0:00:03 > 0:00:0694 miles north of the Scottish mainland,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10where the blustery Atlantic meets the North Sea, lies Shetland,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15an archipelago of some 100 or so islands, mostly uninhabited.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Until the late 15th Century, they belonged to Scandinavia,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and, being closer to Bergen than Edinburgh,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26the islanders remain proud of their Norse heritage.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Recently, new riches have been discovered,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34supplementing the islands' staple of farming and fishing.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36The most northerly island is Unst,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39where locals mix tradition with innovation
0:00:39 > 0:00:42to survive in a fast changing world.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46In the days to come,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Frank and Gem travel to Lerwick
0:00:49 > 0:00:52for the pony breeders of Shetland auction.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57I can switch off, but Frank's a completely different kettle of fish.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00He's emotionally attached to them.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02He finds it very difficult.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06If you're going to breed ponies, you've got to let them go as well.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Mother Mary gets out the power tools
0:01:08 > 0:01:12to create a new space to welcome visitors.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15If I have a chapel here in the hermitage,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19it's there ready, and it's a witness, not only to Orthodoxy,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21but to Christian prayer.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23I'm very familiar with a hammer drill.
0:01:23 > 0:01:29And islanders celebrate the harvest festival with exotic fare from afar.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Can I order sweet and sour chicken,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and chicken balls in batter please? Crispy chilli beef, please.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37And something more traditional.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38No, thank you, no.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43When I come to work in the morning and it's reestit mutton,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48- I know right away, and I think, "Oh no, no soup for me today.".- No.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Summer is coming to an end on Britain's most northerly island,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30and the long days are getting shorter.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33All around Unst, islanders are busying themselves,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35taking advantage of the precious daylight
0:02:35 > 0:02:38before the long winter nights draw in.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43At Clibberswick Stud Farm,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Frank Roberts, the island's resident horse whisperer,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51is attempting to coax Sula, his five-month-old filly foal
0:02:51 > 0:02:53into a trailer for the first time.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm not physically going to persuade her.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I want her to make her own mind up.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01She's got to make a conscious decision about this herself.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It's just a waiting game, it's just time.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Sula is just one of four young Shetland ponies
0:03:08 > 0:03:11that Frank and his wife Jem are taking to the biggest
0:03:11 > 0:03:16pony auction of the year, in Lerwick, a three hour journey away.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I would try different techniques.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Swear, probably!
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Yeah, it's just getting the confidence to get over the ramp,
0:03:31 > 0:03:32it's a big issue.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Because it's quite noisy when they're first stepping on it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Sula finally relents,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48and the other three ponies join her on the trailer for the big sale.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53It's been pretty dire with the economics at the moment,
0:03:53 > 0:03:58the auctioneer doesn't normally go below ten or something like that.
0:03:59 > 0:04:05Yeah, that's a severe loss they're taking at that price.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Yeah, we've seen them not even get a bid.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It just depends on the sale on the day.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14This journey might be the first of many for these young ponies,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17with buyers at the auction bidding from as far as America.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21But making a profit on their sales is a precarious business.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Vet papers, micro-chipping and transportation costs
0:04:25 > 0:04:29add an extra £100 per animal to their overheads.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Despite needing the money, Jem knows
0:04:31 > 0:04:35that taking the ponies to auction is an emotional time for Frank.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39I can switch off, but Frank's a completely different kettle of fish.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42He finds it very difficult letting them go.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46He would keep them all if he could.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Horrible.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Absolutely horrible.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I don't believe anybody who really loves their ponies
0:04:54 > 0:04:56ever gets used to it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Especially when you've seen them being born...
0:04:59 > 0:05:01You learn their analities,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04they're all different, each one has its own little anality.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Yeah, you get to know them.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So it's a sad day...for everybody.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Usually, Jem and Frank sell six ponies,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18but this year, with prices and buyers down,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20they've brought just four.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24As difficult as it is to part with them,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Frank and Jem will have to sell their beloved ponies
0:05:27 > 0:05:29for their stud farm to stay viable.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35On the north side of Unst,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Mother Mary, the island's Eastern Orthodox nun,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42is busy preparing for the long, cold, wintery days to come.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I'm just curious to see how it's going to come up.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I suspected that there was a fireplace here
0:05:50 > 0:05:53because a croft house just would have a fireplace,
0:05:53 > 0:05:59but also because the wall the other side had a lot of peat staining,
0:05:59 > 0:06:04and that really gave a clue that there was a fireplace this side.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07In fact, the stove has just arrived today,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10but it will be quite big enough to heat this room,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and I suspect the heat will go through the house.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I hope the heat will go through the house!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Having sorted out the heating,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Mother Mary now has more ambitious plans for her new home.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25The next job is to set up the chapel.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28If I have a chapel here in the hermitage,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31it's there ready, and it's a witness,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36not only to Orthodoxy but to Christian prayer,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41and it's there ready for people to share and to visit.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Like in her previous house on the neighbouring island of Fetlar,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Mother Mary has chosen her spare room
0:06:48 > 0:06:51to become her sanctuary and chapel.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55As far as I've got with the chapel, it's just the entrance,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58so the door was the chapel door in Fetlar,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03which I brought across, and it exactly fits, which is great,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and it's got this nice little cross there,
0:07:05 > 0:07:10but you can see it's got a lot of work to be done
0:07:10 > 0:07:12before it can become a chapel.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16The altar, the Holy table, will be at that end,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21and there will be a sort of lattice covering over the window,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and maybe an alcove there,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and a bench for people to sit on here,
0:07:28 > 0:07:34and just above the Holy table, the altar,
0:07:34 > 0:07:40I plan to take out the plaster board and take it back to the stone,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44so it will have an archway back to the stone with an icon on it.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I'm a bit nervous about doing this, but I think I'll have a go.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54I made the chapel in Fetlar myself, and many years experience of DIY,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I'm very familiar with a hammer drill.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02At his manse on the neighbouring island of Yell,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05with the autumn equinox and the full moon approaching,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08minister David Cooper is preparing his sermon
0:08:08 > 0:08:11for the pagan festival, celebrating harvest time.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Lots of people are still working the land,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17sheep and a few cattle,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and we just need to recognise once in a while
0:08:21 > 0:08:26our place alongside all these things, and remember the harvest.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30A keen gardener, David is planning his own
0:08:30 > 0:08:33personal contribution to the event.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I'm going to cut some bay
0:08:39 > 0:08:44and take it to the church to decorate the church for harvest,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and then folk can take a sprig home and put it in their soup.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We can take some of these luscious bits of growth.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Aren't they lovely?
0:08:59 > 0:09:04I'm no good at decoration, but I can provide the wherewithal.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09For the past week, members of the congregation have been busy
0:09:09 > 0:09:12decorating St John's Kirk in Baltasound,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14where this year's ceremony will be held.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19One of the church's bell ringers, Barbara Priest and her sister Anne,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22are putting the finishing touches to the decorations.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It's once a year, and we've lots to give thanks for,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27so it's not an effort.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31This window represents the food that comes from further away.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37It acknowledges, I suppose, how much you would think of as Chinese food,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42oriental food, that we now eat, and it's so much part of our diet.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47One of the reasons Chinese food now sits alongside traditional Unst
0:09:47 > 0:09:52fare at harvest is the popularity of the monthly visit to the island
0:09:52 > 0:09:55by the Hai Yang Chinese takeaway.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Chefs journey from Scalloway on the main island
0:09:58 > 0:10:01to community halls all over Shetland
0:10:01 > 0:10:03to cook up traditional dishes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Today, they've travelled three hours to Unst.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Can I order a sweet and sour chicken, please,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11chicken balls in batter, please.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Catherine Moatt, who works at the island's tea rooms,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18is a firm believer in traditional Chinese medicine.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22It's quite a good cure if you've had a heavy Saturday night,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25so if there's been a disco or something
0:10:25 > 0:10:28going on at the hall, it's a bit more popular then.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36For horticulturalist Sarah McBernie,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39it's a chance to take a break from the norm.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Anybody who wants to come up and feed us, it's brilliant.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46It means I don't have to cook every night of the week, all year.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49There we go.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Right, that's me sorted.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Despite the popularity of the Chinese food,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56there are some islanders
0:10:56 > 0:11:00who prefer to stick to traditional Shetland cuisine.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03In the kitchen of Britain's most northerly shop,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05the Final Checkout,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Charlie Priest is busy preparing an island favourite.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Reestit mutton soup.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41How do you think you'd do on Masterchef, Charlie?
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Oh, that smells good, I can smell the soup.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Putting Charlie's soup to the test is Ian Henderson.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Lovely, thank you.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Warm you up on a cold day.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Yes, thank you.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- Lovely soup.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Oh, I could tell a good soup.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Not every islander is a fan though.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Reestit mutton? No, thank you, Charlie. No.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24No thanks, not my cup of tea, I don't like reestit mutton at all.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's got a distinctive smell,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and when I come into work in the morning
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and it's reestit mutton, I know right away,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36- and I think, "Oh no, reestit mutton today. No soup for me today.".- No.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42He makes the greatest soups,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45but he still can't change my mind about reestit mutton, I'm afraid.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Back at the pony auction in Lerwick on the Shetland mainland,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Frank and Jem are giving their ponies a final brush
0:12:55 > 0:12:57before the sale.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59The time to finally say goodbye is nearing.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02The ponies are brought for breeding,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07for children, or as companions for older horses,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and head auctioneer Rod McKenzie will preside over this year's sale,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13which, with just 68 lots,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15is significantly smaller than last year's.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20This would be the least number we've had in the last ten years.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I remember there used to be up to 180, 200 Shetland ponies
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and up till about four years ago, we could sell them all,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29but that's by and large gone away now,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33so you've only got the hard core pony breeders that are looking for
0:13:33 > 0:13:38maybe a filly to go back into their stud, or maybe a very good colt.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Prior to the auction, the ponies are prejudged
0:13:41 > 0:13:43in their respective classes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Miniatures, colts for young males,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48fillies for young female,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50castrated males, geldings,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and mature mares for breeding.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55The judge looks for a nice balanced head,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57healthy teeth, a plump rump,
0:13:57 > 0:13:58good colouring,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and calm temperament.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04After the assessment, the ponies are awarded coloured rosettes,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07which aid prospective buyers before the auction begins.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I got a second, yay!
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Good lass.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Well done. Well done.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Yay!
0:14:22 > 0:14:26With two rosettes, things are looking hopeful for Frank and Jem.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28First and second, that's pretty good.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32But, as the auction starts..
0:14:32 > 0:14:3650 guineas, 50 guineas... The call for 50 guineas. 20 guineas then?
0:14:36 > 0:14:3820 guineas, 20 guineas...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40The opening lots struggle to get any bids.
0:14:40 > 0:14:4220 guineas, 20 guineas, 20 guineas...
0:14:42 > 0:14:4420 guineas, anybody?
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Not a sale then.
0:14:48 > 0:14:5050 guineas, 50 guineas, 50 guineas?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52They won't go for less.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55If you want to bid, give us 50 guineas for a start.
0:14:55 > 0:14:5850 guineas?
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We'll move on.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Sorry, no sale.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08Back on Unst, in her hermitage on the north of the island,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Mother Mary is throwing herself into her chapel build.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24I'm a bit scared of electric saws, that's the only thing,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28but power tools are great, really helpful.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I find it really handy to work two drills at a time,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34it makes it very quick.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40It's part of a monastic tradition
0:15:40 > 0:15:42to work with your hands and with tools,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and be self sufficient as well.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50So all those things come together, as well as just enjoying it,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I really do enjoy it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57The chapel will allow me to celebrate certain services
0:15:57 > 0:16:01in a much fuller, better way than I could in my cell,
0:16:01 > 0:16:06which is what a nun's bedroom is called, basically,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09but also it's a place where other people can come.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Mother Mary's first service in her handcrafted chapel
0:16:14 > 0:16:17will be the blessing of the icon St Sunniva, an Irish saint who's
0:16:17 > 0:16:22said to have visited Shetland on her way to Norway in the tenth century.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24It's a bit of a race against time
0:16:24 > 0:16:29because the blessing of the icon is tomorrow morning,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and I've invited a friend along as well,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35so that's a little bit more pressure.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It's just got to be finished, but it will be, it will be.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41It'll be ready tomorrow morning, God willing.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50It's the morning of the harvest service,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54and at St John's church, a time for the islanders to give thanks
0:16:54 > 0:16:57for everything the sea and land has provided.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02It's lovely to see everything on display.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06A lot of folk must have come along, bringing fruit and vegetables
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and so on, and have decorated the church
0:17:08 > 0:17:11so that it really looks sumptuous.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Folk have been busy.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15As long as the world exists,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21There will always be cold and heat,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23summer and winter,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26day and night.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Minister David Cooper is attending to another important duty
0:17:29 > 0:17:33at the only school on the island in Baltasound.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36To honour the harvest, the children have all brought in tins
0:17:36 > 0:17:39as a donation to their local charity.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Hello, everybody.- Hello.- Hello.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- Hi!- Hello.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48# All things bright and beautiful
0:17:48 > 0:17:52# All creatures great and small
0:17:52 > 0:17:57# All things wise and wonderful
0:17:57 > 0:18:01# The Lord God made them all... #
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Most children grow up with almost everything they need.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08This is an opportunity for them to share.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Yes, that's an important lesson to learn.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Now it's a scandal and disgrace that there are some people
0:18:17 > 0:18:21who haven't got enough to eat, but we can help them,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and this is your way of helping,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and I'm sure that when this is being delivered to Lerwick,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32there'll be a letter come back to school thanking you
0:18:32 > 0:18:35for sharing your harvest
0:18:35 > 0:18:41with people who, for a little while, just have not got enough.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47In Lerwick at the Shetland pony auction...
0:18:47 > 0:18:5120 guineas, 20 guineas, 20 guineas? Anybody?
0:18:51 > 0:18:5320 guineas, anybody here?
0:18:53 > 0:18:5520 guineas? No?
0:18:55 > 0:19:00..most of the ponies are still not even meeting their reserve prices.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02140, £140...
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Bid at 140, 140...
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Unfortunately we'll have to leave that, I'm sorry.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10With only a few minutes before their prize ponies
0:19:10 > 0:19:15go under the hammer, things are looking bleak for Frank and Jem.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17We're not hitting anything, nobody is bidding on them.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19100...
0:19:19 > 0:19:22100 guineas! 100 guineas...
0:19:22 > 0:19:23110, 120...
0:19:23 > 0:19:27But suddenly the bidding starts to pick up pace.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29250, 280, 300,
0:19:29 > 0:19:30300 bid...
0:19:30 > 0:19:32At 300 bid, 300 bid...
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Eight, nine, ten, 11, 12...
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The bids are coming in thick and fast.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44660 on the market she goes...
0:19:44 > 0:19:47660, last chance, on the internet now.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49660!
0:19:53 > 0:19:56We've had a pony go to Texas,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58we've had another one go to Norway,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00maybe one or two go to Sweden,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and several go to the south of England.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04There's a lady who's phoned up there,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07a lady in Romney Marsh in Kent, she's bought two ponies.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Good luck then.- OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Showtime for Sula.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17She needs to sell, and at a good price,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20if Frank and Jem are not to make a loss.
0:20:23 > 0:20:2640, 50... 100 guineas to start.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29100 guineas to start, 100 guineas to start...
0:20:29 > 0:20:33100 bid, 100 bid, 100 bid, 100 bid, 100 guineas...
0:20:33 > 0:20:37120 bid, 150.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39150.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42150, I'm bid 150. I'm asking for 180.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46150 then, 150 bid, 150 bid, 150 bid,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49150 bid, 150 bid, 150 bid, 150...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52150, 150. 180.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55180, 200, 200 in the room.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57£200. Internet out.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59200. Going to sell...
0:20:59 > 0:21:01£200, last chance.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02200.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Frank and Jem manage to sell their three remaining ponies
0:21:10 > 0:21:15for a total of £565 - they've only just broken even.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18There's quite a lot of them in there that didn't even get a bid,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20did they? So...
0:21:20 > 0:21:22We could have been taking them all home, sort of,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25so it's good that way.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Knowing that Sula is going to a good home nearby
0:21:28 > 0:21:32has made the emotional wrench that much easier for Frank.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34I'll look after her.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35OK, love.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Yeah, I'm delighted Jen got her,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43that's more important than any money that you're going to get.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Oh, absolutely delighted, really.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49She's the only one at the sale that I had my eye on.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Normally when you fancy something like that, you can't get it.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57She's everything. She's a nice pony, nice colour, lovely temperament.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I think Frank will come down and see her,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01or he'll see her at shows and bits of pieces like that.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03He'll be keeping his eye on her.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Back on Unst at Mother Mary's hermitage,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22a special visitor is arriving to join in her first service.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27The blessing of the icon St Sunniva at her newly built chapel.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Good to see you here.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- Well, here we are. - Welcome.- Thank you.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35And the DIY and heating are instantly appreciated.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41- You're actually the first person to see it at this stage.- Right...
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Ah, yes!
0:22:44 > 0:22:46The warmth...
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and the smell.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49The smell!
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Wonderful.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56The plinths here are driftwood from Fetlar.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Right, you found them on the beach?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- I found them on the beach.- Yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06- And the sand here that the candles go into is from Fetlar.- Right.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10And this is a traditional method of holding candles.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Standing them in the sand.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- So it's not just my idea, this.- Yes.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I'm admiring St Sunniva here.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20She's patron saint of Bergen.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I think she should be patron saint of Shetland.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- Well, perhaps of Haroldswick. - Of Haroldswick!
0:23:32 > 0:23:37In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39The Eastern Orthodox Church
0:23:39 > 0:23:42is the second largest Christian denomination in the world,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44after Catholicism.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Your saints we venerate as being your image and likeness...
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Today, it is more prevalent in Greece, Eastern Europe and Russia.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55..Holy this icon to your glory,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58in honour and remembrance of your saint, Sunniva,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Amen.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09In the name of the Father...
0:24:11 > 0:24:12..and of the Son...
0:24:14 > 0:24:15..and of the Holy Spirit.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Amen.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Have you got time for a cup of tea?
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Would you like a cup of tea, coffee?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Coffee would be lovely, that would be very welcome. Yes, thank you.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Come through.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Which room for the coffee?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- Ah, let me show you. Through here.- Ah!
0:24:38 > 0:24:41What was striking for me
0:24:41 > 0:24:46was that I worship in buildings of a certain austerity,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49but here was colour,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and the candles,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54it's a joy and a privilege for me
0:24:54 > 0:24:57to be able to share in something like this.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Well, I think for Reverend Cooper, it was a new experience for him,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04but it was lovely to have him there,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08and I think it's enabled our relationship actually,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12that we have now shared each other's traditions,
0:25:12 > 0:25:17so I definitely feel that we're a bit closer.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20In a sense, it is a sense of achievement,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23but I really do feel that God works through me,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27so the thanksgiving is to God, rather than to me.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31I just pick up the hammer drill and the sander and do it.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44On Unst, as dusk begins to fall on one of the last days of summer,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Mother Mary has one final act of worship to perform.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It's just a personal prayer that I do.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I'm just heating charcoal, which will...
0:25:57 > 0:25:58..carry the incense,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03it will heat up the incense in this small hand sensor.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10It's just a prayer calling for God to bless the local community,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and protect them,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and sometimes I find myself thinking how lucky we are
0:26:16 > 0:26:19to live in this peaceful environment.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30The coming of winter marks the end of the busy tourist season on Unst.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Accommodation in some of the island's hotels will now close
0:26:33 > 0:26:36between September and May,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39the Boat Haven Museum and Heritage Centre will shut its doors
0:26:39 > 0:26:41for these eight months as well.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Britain's northern-most cafe, Victoria's Vintage Tea Rooms,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48will be open for special events only,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52and the restaurant at the old Air Force base at Saxa Vord
0:26:52 > 0:26:54will be shut for most of the winter.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56After seven years working on Unst,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59minister David Cooper knows all too well
0:26:59 > 0:27:04the enormous changes that the island faces over the months to come.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09We make the transfer from having hours and hours of daylight
0:27:09 > 0:27:12to having a very short day.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17It's the last chance to make sure that everything is literally
0:27:17 > 0:27:19fastened down for the winter.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26In the roughest of weather, the ferries will run when they can,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29so it will no longer be normal timetable,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33it'll be when there might be an hour and a half's gap
0:27:33 > 0:27:37between one rough patch and the next.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39n the depths of winter,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43if you've got three hours of daylight, you're grateful for it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49It means that folk are used to persevering.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54There's always been a known struggle to survive.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Here, folk just have that built-in coping mechanism.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It's there from generation to generation.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10I wouldn't want people to think only of the difficulties
0:28:10 > 0:28:15that have to be faced living in a remote island.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18People here are intensely loyal
0:28:18 > 0:28:23and have open minds to a world perspective.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Unst is an island above all others.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33We're the top island in Britain.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35The sea,
0:28:35 > 0:28:36the land,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38the weather,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40the variety.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Where else to be?