This paper provides a commentary on and discussion of pulmonic ingressive speech inthe Shetland Isles. The aim is to contribute towards a further understanding of the currentdistribution of ingressive speech in the Shetland community and some of the situationalfactors governing its usage. Observations are also discussed which may provide clues tothe mechanisms for and constraints on the transference of ingressives and may thereforebe relevant for establishing the origin of ingressives in Shetland. The observationsdiscussed were made by the author in Shetland and Sweden and by previous researchersin Norway, the USA and elsewhere.