shetland Aets, with aspirations to include other traditional grains such as Shetland bere. Early work has also been undertaken to better understand Shetland Aets as a variety, including initial genotyping research supported by the Shetland Amenity Trust with funding from the Community Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund, to explore whether Shetland Aets may represent a unique local strain of avena strigosa.

The newly formed Shetland Straw Society has a broad and ambitious vision. It aims to support the long-term sustainability of straw growing and traditional making practices in Shetland by:

• Promoting locally adapted grain varieties and biodiversity

• Championing both traditional and contemporary straw crafts

• Supporting education, research, and skills development

• Encouraging community participation and knowledge sharing

• Strengthening climate resilience, local livelihoods, and wellbeing

Eve Eunson said:

“Shetland’s straw crafts are a vital part of our living heritage. By coming together as a constituted group, we can build on the momentum of recent years—supporting growers, makers, and learners—to ensure these traditions continue to thrive for future generations.”

Looking ahead, the Society plans to expand its programme of workshops, with a refreshed line-up of winter classes in development. Over the coming months, the group will focus on growing crops, developing its identity, and preparing for a new season of activity aimed at engaging even more people in Shetland’s straw-related heritage.

The Shetland Straw Society is keen to hear from anyone interested in learning the crafts, growing traditional grains, or supporting its work.

For further information, please contact:shetlandstrawsociety@gmail.com or find Shetland Straw Society on Facebook

Look out for the forthcoming edition of the Farm Advisory Service podcast Crofting Matters where Eve Eunson and Ewen Balfour discuss Shetland straw crafts, growing aets and the new society.