Hutto and Bouster

This gaet extends all the way to the hill dykes of Gremister, further on to the peat banks, the flat plain of Hutto and beyond towards Bouster. The gaet was used by all the crofters for access to their croft land, the hill and for the movement of animals. The men built a stone dyke along it mainly as a retaining wall for their croft above. The stones were removed from the croft and as the ground was too rough for a wheeled cart they were transported by a horse pulling a sledge like cart much like a travois. The hill dyke end of the gaet was used as a cro when caaing the Hutto sheep. People going to Bouster and Effstigarth from Gremister used the gaet. To go to Bouster they walked south past Hutto then crossed the burn at the Bouster brig. To go to Effstigarth they crossed the burn at the Effstigarth brig then headed up the hill. Some people walked to Westsandwick to sell their hosiery. They followed the burn on route from Gremister.

As we travelled out the gaet we understood how it would have been an important path for the community as several cultivated rigs and parks belonging to different crofts are accessed from it. Before the rigs were allocated the run rig system was implemented in the Herra. Vehicles can use the gaet for croft purposes. Most of the track is level but one part slightly downhill is known as the Steepie. Beyond the hill dykes the track becomes less defined but the plain of Hutto is mainly dry and makes easy walking. At Hutto there were the scars of many peat banks. When we reached Bouster and crossed the brig a track took us towards the empty houses. At one time the burn was forded further upstream from the bridge. In 1919 parents in Bouster complained to the Parish Council that they would keep their children off school until a road was laid and the bridge repaired.

Bouster

[Bo meaning grazing for oxen]

Only one croft at Bouster was occupied by the 1960s. In 1851 six houses were occupied and in 1861 four. The croft south of the burn is named Help. On the burn outside the hilldykes to the west is a ruined mill.

Bouster 2005

There are some interesting stories, anecdotes and legends about Bouster.

In 1852 the croft named Help was last occupied by Mrs Smollet. She was warned to get out because of unpaid rent. A son James was sailing, or at the goldfields, and he asked James Williamson, merchant at Mid Yell, to help her out with the payment. He sent £1.11.6 to the merchant and 8/6 for his mother. He asked not to let others know. Henry Smollet apologised to James Williamson for not being able to send money at that time.

On May 15th many years ago it came a terrible snow storm from the North East. The sheep cro of Titla [titla was a small bird or river] was farther down the burn on the north side. The sheep all gathered at the cro at Titla for shelter. The cro was situated at the junction of two burns. There the sheep got snowed under. A rapid thaw set in and a large number of the sheep got drowned. The Herra side of the burn was strewn with dead sheep. Part of the cro was destroyed by the overflowing burn.

Shetlanders will know about Peerie Willie but other Bouster men also made their mark in life. Chas had not heard of the others' impressive achievements.

John Johnson [Faider o’Bouster] to his family, was grandfather to Peerie Willie Johnson the noted guitar player. Willie was born at Bouster. Debbie Scott composed a tune for Peerie Willie and named it 'The Bouster Boy'. A cairn in memory of Peerie Willie has been erected in the vicinity. The access road to the cairn joins the road on the east side of the burn.

Tamas Henry of Bouster who died in 1900 was in his time thought to be the best fiddle player in Yell.

Another Bouster man who made a name for himself was James Mann who went to sea as a young man. He ‘jumped ship’ in Australia and later joined the Police Force in Queensland. There he eventually rose in rank to become Superintendent.

A boulder at Bouster has Magnie Mann's initials scratched on it.

We could not trace some named pieces of land at Bouster although we guessed where they might be by their description. Gravali is a hollow area of ground and a flat, low lying area is Velli. Ullwadder is out by the furthest north house. A piece of land between two streams has the name Miljenor [pronounced Milli/hem/or].

At the east of Bouster is The Snugee [Snjoogi meaning a high knoll].

In 1899 a case of Breach of Promise was brought to court. It involved Annie Johnston and John Johnson, both from Bouster. She bore him a daughter after he had promised to marry her on his return from sea. The promise was broken and she wanted him to compensate expenses towards bringing up the child and for the wedding preparations. He agreed payment and the matter was resolved.

The following tale surely had been made up by someone who disapproved and wanted to stop card playing. We speculated on the reason for the fiery maeshie.

Playing cards were said to be the Devil’s books and the Devil was reckoned to honour card parties. A party were playing cards at Bouster when in came a man carrying a maeshie [a net for carrying hay] of fire. He stood on the floor a few minutes then went away. The devil had come to witness the proceedings.

After visiting Bouster we continued our journey on the Wester Side. Old maps show tracks from Bouster to Effstigarth, Grummond and the beach. The track towards the beach followed the west side of the burn while keeping on the higher, slightly drier ground. Inside the Effstigarth hilldyke and near to the burn it is possible to trace a dyke and where a hill-grind had been. Travellers between Bouster, Grummond and Graveland would have used this grind.

From Bouster the road turns north west towards Effstigarth after crossing the Burn of Bouster. The road bridge was replaced in 2005. The road climbs over the Brake [brekka meaning slope or hill]. Before the road was built people going to Effstigarth walked out the gaet and, in summer if the water in the burn was low, they walked down the park from the gaet, crossed the burn directly below the houses then walked up the hill. There, to shorten the journey, a plank of wood was used as a make-do bridge when the stepping stones were submerged. However if crossing the burn was difficult people had the extra walk to the Effstigarth brig which lay outside the hill dyke. The brig collapsed in the 1990s and was not replaced. Some deep parts of the burn are known as Dug or Dog Hols. Allegedly new born pups were drowned there if they were not required on the croft.

When the road to Effstigarth was started it reached part of the way over the Brake then funds ran out and it was not finished until a few years later.