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Wester Quarff


oldscalloway
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  • 7 months later...

According to folklore whale bones were used as linds to help haul boats through the Quarff valley, this was to save the crews having to sail all the way round the isles. The bones were gathered in piles after they were used ready to be used again by the next boat - hence the name. Also, the old norse name for Quarff was Hvarfi which I have been told means turning point, this seems to add creedence to the stories of boats using the valley as a short cut!

 

Hope this helps!

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^^ They used to haul boats overland Spiggie - Boddam, sailing them the lengths of Brew and Spiggie Lochs in the process, so that they avoided having to deal with the Roost taking them round the Heads.

 

The land haul wouldn't be much further or steeper Easter - Wester Quarff, so it would make sense if the same thing was done there too.

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