Smartify: Audio Collection

"The spirit of Shetland would be its uniqueness and its diversity in so many different ways...it's the lack of discrimination, it's the wholeness of people that come here, it leaves a mark on them that is gonna be with them forever."

From the switching on of chilli pepper lights, the Northern Lights in Winter to the thriving gardens and emerging wildlife of Summer, discover an array of small joys that the changing seasons can bring through the eyes of Shetlander Janice Armstrong.

"The cultural landscape on Orkney is really vibrant. It's a really fantastic place to be creative...you have that community of people that you speak to about your work. There's always someone to call on, there's always someone to be inspired by..."

"this festival it's like sparking the turn of the season...the energy that's going into the spring."

Explore the wonderful world of Caithness dialects with Nucleus Archive Assistant Jennifer Ross, featuring a brief recital of John Horne's legendary poem 'Div Ye Mind?'

"...when you grow up hearing all these things and you can go outside and you see the stars at night...it makes it come a lot more alive..."

"...I know the whole of Shetland, I've been almost everywhere on Shetland, but to me St. Ninian's Isle and this area is very special indeed."

"...you can literally take one of his [Neil Miller Gunn's] books and walk up the strath now and still see the same things that he saw...he had a really good way of capturing the life in the Highlands..."

"...it's absolutely stunning...there's always a seal bobbing around!"

In this recording, join Heritage Consultant Helen Avenell and learn about the fascinating history of the Picts in the Highlands.