Shetland

The Shetland courtship of Robert Jamieson and Barbara Laing took place almost entirely by letter from 1858 to their marriage in 1861. He was the schoolmaster at Sandness and she was the daughter of the schoolmaster at Gulberwick thirty miles away, too far to travel on a whim. Their 19th century lives were simple but hard, regulated by the landscape, the weather and the seasons, all of which are reflected in the beautiful 21st century photographs by Mark Sinclair. Their touching letters tell the story of their lives, their work as teachers and farmers, his duties as postmaster and village scribe, their leisure and entertainment, local customs and events.--from Introduction.