What’s in a name?
The name Thule, which also appeared on the old Lerwick Town Council crest and is used these days by Lerwick Community Council, has its roots in Ultima Thule. A map, which was created in 1539, shows where Ultima Thule is located, northwest of Orkney. There are many published notions of where or what Ultima Thule is, but the owners choose to believe that the Roman historian Tacitus, in his book chronicling the life of his father-in-law, Agricola, describes how the Romans knew that Britain (in which Agricola was Roman commander) was an island rather than a continent, by circumnavigating it. Tacitus writes of a Roman ship visiting Orkney and that the crew sighted what he called Thule – Shetland!
However, the future is what the owners focus on these days. While tipping a hat to the long and colourful history of the bar is important, times change, and the owners of Lerwick’s famous waterfront public house have refurbished and are tweaking the offering to suit a wider and modern range of customers and tastes as socialising habits change.
A recent refurbishment has left the bar feeling cosier than it previously had while retaining character. Cracking old images from the early part of the 1900s were uncovered and have been used as large format images along with some unique artworks to add character and that historical feel.
Delighted that customers old and new find the place more welcoming now, plentiful comfy seating downstairs and upstairs certainly helps, and the staff and owners went to work on increasing and adapting the offerings.
They now offer freshly ground coffees, a growing single malt whisky menu, and you can read the tasting notes and origins too, along with a G&T pairing menu. Plans for wine tastings and cocktail nights coming soon!
The bar has had a few name changes since a public house was first opened on the site; we understand it was first named the Seaview Vaults before the harbour as we know it now was built. It then became the Thule Refreshment Bar, around the 1895 mark. The only bar on Lerwick’s historical harbour front, it retains its place in the heart of Lerwick town centre, a fact the owners are proud of. They feel that the benefits a vibrant town centre brings are to everyone’s benefit, customers and other businesses alike.
Post-pandemic, the sector, hospitality, and the night-time economy have and continue to face challenges, but they feel the changes need new and different approaches; new offerings, reacting to customer demands etc, as the town centre comes back to life again. Onwards and upwards indeed!
Email: [email protected]
Phone:+44 1595 692508
Address: Esplanade, Lerwick, United Kingdom
