28/09/2026
Here's a recent blog on the Aspen Website about the local history of the Isle of Unst, Shetland, by George Ewen, Alastair’s dad. Halligarth is a notable building in the village of Baltasound in Unst, home to the Edmondston and Saxby families. Amongst the family members were doctors, naturalists, poets and authors whose contribution was recognised not just on Unst, but across Scotland and internationally.
Dr Saxby for instance, was the island doctor for 52 years between 1898 and 1950, making a significant impact on island life and attracting the attention of the Swedish King, for his care of Swedish fishermen that visited Unst during the herring season. He was also a notable naturalist and meteorologist. Alastair has a personal link to Dr Saxby because he, in 1950, aged 80, attended a terrible accident at Skaw when the gable end of a nissan collapsed on a group of workers, killing a man and injuring Alastair’s great grandad, Lowrie Bruce. Although disabled by the accident, Dr Saxby's medical attention, certainly saved Alastair’s Great Grandad's life.
Thomas Edmondston of Halligarth (1825-1846) was an internationally renowned naturalist, leading botanical expeditions in South America, and colleague of Charles Darwin. Thomas was the first to identify the Shetland Mouse-ear, or Edmondston Chickweed, an extremely rare wildflower that grown on the Keen of Hamar in Unst, and nowhere else in the world.
Halligarth has a beautiful woodland beside it, nestled against a stone wall. It's known as the most northerly woodland in Britain. Planted by another island doctor (Dr Laurence Edmondston) the woodland is over 200 years old. If you’d like to read more, please see the link in the comments to our Halligarth blog.
Halligarth is a stop on Aspen's annual Shetland Walking Tour. Part of a week-long walking guided walking holiday. In 2027 our tour dates are 5-12 June and 10-17 July 2026. Please also find the link in the comments.
