The Skidbladner, is a scale replica of the famous 9th Century Gokstad ship, discovered in a burial in Vestfold, Norway in 1880. The Skidbladner was built by a team from Sweden in an attempt to emulate the North Atlantic crossing of Leif Eriksson. After a series of problems the ship came to rest in Shetland, where it was purchased by the Shetland Amenity Trust to form part of The Viking Unst Project.
When she arrived in Unst she was in a bit of a sorry state, but a team of local enthusiasts, experienced in boat building are currently engaged in her restoration. She has been thoroughly cleaned and we are applying a combination of linseed oil and turpentine to protect her against the Shetland winter.
The Skidbladner will be situated alongside our Viking Longhouse and used to illustrate the Viking maritime past.
Vistors will be able to board the vessel to enjoy activities related to Viking seafaring. The Skidbladner provides an excellent insight into how Viking longships were constructed. The clinker built style that the Vikings brought to Shetland has been much employed by Shetlanders ever since, notably in the famous 'sixereens' used for the far haaf fishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. It creates boats that are strong, flexible and incredibly seaworthy, and is still sometimes used today.