fbpx
Wikipedia

Shetland

May 09, 2024

For other uses, see Shetland (disambiguation).
"Hjaltland" redirects here. For the passenger ferry operated by NorthLink Ferries, see MV Hjaltland.

Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.

Shetland
Scottish Gaelic nameSealtainn[Note 1]
Pronunciationˈʃalˠ̪t̪ɪɲ
Scots nameShetland
Old Norse nameHjaltland
Meaning of name'Hiltland'
Coat of arms
Location
Shetland
Shetland shown within Scotland
OS grid referenceHU4363
Coordinates60°20′N 1°20′W / 60.333°N 1.333°W / 60.333; -1.333
Physical geography
Island groupNorthern Isles
Area1,466 km2 (566 sq mi)
Highest elevationRonas Hill 450 m (1,480 ft)
Administration
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Council areaShetland Islands Council
Demographics
Population22,920 (2019)
Population density15/km2 (39/sq mi)
Largest settlementLerwick

The islands lie about 80 km (50 mi) to the northeast of Orkney, 170 km (110 mi) from mainland Scotland and 220 km (140 mi) west of Norway. They form part of the border between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. Their total area is 1,466 km2 (566 sq mi),[2] and the population totalled 22,920 in 2019.[3] The islands comprise the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament. The local authority, the Shetland Islands Council, is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The islands' administrative centre, largest settlement and only burgh is Lerwick, which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708, before which time the capital was Scalloway.

The archipelago has an oceanic climate, complex geology, rugged coastline, and many low, rolling hills. The largest island, known as "the Mainland", has an area of 967 km2 (373 sq mi),[4] and is the fifth-largest island in the British Isles. It is one of 16 inhabited islands in Shetland.

Humans have lived in Shetland since the Mesolithic period. Picts are known to have been the original inhabitants of the islands, before the Norse conquest and subsequent colonisation in the Early Middle Ages.[5] During the 10th to 15th centuries, the islands formed part of the Kingdom of Norway until they were annexed into the Kingdom of Scotland due to a royal dispute involving the payment of a dowry.[6] In 1707, when Scotland and England united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, trade between Shetland and continental Northern Europe decreased. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted Shetland's economy, employment and public-sector revenues.[7] Fishing has always been an important part of the islands' economy.

The local way of life reflects the Norse heritage of the isles, including the Up Helly Aa fire festivals and a strong musical tradition, especially the traditional fiddle style. Almost all place names in the islands have Norse origin.[8] The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets, who have often written in the distinctive Shetland dialect. Numerous areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the local fauna and flora, including a number of important seabird nesting sites. The Shetland pony and Shetland Sheepdog are two well-known Shetland animal breeds. Other animals with local breeds include the Shetland sheep, cow, goose, and duck. The Shetland pig, or grice, has been extinct since about 1930.

The islands' motto, which appears on the Council's coat of arms, is "Með lögum skal land byggja" ("By law shall the land be built").[a] The phrase is of Old Norse origin, is mentioned in Njáls saga, and was likely borrowed from provincial Norwegian laws such as the Frostathing Law.

Etymology edit

 
Detailed map of Shetland

The name Shetland may derive from the Old Norse words hjalt ('hilt'), and land ('land'). Another possibility is that the first syllable is derived from the name of an ancient Celtic tribe.[9][10]

In 43 CE, the Roman author Pomponius Mela made reference in his writing to seven islands he called the Haemodae. In 77 CE, Pliny the Elder called these same islands the Acmodae. Scholars have inferred that both of these references are to islands in the Shetland group. Another possible early written reference to the islands is Tacitus' report in Agricola in 98 CE. After he described the Roman discovery and conquest of Orkney, he added that the Roman fleet had seen "Thule, too".[Note 2] In early Irish literature, Shetland is referred to as Insi Catt — "the Isles of Cats" (meaning the island inhabited by the tribe called Cat). This may have been the pre-Norse inhabitants' name for the islands. Cat was the name of a Pictish people who occupied parts of the northern Scottish mainland (see Kingdom of Cat); and their name survives in the names of the county of Caithness and in the Scottish Gaelic name for Sutherland, Cataibh, which means "among the Cats".[13]

The oldest known version of the modern name Shetland is Hetland; this may represent "Catland", the Germanic language softening the C- to H- according to Grimm's law. It occurs in a letter written by Harald, earl of Orkney, Shetland and Caithness, in ca. 1190.[14] By 1431, the islands were being referred to as Hetland, after various intermediate transformations. It is possible that the Pictish "cat" sound contributed to this Norse name. In the 16th century, Shetland was referred to as Hjaltland.[15][16] [Note 3]

Gradually, the Scandinavian Norn language previously spoken by the inhabitants of the islands was replaced by the Shetland dialect of Scots and Hjaltland became Ȝetland. The initial letter is the Middle Scots letter, yogh, the pronunciation of which is almost identical to the original Norn sound, /hj/. When the use of the letter yogh was discontinued, it was often replaced by the similar-looking letter z (which at the time was usually rendered with a curled tail: ⟨ʒ⟩) hence Zetland, the form used in the name of the pre-1975 county council.[17][18] This is the source of the ZE postcode used for Shetland.

Most of the individual islands have Norse names, although the derivations of some are obscure and may represent pre-Norse, Pictish, or even pre-Celtic names or elements.[19]

Geography and geology edit

Main article: List of Shetland islands
 
Lerwick is Shetland's largest settlement
 
Mainland, Shetland
 
Unst

Shetland is around 170 km (106 mi) north of Great Britain and 230 km (143 mi) west of Bergen, Norway. It covers an area of 1,468 km2 (567 sq mi) and has a coastline 2,702 km (1,679 mi) long.[2]

Lerwick, the capital and largest settlement, has a population of 6,958 and about half of the archipelago's total population of 22,920 people[3] live within 16 km (10 mi) of the town.[20]

Scalloway on the west coast, which was the capital until 1708, has a population of fewer than 1,000 people.[21]

Only 16 of about 100 islands are inhabited. The main island of the group is known as Mainland. The next largest are Yell, Unst, and Fetlar, which lie to the north, and Bressay and Whalsay, which lie to the east. East and West Burra, Muckle Roe, Papa Stour, Trondra, and Vaila are smaller islands to the west of Mainland. The other inhabited islands are Foula 28 km (17 mi) west of Walls, Fair Isle 38 km (24 mi) south-west of Sumburgh Head, and the Out Skerries to the east.[Note 4]

The uninhabited islands include Mousa, known for the Broch of Mousa, the finest preserved example of an Iron Age broch; Noss to the east of Bressay, which has been a national nature reserve since 1955; St Ninian's Isle, connected to Mainland by the largest active tombolo in the United Kingdom; and Out Stack, the northernmost point of the British Isles.[22][23][24] Shetland's location means that it provides a number of such records: Muness is the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom and Skaw the most northerly settlement.[25]

 
Shetland geological map

The geology of Shetland is complex, with numerous faults and fold axes. These islands are the northern outpost of the Caledonian orogeny, and there are outcrops of Lewisian, Dalradian and Moine metamorphic rocks with histories similar to their equivalents on the Scottish mainland. There are also Old Red Sandstone deposits and granite intrusions. The most distinctive feature is the ophiolite in Unst and Fetlar which is a remnant of the Iapetus Ocean floor made up of ultrabasic peridotite and gabbro.[26]

Much of Shetland's economy depends on the oil-bearing sediments in the surrounding seas.[27] Geological evidence shows that in around 6100 BC a tsunami caused by the Storegga Slide hit Shetland, as well as the west coast of Norway, and may have created a wave of up to 25 m (82 ft) high in the voes where modern populations are highest.[28]

The highest point of Shetland is Ronas Hill at 450 m (1,480 ft). The Pleistocene glaciations entirely covered the islands. During that period, the Stanes of Stofast, a 2000-tonne glacial erratic, came to rest on a prominent hilltop in Lunnasting.[29]

It has been estiimated that there are about 275 sea stacks in Scotland of which circa 110 are located around the coasts of Shetland. For many of them there is no record of there having been any attempt by rock climbers to ascend them.[30][31]

Shetland has a national scenic area which, unusually, includes a number of discrete locations: Fair Isle, Foula, South West Mainland (including the Scalloway Islands), Muckle Roe, Esha Ness, Fethaland and Herma Ness.[32] The total area covered by the designation is 41,833 ha, of which 26,347 ha is marine (i.e. below low tide).[33]

In October 2018, legislation came into force in Scotland to prevent public bodies, without good reason, showing Shetland in a separate box in maps, as had often been the practice. The legislation requires the islands to be "displayed in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland", so as make clear the islands' real distance from other areas.[34][35][36]

Climate edit

 
Aurora in Scatness

Shetland has an oceanic temperate maritime climate (Köppen: Cfb), bordering on, but very slightly above average in summer temperatures, the subpolar variety, with long but cool winters and short warm summers. The climate all year round is moderate owing to the influence of the surrounding seas, with average night-time low temperatures a little above 1 °C (34 °F) in January and February and average daytime high temperatures of near 14 °C (57 °F) in July and August.[37] The highest temperature on record was 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) on 6 August 1910 at Sumburgh Head[38] and the lowest −8.9 °C (16.0 °F) in the Januaries of 1952 and 1959.[39] The frost-free period may be as little as three months.[40] In contrast, inland areas of nearby Scandinavia on similar latitudes experience significantly larger temperature differences between summer and winter, with the average highs of regular July days comparable to Lerwick's all-time record heat that is around 23 °C (73 °F), further demonstrating the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, winters are considerably milder than those expected in nearby continental areas, even comparable to winter temperatures of many parts of England and Wales much further south.

The general character of the climate is windy and cloudy with at least 2 mm (0.08 in) of rain falling on more than 250 days a year. Average yearly precipitation is 1,003 mm (39.5 in), with November and December the wettest months. Snowfall is usually confined to the period November to February, and snow seldom lies on the ground for more than a day. Less rain falls from April to August although no month receives less than 50 mm (2.0 in). Fog is common during summer due to the cooling effect of the sea on mild southerly airflows.[37][39]

Because of the islands' latitude, on clear winter nights the northern lights can sometimes be seen in the sky, while in summer there is almost perpetual daylight, a state of affairs known locally as the "simmer dim".[41] Annual bright sunshine averages 1110 hours, and overcast days are common.[42]

Climate data for Shetland Isles (S. Screen)[b], elevation 82 m (269 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1930–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.8
(55.0) 		11.7
(53.1) 		13.3
(55.9) 		16.1
(61.0) 		20.7
(69.3) 		22.2
(72.0) 		23.4
(74.1) 		22.1
(71.8) 		19.4
(66.9) 		17.2
(63.0) 		13.9
(57.0) 		12.6
(54.7) 		23.4
(74.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0) 		5.8
(42.4) 		6.7
(44.1) 		8.3
(46.9) 		10.6
(51.1) 		12.6
(54.7) 		14.4
(57.9) 		14.7
(58.5) 		13.0
(55.4) 		10.4
(50.7) 		8.1
(46.6) 		6.6
(43.9) 		9.8
(49.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4) 		3.8
(38.8) 		4.6
(40.3) 		6.1
(43.0) 		8.1
(46.6) 		10.3
(50.5) 		12.2
(54.0) 		12.6
(54.7) 		11.1
(52.0) 		8.5
(47.3) 		6.2
(43.2) 		4.5
(40.1) 		7.7
(45.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.2
(36.0) 		1.8
(35.2) 		2.4
(36.3) 		3.8
(38.8) 		5.6
(42.1) 		8.1
(46.6) 		10.1
(50.2) 		10.5
(50.9) 		9.1
(48.4) 		6.6
(43.9) 		4.3
(39.7) 		2.5
(36.5) 		5.3
(41.5)
Record low °C (°F) −8.9
(16.0) 		−7.4
(18.7) 		−8.3
(17.1) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		3.5
(38.3) 		2.8
(37.0) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−8.2
(17.2) 		−8.9
(16.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 150.4
(5.92) 		122.7
(4.83) 		109.2
(4.30) 		67.8
(2.67) 		56.9
(2.24) 		59.8
(2.35) 		67.7
(2.67) 		88.6
(3.49) 		105.8
(4.17) 		130.6
(5.14) 		143.2
(5.64) 		149.7
(5.89) 		1,252.3
(49.30)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 22.0 19.2 19.3 14.7 11.7 11.5 12.1 13.1 16.1 20.3 21.5 22.6 204.1
Average snowy days 10 9 9 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 8 48
Average relative humidity (%) 87 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 90 89 87 87 89
Mean monthly sunshine hours 27.4 57.6 97.7 141.2 191.9 147.7 128.6 132.4 99.5 75.1 38.3 20.6 1,158
Source 1: Met Office[43] NOAA (relative humidity and snow days 1961–1990)[44]
Source 2: KNMI[45]
  1. ^ The motto is given (on the arms) in all uppercase but the eth in Með is rendered using the Czech letter Ď rather than Ð, which is the regular uppercase form of eth.
  2. ^ Weather station is located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from the Lerwick port centre.

Settlements edit

class=notpageimage|
The largest settlements in the Shetland.

The main Tier 1 settlements,[46] i.e. locality areas having the greatest population and/or service provision/facilities, are:

Settlement Population
(mid-2020 est.)[47]
Lerwick

6,760

Scalloway

1,170

Brae

750

Sandwick <500[a]
Aith <500[a]
Mid Yell <500[a]
Baltasound <500[a]
Symbister <500[a]
  1. ^ a b c d e Not listed in mid-2020 census, indicating a population of less than 500

List of islands by largest population:

Island Population[48][49]
1991 2001 2011
Shetland Mainland 17,562 17,550 18,765
Whalsay 1,041 1,034 1,061
Yell 1,075 957 966
West Burra 817 753 776
Unst 1,055 720 632
Bressay 352 384 368
Trondra 117 133 135
Muckle Roe 115 104 130
East Burra 72 66 76
Fair Isle 67 69 68

Prehistory edit

Main article: Prehistoric Shetland
 
The preserved ruins of a wheelhouse and broch at Jarlshof, described as "one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles".[50]

Due to the practice, dating to at least the early Neolithic, of building in stone on virtually treeless islands, Shetland is extremely rich in physical remains of the prehistoric eras and there are over 5,000 archaeological sites all told.[51] A midden site at West Voe on the south coast of Mainland, dated to 4320–4030 BC, has provided the first evidence of Mesolithic human activity in Shetland.[52][53] The same site provides dates for early Neolithic activity and finds at Scord of Brouster in Walls have been dated to 3400 BC.[Note 5] "Shetland knives" are stone tools that date from this period made from felsite from Northmavine.[55]

Pottery shards found at the important site of Jarlshof also indicate that there was Neolithic activity there although the main settlement dates from the Bronze Age.[56] This includes a smithy, a cluster of wheelhouses and a later broch. The site has provided evidence of habitation during various phases right up until Viking times.[50][57] Heel-shaped cairns, are a style of chambered cairn unique to Shetland, with a particularly large example in Vementry.[55]

Numerous brochs were erected during the Iron Age. In addition to Mousa there are significant ruins at Clickimin, Culswick, Old Scatness and West Burrafirth, although their origin and purpose is a matter of some controversy.[58] The later Iron Age inhabitants of the Northern Isles were probably Pictish, although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states in relation to King Bridei I of the Picts in the sixth century AD: "As for Shetland, Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles, their inhabitants, most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time, are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence".[59] In 2011, the collective site, "The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland", including Broch of Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof, joined the UKs "Tentative List" of World Heritage Sites.[60][61]

History edit

Main article: History of Shetland

Scandinavian colonisation edit

 
Shetland (boxed) in relation to surrounding territories including Norway (to the east), the Faroe Islands (to the north west), and Orkney and the rest of the British Isles (to the south west).
 
14th-century Flateyjarbók image of Harald Fairhair (right, with fair hair), who took control of Hjaltland c. 875.

The expanding population of Scandinavia led to a shortage of available resources and arable land there and led to a period of Viking expansion so the Norse gradually shifted their attention from plundering to invasion.[62] Shetland was colonised during the late 8th and 9th centuries,[63] the fate of the existing indigenous Pictish population being uncertain. Modern Shetlanders still retain the Norse DNA with many family trees showing the Norse patronymic system(-sson/son, -dottir/daughter). Modern DNA studies such as the Viking Health Study are severely flawed as they only account for a tiny fraction of the population.[64]

Vikings then used the islands as a base for pirate expeditions to Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king Harald Hårfagre ("Harald Fair Hair") annexed the Northern Isles (comprising Orkney and Shetland) in 875.[Note 6] Rognvald Eysteinsson received Orkney and Shetland as an earldom from Harald as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland, and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd the Mighty.[66]

The islands converted to Christianity in the late 10th century. King Olaf I Tryggvasson summoned the jarl Sigurd the Stout during a visit to Orkney and said, "I order you and all your subjects to be baptised. If you refuse, I'll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel". Unsurprisingly, Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke.[67] Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norse jarls owed allegiance both to Norway and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as Earls of Caithness.[68]

In 1194, when Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Shetland, a rebellion broke out against King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway. The Eyjarskeggjar ("Island Beardies") sailed for Norway but were beaten in the Battle of Florvåg near Bergen. After his victory King Sverre placed Shetland under direct Norwegian rule, a state of affairs that continued for nearly two centuries.[69][70]

Increased Scottish interest edit

From the mid-13th century onwards Scottish monarchs increasingly sought to take control of the islands surrounding their seas. The process was begun in earnest by Alexander II and was continued by his successor Alexander III. This strategy eventually led to an invasion of Scotland by Haakon IV Haakonsson, King of Norway. His fleet assembled in Bressay Sound before sailing for Scotland. After the stalemate of the Battle of Largs, Haakon retreated to Orkney, where he died in December 1263, entertained on his deathbed by recitations of the sagas. His death halted any further Norwegian expansion in Scotland and following this ill-fated expedition, the Hebrides and Mann were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth, although the Scots recognised continuing Norwegian sovereignty over Orkney and Shetland.[71][72][73]

Absorption by Scotland edit

 
James III and Margaret of Denmark, whose betrothal led to Shetland passing from Norway to Scotland.

In the 14th century, Orkney and Shetland remained a Norwegian possession, but Scottish influence was growing. Jon Haraldsson, who was murdered in Thurso in 1231, was the last of an unbroken line of Norse jarls,[74] and thereafter the earls were Scots noblemen of the houses of Angus and St Clair.[75] On the death of Haakon VI in 1380,[76] Norway formed a political union with Denmark, after which the interest of the royal house in the islands declined.[69] In 1469, Shetland was pledged by Christian I, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland. As the money was never paid, the connection with the Crown of Scotland became permanent.[Note 7] In 1470, William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness, ceded his title to James III, and the following year the Northern Isles were directly absorbed by the Crown of Scotland,[79] an action confirmed by the Parliament of Scotland in 1472.[80] Nonetheless, Shetland's connection with Norway has proved to be enduring.[Note 8]

From the early 15th century onward Shetlanders sold their goods through the Hanseatic League of German merchantmen. The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted fish, wool and butter, and import salt, cloth, beer and other goods. The late 16th century and early 17th century were dominated by the influence of the despotic Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, who was granted the islands by his half-sister Mary Queen of Scots, and his son Patrick. The latter commenced the building of Scalloway Castle, but after his imprisonment in 1609, the Crown annexed Orkney and Shetland again until 1643, when Charles I granted them to William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton. These rights were held on and off by the Mortons until 1766, when they were sold by James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton to Laurence Dundas.[81][82]

18th and 19th centuries edit

 
County Buildings in Lerwick, the former headquarters of Zetland County Council

The trade with the North German towns lasted until the Act of Union 1707, when high salt duties prevented the German merchants from trading with Shetland. Shetland then went into an economic depression, as the local traders were not as skilled in trading salted fish. However, some local merchant-lairds took up where the German merchants had left off, and fitted out their own ships to export fish from Shetland to the Continent. For the independent farmers of Shetland this had negative consequences, as they now had to fish for these merchant-lairds.[83]

Smallpox afflicted the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries (as it did all of Europe), but as vaccines became available after 1800, health improved. The islands were very badly hit by the potato famine of 1846 and the government introduced a Relief Plan for the islands under the command of Captain Robert Craigie of the Royal Navy who stayed in Lerwick to oversee the project 1847–1852. During this period Craigie also did much to improve and increase roads in the islands.[84]

Population increased to a maximum of 31,670 in 1861. However, British rule came at a price for many ordinary people as well as traders. The Shetlanders' nautical skills were sought by the Royal Navy. Some 3,000 served during the Napoleonic wars from 1800 to 1815 and press gangs were rife. During this period 120 men were taken from Fetlar alone, and only 20 of them returned home. By the late 19th century 90% of all Shetland was owned by just 32 people, and between 1861 and 1881 more than 8,000 Shetlanders emigrated.[85][86] With the passing of the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 the Liberal prime minister William Gladstone emancipated crofters from the rule of the landlords. The Act enabled those who had effectively been landowners' serfs to become owner-occupiers of their own small farms.[87] By this time fishermen from Holland, who had traditionally gathered each year off the coast of Shetland to fish for herring, triggered an industry in the islands that boomed from around 1880 until the 1920s when stocks of the fish began to dwindle.[88] The production peaked in 1905 at more than a million barrels, of which 708,000 were exported.[89]

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 established a uniform system of county councils in Scotland and realigned the boundaries of many of Scotland's counties: Zetland County Council, which was created in 1890, was established at County Buildings in Lerwick.[90]

20th century edit

 
Full-rigged ship Maella, of Oslo, in Bressay Sound, around 1922

During World War I, many Shetlanders served in the Gordon Highlanders, a further 3,000 served in the Merchant Navy, and more than 1,500 in a special local naval reserve. The 10th Cruiser Squadron was stationed at Swarbacks Minn (the stretch of water to the south of Muckle Roe), and during a single year from March 1917 more than 4,500 ships sailed from Lerwick as part of an escorted convoy system. In total, Shetland lost more than 500 men, a higher proportion than any other part of Britain, and there were further waves of emigration in the 1920s and 1930s.[86][91]

 
Leif "Shetland" Larsen, Norwegian leader of the Shetland Bus operations in World War II, the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war.[92]

During World War II, a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the "Shetland Bus" was established by the Special Operations Executive in the autumn of 1940 with a base first at Lunna and later in Scalloway to conduct operations around the coast of Norway. About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered and the Shetland Bus conducted covert operations, carrying intelligence agents, refugees, instructors for the resistance, and military supplies. It made over 200 trips across the sea, and Leif Larsen, the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war, made 52 of them.[92][93] Several RAF airfields and sites were also established at Sullom Voe and several lighthouses suffered enemy air attacks.[91]

Oil reserves discovered in the later 20th century in the seas both east and west of Shetland have provided a much-needed alternative source of income for the islands.[7] The East Shetland Basin is one of Europe's prolific petroleum provinces. As a result of the oil revenue and the cultural links with Norway, a small Home Rule movement developed briefly to recast the constitutional position of Shetland. It saw as its models the Isle of Man, as well as Shetland's closest neighbour, the Faroe Islands, an autonomous dependency of Denmark.[94]

The population stood at 17,814 in 1961.[95]

Economy edit

Today, the main revenue producers in Shetland are agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, renewable energy, the petroleum industry (crude oil and natural gas production), the creative industries and tourism.[96] Unst also has a rocket launch site called SaxaVord Spaceport (previously known as Shetland Space Centre).[97] A February 2021 news item indicated that a rocket manufacturer from Germany, HyImpulse Technologies, planned to launch spacecraft powered by hydrogen from the Spaceport, starting in 2023.[98] During the previous month, the Space Centre had filed plans with Council for a "satellite launch facility and associated infrastructure".[99]

As of February 2021, information on the Promote Shetland Web site indicated that "Shetland is less reliant on tourism than many Scottish islands" and that oil was an important sector of the economy. The "process of gradually transitioning from oil to clean renewable energy ... production of clean hydrogen" was also emphasized. Fishing remained the primary sector and was expected to grow.[100]

Fishing edit

 
Atlantic Mackerel

Fishing is central to the islands' economy today, with the total catch being 75,767 t (83,519 tons) in 2009, valued at over £73.2 million. Atlantic mackerel makes up more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value, and there are significant landings of haddock, cod, herring, whiting, monkfish and shellfish.[101]

A report published in October 2020 was optimistic about the future of this sector in: "With new fish markets in Lerwick and Scalloway, and plans to expand its aquaculture offerings in Yell, Shetland is preparing for more growth in its biggest industry".[102]

As of February 2021, the Promote Shetland Web site stated that "more fish is landed in Shetland than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined', that "Shetland harvests 40,000 tonnes of salmon a year, worth £180 million" and that "6,500 tonnes of mussels are grown in Shetland, more than 80 per cent of the total Scottish production".[103]

Energy and fossil fuels edit

 
Map of Shetland

Oil and gas were first landed in 1978 at Sullom Voe, which has subsequently become one of the largest terminals in Europe.[7][104] Taxes from the oil have increased public sector spending on social welfare, art, sport, environmental measures and financial development. Three quarters of the islands' workforce is employed in the service sector,[105][106] and the Shetland Islands Council alone accounted for 27.9% of output in 2003.[107][108] Shetland's access to oil revenues has funded the Shetland Charitable Trust, which in turn funds a wide variety of local programmes. The balance of the fund in 2011 was £217 million, i.e., about £9,500 per head.[109][Note 9]

In January 2007, the Shetland Islands Council signed a partnership agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy for the Viking Wind Farm, a 200-turbine wind farm and subsea cable. This renewable energy project would produce about 600 megawatts and contribute about £20 million to the Shetland economy per year.[111] The plan met with significant opposition within the islands, primarily resulting from the anticipated visual impact of the development.[112] The PURE project in Unst is a research centre which uses a combination of wind power and fuel cells to create a wind hydrogen system. The project is run by the Unst Partnership, the local community's development trust.[113][114]

 
Apache Corporation's Beryl alpha oil platform in the East Shetland Basin

A status report on hydrogen production in Shetland, published in September 2020, stated that Shetland Islands Council (SIC) had "joined a number of organisations and projects to drive forward plans to establish hydrogen as a future energy source for the isles and beyond". For example, it was a member of the Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA). The ORION project, previously named the Shetland Energy Hub, was underway; the plan was to create an energy hub that would use clean electricity in the development of "new technologies such as blue and green hydrogen generation".[115]

In December 2020 the Scottish government released a hydrogen policy statement with plans for incorporating both blue and green hydrogen for use in heating, transportation and industry.[116] The government also planned an investment of £100 million in the hydrogen sector "for the £180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund".[117] Shetland Islands Council planned to obtain further specifics about the availability of funding. The government had already agreed that the production of "green" hydrogen from wind power near Sullom Voe Terminal was a valid plan. A December 2020 report stated that "the extensive terminal could also be used for direct refuelling of hydrogen-powered ships" and suggested that the fourth jetty at Sullom Voe "could be suitable for ammonia export".[118]

Farming and textiles edit

Farming is mostly concerned with the raising of Shetland sheep, known for their unusually fine wool.[21][119][120]

Knitwear is important both to the economy and culture of Shetland, and the Fair Isle design is well known. However, the industry faces challenges due to plagiarism of the word "Shetland" by manufacturers operating elsewhere, and a certification trademark, "The Shetland Lady", has been registered.[121]

Crofting, the farming of small plots of land on a legally restricted tenancy basis, is still practised and is viewed as a key Shetland tradition as well as an important source of income.[122] Crops raised include oats and barley; however, the cold, windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants.

Media edit

Television signals in Shetland are received from the Bressay TV transmitter. [123]Shetland is served by a weekly local newspaper, The Shetland Times and the online Shetland News [124] with radio service being provided by BBC Radio Shetland and the commercial radio station SIBC.[125]

Tourism edit

 
Victoria pier, Lerwick. The replica Viking longboat Dim Riv is bottom left and the town hall is on the hill. Taken from the Aberdeen ferry in Bressay Sound.

Shetland is a popular destination for cruise ships, and in 2010 the Lonely Planet guide named Shetland as the sixth best region in the world for tourists seeking unspoilt destinations. The islands were described as "beautiful and rewarding" and the Shetlanders as "a fiercely independent and self-reliant bunch".[126] Overall visitor expenditure was worth £16.4 million in 2006, in which year just under 26,000 cruise liner passengers arrived at Lerwick Harbour. This business has grown substantially with 109 cruise ships already booked in for 2019, representing over 107,000 passenger visits.[127] In 2009, the most popular visitor attractions were the Shetland Museum, the RSPB reserve at Sumburgh Head, Bonhoga Gallery at Weisdale Mill and Jarlshof.[128] Geopark Shetland (now Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark) was established by the Amenity Trust in 2009 to boost sustainable tourism to the islands.[129]

According to the Promote Shetland organisation's website, tourism increased "by £12.6 million between 2017 and 2019 with more than half of visitors giving their trip a perfect rating".[103]

Extremely popular in many countries, with seven series having been filmed and aired by early 2023, Shetland (TV series) was inspired by the Ann Cleeves books about the fictional Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. This has created an interest in Shetland[130] and some tourists visit because they wish to see the places where the series is set and filmed. In 2018, series star Douglas Henshall said in an interview, "When we were there filming, there's people from Australia and different parts of America who had come specifically because of the show ... It's showing all over the world. Now you get a lot of people from Scandinavia on these noir tours".[131][132]

An October 2018 report stated that 91,000 passengers from cruise ships arrived that year (a record high), an increase over the 70,000 in 2017. There was a drop in 2019 to "over 76,000 cruise ship passengers".[133][134]

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic edit

Tourism dropped significantly in 2020 (and into 2021) due to restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the major decline in the number of cruise ships that continued to operate worldwide.[135]

As of early February 2021, the Promote Shetland website was still stating this information: "At present, nobody should travel to Shetland from a Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area in Scotland, unless it's for essential purposes". That page reiterated the government recommendation "that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England, Wales, or Northern Ireland".[136]

A September 2020 report stated that "The Highlands and Islands region has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to date, when compared to Scotland and the UK as a whole". The tourism industry required short term support for "business survival and recovery" and that was expected to continue as the sector was "severely impacted for as long as physical distancing and travel restrictions".[137] As of 31 December 2020, the usage of ferries and buses was restricted to those traveling for essential purposes.[138] The Island Equivalent scheme was introduced in early 2021 by the Scottish government to financially assist hospitality and retail businesses "affected by Level 3 coronavirus restrictions". Previous schemes in 2020 included the Strategic Framework Business Fund and the Coronavirus Business Support Fund.[139]

Quarries edit

Transport edit

 
Loganair aircraft in Fair Isle, midway between Orkney and Shetland

Transport between islands is primarily by ferry, and Shetland Islands Council operates various inter-island services.[140] Shetland is also served by a domestic connection from Lerwick to Aberdeen on mainland Scotland. This service, which takes about 12 hours, is operated by NorthLink Ferries. Some services also call at Kirkwall, Orkney, which increases the journey time between Aberdeen and Lerwick by 2 hours.[141][142] There are plans for road tunnels to some of the islands, especially Bressay and Whalsay; however, it is hard to convince the mainland government to finance them.[143]

Sumburgh Airport, the main airport in Shetland, is located close to Sumburgh Head, 40 km (25 mi) south of Lerwick. Loganair operates flights to other parts of Scotland up to ten times a day, the destinations being Kirkwall, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh.[144] Lerwick/Tingwall Airport is located 11 km (6.8 mi) west of Lerwick. Operated by Directflight in partnership with Shetland Islands Council, it is devoted to inter-island flights from the Shetland Mainland to Fair Isle and Foula.[145]

Scatsta Airport was an airport near Sullom Voe which allowed frequent charter flights from Aberdeen to transport oilfield workers. The airport closed on 30 June 2020.[146]

Public bus services are operated in Mainland, Trondra, Burra, Unst and Yell, with scheduled dial-a-ride services available in Bressay and Fetlar. Buses also connect with ferries leading to Foula, Papa Stour, and Whalsay.[147][148]

The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous sites of wrecked ships.[149] Lighthouses are sited as an aid to navigation at various locations.[150]

Government edit

The Shetland Islands Council is the local government authority for all the islands and is based in Lerwick Town Hall.

Shetland is sub-divided into 18 community council areas[151] and into 12 civil parishes that are used for statistical purposes.[152]

Education edit

As of early 2021, Shetland had 22 primary schools, five junior high schools, and two high schools: Anderson High School and Brae High School.[154][155]

Shetland College UHI is a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). UHI's Centre for Rural Creativity partners with Shetland Arts Development Agency to provide courses on film, music and media up to Masters level at Mareel. The North Atlantic Fisheries College (NAFC) also operates in partnership with UHI offering "a range of training courses relevant to the maritime industries".[154]

The Institute for Northern Studies, operated by UHI, provides "postgraduate teaching and research programmes"; one of the three locations is at Shetland.[156]

Sport edit

The Shetland Football Association oversees two divisions — a Premier League and a Reserve League — which are affiliated with the Scottish Amateur Football Association.[157] Seasons take place during summer.

The islands are represented by the Shetland football team, which regularly competes in the Island Games.

Churches and religion edit

Religion in Shetland (2011)[158]

  Non-religious (45.4%)
  Church of Scotland (29.9%)
  Catholic Church (4.1%)
  Other Christian (10.6%)
  Islam (0.4%)
  Other religions (1.1%)
  Not stated (8.5%)

The Reformation reached the archipelago in 1560. This was an apparently peaceful transition and there is little evidence of religious intolerance in Shetland's recorded history.[159]

In the 2011 census, Shetland registered a higher proportion of people with no religion than the Scottish average.[158] Nevertheless, a variety of religious denominations are represented in the islands.

 
Haroldswick Church, the most northerly church building in the United Kingdom

The Methodist Church has a relatively high membership in Shetland, which is a District of the Methodist Church (with the rest of Scotland comprising a separate District).[160]

The Church of Scotland had a Presbytery of Shetland that includes St. Columba's Church in Lerwick.[161] On 1 June 2020 the Presbytery of Shetland merged with the Presbytery of Aberdeen becoming the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland. In addition there was further church reorganisation in the islands with a series of church closures and all parishes merging into one, covering the whole of Shetland.

The Catholic population is served by the church of St. Margaret and the Sacred Heart in Lerwick. The parish is part of the Diocese of Aberdeen.

The Scottish Episcopal Church (part of the Anglican Communion) has regular worship at: St Magnus' Church, Lerwick; St Colman's Church, Burravoe; and the Chapel of Christ the Encompasser, Fetlar, the last of which is maintained by the Society of Our Lady of the Isles, the most northerly and remote Anglican religious order of nuns.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a congregation in Lerwick. The former print works and offices of the local newspaper, The Shetland Times, has been converted into a chapel. Jehovah's Witnesses has a congregation and Kingdom Hall in Lerwick.

Politics edit

Shetland is represented in the House of Commons as part of the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which elects one Member of Parliament (MP). As of May 2023, and since 2001, the MP is Alistair Carmichael, a Liberal Democrat. He grew up on Islay, the son of hill farmers who raised sheep and cattle and worked at various occupations before running for election.[162]

This seat has been held by the Liberal Democrats or their predecessors the Liberal Party since 1950, longer than any other seat in the United Kingdom.[163][164][165]

In the Scottish Parliament the Shetland constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system. Tavish Scott of the Scottish Liberal Democrats had held the seat since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.[166] Beatrice Wishart MSP, also of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, was elected to replace Tavish Scott in August 2019.[167] Shetland is within the Highlands and Islands electoral region.

The political composition of the Shetland Islands Council is 21 Independents and 1 Scottish National Party.[168]

In the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, Shetland voted to remain in the United Kingdom by the third largest margin of the 32 local authority areas, by 63.71% to 36.29% in favour of the Union.

In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, Shetland voted for the UK to remain an EU member state, with 56.5% voting to remain and 43.5% voting to leave. In comparison to the rest of Scotland, Shetland had lower-than-average support for remaining in the EU.

The Wir Shetland movement was set up in 2015 to campaign for greater autonomy.[169] In September 2020, the Shetland Islands Council voted 18–2 to explore replacing the council with a new system of government which controls a fairer share of the islands revenue streams and has a greater influence over their own affairs, which could include very lucrative oil fields and fishing waters.[170]

In 2022, as part of the Levelling Up White Paper, an "Island Forum" was proposed, which would allow local policymakers and residents in Shetland to work alongside their counterparts in Orkney, the Western Isles, Anglesey and the Isle of Wight on common issues, such as broadband connectivity, and provide a platform for them to communicate directly with the government on the challenges island communities face in terms of levelling up.[171][172]

Flag edit

Roy Grönneberg, who founded the local chapter of the Scottish National Party in 1966, designed the flag of Shetland in cooperation with Bill Adams to mark the 500th anniversary of the transfer of the islands from Norway to Scotland. The colours are identical to those of the flag of Scotland, but are shaped in the Nordic cross. After several unsuccessful attempts, including a plebiscite in 1985, the Lord Lyon King of Arms approved it as the official flag of Shetland in 2005.[173][Note 10]

Local culture and the arts edit

 
The Shetland Crofthouse museum
 
The Lerwick Up Helly Aa

After the islands were officially transferred from Norway to Scotland in 1472, several Scots families from the Scottish Lowlands emigrated to Shetland in the 16th and 17th centuries.[174][175] Studies of the genetic makeup of the islands' population, however, indicate that Shetlanders are just under half Scandinavian in origin, and sizeable amounts of Scandinavian ancestry, both patrilineal and matrilineal, have been reported in Orkney (55%) and Shetland (68%).[175] This combination is reflected in many aspects of local life. For example, almost every place name in use can be traced back to the Vikings.[176] The Lerwick Up Helly Aa is one of several fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter, starting on the last Tuesday of January.[177] The festival is just over 100 years old in its present, highly organised form. Originally held to break up the long nights of winter and mark the end of Yule, the festival has become one celebrating the isles' heritage and includes a procession of men dressed as Vikings and the burning of a replica longship.[178]

Shetland also competes in the biennial International Island Games, which it hosted in 2005.[179]

The cuisine of Shetland is based on locally produced lamb, beef and seafood, some of it organic. The real ale-producing Valhalla Brewery is the most northerly in Britain. The Shetland Black is a variety of blue potato with a dark skin and indigo-coloured flesh markings.[180]

Language edit

See also: Norn language and Shetland dialect

The Norn language was a form of Old Norse spoken in the Northern Isles, and continued to be spoken until the 18th century. It was gradually replaced in Shetland by an insular dialect of Scots, known as Shetlandic, which is in turn being replaced by Scottish English. Although Norn was spoken for hundreds of years, it is now extinct and few written sources remain, although influences remain in the Insular Scots dialects.[181] The Shetland dialect is used in local radio and dialect writing, and is kept alive by organisations such as Shetland Forwirds, and the Shetland Folk Society.[182][183][184]

Music edit

Shetland's culture and landscapes have inspired a variety of musicians, writers and film-makers. The Forty Fiddlers was formed in the 1950s to promote the traditional fiddle style, which is a vibrant part of local culture today.[185] Notable exponents of Shetland folk music include Aly Bain, Jenna Reid, Fiddlers' Bid, and the late Tom Anderson and Peerie Willie Johnson. Thomas Fraser was a country musician who never released a commercial recording during his life, but whose work has become popular more than 20 years after his death in 1978.[186]

The annual Shetland Folk Festival began in 1981 and is hosted on the first weekend of May.[187]

Writers edit

Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate is set in "a remote part of Shetland", and was inspired by his 1814 visit to the islands. The name Jarlshof meaning "Earl's Mansion" is a coinage of his.[188] Robert Cowie, a doctor born in Lerwick published the 1874 work entitled Shetland: Descriptive and Historical; Being a Graduation Thesis on the Inhabitants of the Shetland Islands; and a Topographical Description of the Country. Menzies. 1874.

Hugh MacDiarmid, the Scots poet and writer, lived in Whalsay from the mid-1930s through 1942, and wrote many poems there, including a number that directly address or reflect the Shetland environment, such as "On A Raised Beach", which was inspired by a visit to West Linga.[189] The 1975 novel North Star by Hammond Innes is largely set in Shetland and Raman Mundair's 2007 book of poetry A Choreographer's Cartography offers a British Asian perspective on the landscape.[190] The Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves, who previously lived in Fair Isle, is a series of crime novels set around the islands.[191] In 2013, her novel Red Bones became the basis of BBC crime drama television series Shetland.[192]

Vagaland, who grew up in Walls, was arguably Shetland's finest poet of the 20th century.[193] Haldane Burgess was a Shetland historian, poet, novelist, violinist, linguist and socialist, and Rhoda Bulter (1929–1994) is one of the best-known Shetland poets of recent times. Other 20th- and 21st-century poets and novelists include Christine De Luca, Robert Alan Jamieson who grew up in Sandness, the late Lollie Graham of Veensgarth, Stella Sutherland of Bressay,[194] the late William J. Tait from Yell[195] and Laureen Johnson.[196]

There is one monthly magazine in production: Shetland.[197] The quarterly The New Shetlander, founded in 1947, is said to be Scotland's longest-running literary magazine.[198] For much of the later 20th century, it was the major vehicle for the work of local writers — and of others, including early work by George Mackay Brown.[199]

Films and television edit

Michael Powell made The Edge of the World in 1937, a dramatisation based on the true story of the evacuation of the last 36 inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda on 29 August 1930. St Kilda lies in the Atlantic Ocean, 64 km (40 mi) west of the Outer Hebrides but Powell was unable to get permission to film there. Undaunted, he made the film over four months during the summer of 1936 in Foula and the film transposes these events to Shetland. Forty years later, the documentary Return to the Edge of the World was filmed, capturing a reunion of cast and crew of the film as they revisited the island in 1978.

A number of other films have been made on or about Shetland including A Crofter's Life in Shetland (1932),[200] A Shetland Lyric (1934),[201] Devil's Gate (2003) and It's Nice Up North (2006), a comedy documentary by Graham Fellows. The Screenplay film festival takes place annually in Mareel, a cinema, music and education venue.

The BBC One television series Shetland, a crime drama, is set in the islands and is based on the book series by Ann Cleeves. The programme is filmed partly in Shetland and partly on the Scottish mainland.[202][203]

Wildlife edit

 
Shetland mouse-ear (Cerastium nigrescens), on the Keen of Hamar reserve, Unst.

Shetland has three national nature reserves, at the seabird colonies of Hermaness and Noss, and at Keen of Hamar to preserve the serpentine flora. There are a further 81 SSSIs, which cover 66% or more of the land surfaces of Fair Isle, Papa Stour, Fetlar, Noss, and Foula. Mainland has 45 separate sites.[204]

Flora edit

The landscape in Shetland is marked by the grazing of sheep and the harsh conditions have limited the total number of plant species to about 400. Native trees such as rowan and crab apple are only found in a few isolated places such as cliffs and loch islands. The flora is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, moss and lichen. Spring squill, buck's-horn plantain, Scots lovage, roseroot and sea campion are abundant, especially in sheltered places. Shetland mouse-ear (Cerastium nigrescens) is an endemic flowering plant found only in Shetland. It was first recorded in 1837 by botanist Thomas Edmondston. Although reported from two other sites in the nineteenth century, it currently grows only on two serpentine hills in the island of Unst. The nationally scarce oysterplant is found in several islands and the British Red Listed bryophyte Thamnobryum alopecurum has also been recorded.[205][206][207][208] Listed marine algae include: Polysiphonia fibrillosa (Dillwyn) Sprengel and Polysiphonia atlantica Kapraun and J.Norris, Polysiphonia brodiaei (Dillwyn) Sprengel, Polysiphonia elongata (Hudson) Sprengel, Polysiphonia elongella, Harvey.[209] The Shetland Monkeyflower is unique to Shetland and is a mutation of the Monkeyflower (mimulus guttatus) introduced to Shetland in the 19th century.[210][211]

Fauna edit

 
Atlantic puffin in the Shetland Islands

Shetland has numerous seabird colonies. Birds found in the islands include Atlantic puffin, storm-petrel, red-throated diver, northern gannet and great skua (locally called "bonxie").[212] Numerous rarities have also been recorded including black-browed albatross and snow goose. A single pair of snowy owls bred in Fetlar from 1967 to 1975.[212][213][214] The Shetland wren, Fair Isle wren, and Shetland starling are subspecies endemic to Shetland.[215][216] There are also populations of various moorland birds such as curlew, lapwing, snipe and golden plover.[217]

One of the early ornithologists that wrote about the wealth of birdlife in Shetland was Edmund Selous (1857–1934) in his book The Bird Watcher in the Shetlands (1905).[218] He wrote extensively about the gulls and terns, about the arctic skuas, the black guillemots and many other birds (and the seals) of the islands.

The geographical isolation and recent glacial history of Shetland have resulted in a depleted mammalian fauna and the brown rat and house mouse are two of only three species of rodent present in the islands. The Shetland field mouse is the third and the archipelago's fourth endemic subspecies, of which there are three varieties in Yell, Foula, and Fair Isle.[216] They are variants of Apodemus sylvaticus and archaeological evidence suggests that this species was present during the Middle Iron Age (around 200 BC to 400 CE). It is possible that Apodemus was introduced from Orkney where a population has existed since at the least the Bronze Age.[219]

Domesticated animals edit

 
Shetland ponies
Main article: Shetland animal breeds
See also: List of domesticated Scottish breeds

There is a variety of indigenous breeds, of which the diminutive Shetland pony is probably the best known, as well as being an important part of the Shetland farming tradition. The first written record of the pony was in 1603 in the Court Books of Shetland and, for its size, it is the strongest of all the horse breeds.[220][221] Others are the Shetland Sheepdog or "Sheltie", the endangered Shetland cattle[222] and Shetland goose[223][224] and the Shetland sheep which is believed to have originated prior to 1000 AD.[225] The Grice was a breed of semi-domesticated pig that had a habit of attacking lambs. It became extinct sometime between the middle of the nineteenth century and the 1930s.[226]

See also edit

Lists edit

About Shetland edit

Others edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Shetland, unlike the rest of Scotland, has "no tradition of Gaelic".[1]
  2. ^ Watson (1926) is sure that Tacitus was referring to Shetland, although David Breeze (2002) is more sceptical. The name Thule was mentioned by Pytheas of Massilia when he described visiting Britain sometime between 322 and 285 BC, but it is unlikely he was referring to Shetland, because he also wrote that he believed Thule was a six-day sail north of Britain and a one-day sail from "the frozen sea".[11][12]
  3. ^ As with all western dialects of Norse, the stressed a shifts to e and so the ja became je as with Norse hjalpa which became hjelpa. Then the pronunciation changed through a process of reverse lenition of the initial /hj/ to /ʃ/. This is also found in some Norwegian dialects, for example in the word hjå ("with") and the place names Hjerkinn and Sjoa (meaning from *Hjó). Lastly, the l before the t disappeared.[10]
  4. ^ Shetland Islands Council state there are 15 inhabited islands, and count East and West Burra, which are joined by a bridge, as a single unit. Out Skerries has two inhabited islands: Housay and Bruray.[2]
  5. ^ The Scord of Brouster site includes a cluster of six or seven walled fields and three stone circular houses that contains the earliest hoe-blades found so far in Scotland.[54]
  6. ^ Some scholars believe that this story, which appears in the Orkneyinga Saga is apocryphal and based on the later voyages of Magnus Barelegs.[65]
  7. ^ Apparently without the knowledge of the Norwegian Rigsraadet (Council of the Realm), Christian pawned Orkney for 50,000 Rhenish guilders. On 28 May 1470, he also pawned Shetland for 8,000 Rhenish guilders.[77] He had secured a clause in the contract which gave future kings of Norway the right to redeem the islands for a fixed sum of 210 kg of gold or 2,310 kg of silver. Several attempts were made during the 17th and 18th centuries to redeem the islands, without success.[78]
  8. ^ When Norway became independent again in 1906, the Shetland authorities sent a letter to King Haakon VII in which they stated: "Today no 'foreign' flag is more familiar or more welcome in our voes and havens than that of Norway, and Shetlanders continue to look upon Norway as their mother-land, and recall with pride and affection the time when their forefathers were under the rule of the Kings of Norway".[69]
  9. ^ No other part of the United Kingdom has any such oil-related fund. By comparison, as of 31 December 2010, the total value of the Government Pension Fund of Norway was NOK 3 077 billion (US$525 billion),[110] i.e., circa £68,000 per head.
  10. ^ The flag is the same design Icelandic republicans used in the early 20th century known in Iceland as Hvítbláinn, the "white-blue".[173]

References edit

  1. ^ "Forcing Gaelic on our schools is wrong, says MSP". The Shetland Times. 2 February 2016. from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Shetland Islands Council (2012) p. 4
  3. ^ a b . National Records of Scotland. April 2020. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  4. ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 406
  5. ^ Jennings, Stephen (9 April 2021). "In Depth – The Fate of the Picts in the Northern Isles". archaeologyshetland. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  6. ^ "On this day 1472: Orkney and Shetland join Scotland". www.scotsman.com. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Shepherd, Mike (2015). Oil Strike North Sea: A first-hand history of North Sea oil. Luath Press.
  8. ^ "Shetland Place Names | Shetland Heritage". www.shetland-heritage.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  9. ^ Hjaltland – Shetland – ‘yet, land!” – 1871 27 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Jakobsen, Jakob, fetlaraerial.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015
  10. ^ a b "Placenames with -a, hjalt, Leirvik"[permanent dead link]. Norwegian Language Council. (Norwegian). Retrieved 26 March 2011. Archived version
  11. ^ Breeze, David J. "The ancient geography of Scotland" in Smith and Banks (2002) pp. 11–13
  12. ^ Watson (1994) p. 7
  13. ^ Watson (1994) p. 30
  14. ^ Diplomatarium Norvegicum. p.2 [1190] Dilectissimis amicis suis et hominibus Haraldus Orcardensis, Hetlandensis et Catanesie comes salutem. archive.org
  15. ^ Gammeltoft (2010) p. 21-22
  16. ^ Sandnes (2010) p. 9
  17. ^ Jones (1997) p. 210
  18. ^ "Zetland County Council" 24 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia.com. Retrieved 16 July 2009
  19. ^ Gammeltoft (2010) p. 19
  20. ^ "Visit Shetland" 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Visit.Shetland.org Retrieved 25 December 2010
  21. ^ a b Shetland Islands Council (2010) p. 10
  22. ^ Hansom, J.D. (2003) "St Ninian's Tombolo". 23 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) Coastal Geomorphology of Great Britain. Geological Conservation Review. Retrieved 13 March 2011
  23. ^ "Get-a-map" 22 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Ordnance Survey, Retrieved 7 March 2011
  24. ^ Fojut, Noel (1981) "Is Mousa a broch?" Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. 111 pp. 220–228
  25. ^ "Skaw (Unst)" 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Shetlopedia, Retrieved 13 March 2011
  26. ^ Gillen (2003) pp. 90–91
  27. ^ Keay & Keay (1994) p. 867
  28. ^ Smith, David "Tsunami hazards" 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Fettes.com, Retrieved 7 March 2011
  29. ^ Schei (2006) pp. 103–04
  30. ^ Mellor 2020, pp. 5–6.
  31. ^ Mellor 2020, p. 184.
  32. ^ "Shetland National Scenic Area". NatureScot. from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  33. ^ . SNH. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  34. ^ Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 section 17; "Ban on putting Shetland in a box on maps comes into force". BBC News. 4 October 2018. from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  35. ^ Kent, Alexander. "Remapping the Shetland Isles". canterbury.ac.uk. Canterbury Christ Church University. from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  36. ^ Kent, Alexander (18 October 2018). "Maps > Representation". The Cartographic Journal. 55 (3): 203–204. Bibcode:2018CartJ..55..203K. doi:10.1080/00087041.2018.1527980.
  37. ^ a b "Shetland, Scotland Climate" 18 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine climatetemp.info, Retrieved 6 January 2018
  38. ^ "MWR_1910 | Met Office UA". digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk. from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  39. ^ a b Shetland Islands Council (2005), pp. 5–9
  40. ^ "Northern Scotland: climate" 7 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Met office, Retrieved 6 January 2018
  41. ^ "The Climate of Shetland" 8 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Visit Shetland, Retrieved 11 May 2012
  42. ^ "Lerwick climate information". Met Office. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  43. ^ "Lerwick (S. Screen) (Shetland Islands) UK climate averages". Met Office. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  44. ^ "Lerwick 1961-1990". NOAA. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  45. ^ . KNMI. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  46. ^ Shetland Islands Council. "Shetland Main Issues Report 2020". p. 17. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  47. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  48. ^ "2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part Two)" (PDF). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Scotland's Census 2001 Statistics for Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  50. ^ a b " Jarlshof & Scatness" 10 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine shetland-heritage.co.uk, Retrieved 2 August 2008
  51. ^ Turner (1998), p. 18
  52. ^ Melton, Nigel D., "West Voe: A Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition Site in Shetland" in Noble et al (2008), pp. 23, 33
  53. ^ Melton, N. D. & Nicholson R. A. (March 2004) "The Mesolithic in the Northern Isles: the preliminary evaluation of an oyster midden at West Voe, Sumburgh, Shetland, U.K." 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Antiquity 78 No 299
  54. ^ Fleming (2005) p. 47, quoting Clarke, P.A. (1995) Observations of Social Change in Prehistoric Orkney and Shetland based on a Study of the Types and Context of Coarse Stone Artefacts, M. Litt. thesis, University of Glasgow
  55. ^ a b Schei (2006) p. 10
  56. ^ Nicolson (1972) pp. 33–35
  57. ^ Kirk, William "Prehistoric Scotland: The Regional Dimension" in Clapperton (1983) p. 106
  58. ^ Armit (2003) pp. 24–26
  59. ^ Hunter (2000) pp. 44, 49
  60. ^ "From Chatham to Chester and Lincoln to the Lake District — 38 UK places put themselves forward for World Heritage status" 13 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine (7 July 2010) Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Retrieved 7 March 2011
  61. ^ "Sites make Unesco world heritage status bid shortlist" 1 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine (22 March 2011) BBC Scotland. Retrieved 22 March 2011
  62. ^ Graham-Campbell (1999) p. 38
  63. ^ Schei (2006) pp. 11–12
  64. ^ Gilbert, E et al (2019) "The genetic landscape of Scotland and the Isles" 3 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 11 September 2020
  65. ^ Thomson (2008) p. 24-27
  66. ^ Thomson (2008) p. 24
  67. ^ Thomson (2008) p. 69 quoting the Orkneyinga Saga chapter 12.
  68. ^ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 64
  69. ^ a b c Schei (2006) p. 13
  70. ^ Nicolson (1972) p. 43
  71. ^ Hunter (2000) pp. 106–111
  72. ^ Barrett (2008) p. 411
  73. ^ "Agreement between Magnus IV and Alexander III, 1266" 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Manx Society IV, VII & IX, isleofman.com, Retrieved 23 March 2011
  74. ^ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) pp. 72–73
  75. ^ Nicolson (1972) p. 44
  76. ^ "Håkon 6 Magnusson" 3 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Om Store Norske Leksikon, (Norwegian), Retrieved 19 January 2013
  77. ^ "Diplom fra Shetland datert 24.november 1509" 5 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Bergen University, (Norwegian), Retrieved 13 September 2009
  78. ^ "Norsken som døde" 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Universitas, Norsken som døde, (Norwegian), Retrieved 13 September 2009
  79. ^ Nicolson (1972) p. 45
  80. ^ Thomson (2008) p. 204
  81. ^ Schei (2006) pp. 14–16
  82. ^ Nicolson (1972) pp. 56–57
  83. ^ "History" 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, visit.shetland.org, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  84. ^ "Craigie". electricscotland.com. from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  85. ^ Ursula Smith" 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Shetlopedia, Retrieved 12 October 2008
  86. ^ a b Schei (2006) pp. 16–17, 57
  87. ^ "A History of Shetland" 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Visit.Shetland.org, Retrieved 16 January 2013
  88. ^ Hutton Guthrie, (2009), Old Shetland, Catrine Ayrshire, Stenlake Publishing, ISBN 9781840334555 p. 3
  89. ^ "Annual Statistics". scottishherringhistory.uk. from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  90. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "County Buildings including Lerwick Sheriff Court House and Police Station, boundary walls, gatepiers and railings and excluding 2-storey concrete rendered block to north, Hillhead, Lerwick (LB37263)". Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  91. ^ a b Nicolson (1972) pp. 91, 94–95
  92. ^ a b "The Shetland Bus" 23 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, scotsatwar.org.uk, Retrieved 23 March 2011
  93. ^ "Shetlands-Larsen — Statue/monument" 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Kulturnett Hordaland, (Norwegian), Retrieved 26 March 2011
  94. ^ Tallack, Malachy (2 April 2007) Fair Isle: Independence thinking 23 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, London, New Statesman
  95. ^ a b c (PDF). shetland.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  96. ^ "Economy" 10 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, move.shetland.org, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  97. ^ "Name change and rebrand for our rocket site". Shetland Space Centre. 30 June 2021. from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  98. ^ "German rocket company commits to using Unst space centre". Shetland News. 2 February 2021. from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  99. ^ "Key milestone reached for space centre as full plans are submitted". Shetland News. 18 January 2021. from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  100. ^ "About". Promote Shetland. 1 October 2020. from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  101. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2010) pp. 16–17
  102. ^ "Good times for Shetland's fishing industry". Promote Shetland. 1 October 2020. from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  103. ^ a b "About". Promote Shetland. from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  104. ^ (pdf), BP, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  105. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2010) p. 13
  106. ^ "Shetland's Economy" 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Visit.Shetland.org, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  107. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2005) p. 13
  108. ^ "Public Sector" 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, move.shetland.org, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  109. ^ "Financial Statements 31 March 2011" 22 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland Charitable Trust, Retrieved 8 October 2011
  110. ^ "Fifth Best Year in the Fund's History". Norges Bank Investment Management. 18 March 2011. from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  111. ^ "Powering on with island wind plan" 22 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine, (19 January 2007), BBC News, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  112. ^ "Shetlands storm over giant wind farm" 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, (9 March 2008), London, The Observer, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  113. ^ . Pure Energy Centre. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  114. ^ . Development Trusts Association Scotland. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  115. ^ "Council, SIC moves ahead in developing hydrogen as an alternative fuel". Shetland News. 2 September 2020. from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  116. ^ Stones, Jake (22 December 2020) “Scotland outlines hydrogen policy to 2045” 25 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine. ICIS. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  117. ^ "Scotland Invests in Offshore Wind and Tidal Energy for Green Hydrogen". Maritime Executive. 20 December 2020. from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  118. ^ "Energy hub team keeping close eye on £100m government hydrogen pledge". Shetland News. 23 December 2020. from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  119. ^ "Home" 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Sheep Society, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  120. ^ "Shetland" 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Sheep101.info, Retrieved 1 May 2009
  121. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2005) p. 25
  122. ^ "Crofting FAQS" 23 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Crofting Federation, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  123. ^ "Full Freeview on the Bressay transmitter". 1 May 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  124. ^ "Shetland News | Shetland's internet-only daily newspaper and digest". shetnews.co.uk. from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  125. ^ Shetland News, 28 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 17 March 2011
  126. ^ Hough, Andrew (2 November 2010) "Shetland Islands among best places to visit, says Lonely Planet guide" 22 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, London, The Telegraph, Retrieved 7 April 2011
  127. ^ "Cruise ship tourists set to almost double". 12 March 2018. from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  128. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2010) p. 26
  129. ^ "Delight as Shetland's remarkable rocks recognised with Geopark status". The Shetland Times. 15 September 2009. from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  130. ^ "Discover Shetland: Follow Jimmy Perez's footsteps". Shetland.org. 14 February 2018. from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021. If you are one of the millions of people around the world fascinated by Jimmy Perez and his crime-solving adventures in Ann Cleeves' Shetland – now a major BBC TV series, we think you'll love the real place
  131. ^ "Shetland experiences television tourism boom after blockbuster police thriller". Express. 3 January 2018. from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  132. ^ "Shetland: TV hit starring Douglas Henshall to return for two more series". BBC News. 2 December 2019. from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021. VisitScotland in Shetland last year said the Shetland TV series and books had been an "amazing success" for the islands
  133. ^ "New plans to fire up Shetland tourism". Shetland.org Tourism. 30 December 2020. from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  134. ^ "Shetland enjoys record cruise year with 90,000 passengers". BBC News. 11 October 2018. from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  135. ^ "How Cruise Lines are Preparing for a Post-Pandemic World". Maritime Executive. 30 September 2020. from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  136. ^ "FAQs on travelling to Shetland in winter 2020". Promote Shetland. from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  137. ^ "The Impact of COVID-19 On the Highlands and Islands" (PDF). HIE. 1 September 2021. (PDF) from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  138. ^ "Ferries move to restricted timetable and bookings system". Shetland Islands Council. 31 December 2020. from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  139. ^ "Support for businesses – Island Equivalent Payment". Shetland Islands Council. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021. from 28 December 2020 to 24 January 2021, businesses in Level 3 island areas, including Shetland, can now apply for a payment of £2,000 or £3,000
  140. ^ "Ferries" 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetland.gov.uk, Retrieved 23 May 2011
  141. ^ Shetland Islands Council, (2010), pp. 32, 35
  142. ^ "2011 Timetables" 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine NorthLink Ferries, Retrieved 7 April 2011
  143. ^ "Shetland Isles tunnel plans – Tunnels and Tunnelling International". tunnelsonline.info. from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  144. ^ "Sumburgh Airport" 22 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Highlands and Islands Airports. Retrieved 16 March 2011
  145. ^ , directflight.co.uk, Retrieved 11 May 2012
  146. ^ "UK Airport Statistics: 2005 – Annual" 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine Table 10: EU and Other International Terminal Passenger Comparison with Previous Year, (pdf) CAA, Retrieved 16 March 2011
  147. ^ Shetland Islands Council, (2010), p. 34
  148. ^ Stantec (2022). ZetTrans Regional Transport Strategy - Case for Change Report (PDF). ZetTrans.
  149. ^ Ferguson, David M. (1988). Shipwrecks of Orkney, Shetland and the Pentland Firth. David & Charles. ISBN 9780715390573.
  150. ^ "Lighthouse Library" 3 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Northern Lighthouse Board, Retrieved 8 July 2010
  151. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2010) pp. 51, 54, 56
  152. ^ "Map of Parishes in the Islands of Orkney and Shetland" 25 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine, scotlandsfamily.com, Retrieved 19 July 2013
  153. ^ [1] 1 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Parish of Lerwick (example). The parish areas add up to 1357.1 km² only.
  154. ^ a b "Schools and Education". Promote Shetland. from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  155. ^ . Shetland Islands Council. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  156. ^ "About Us". UHI. 3 November 2020. from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  157. ^ "Spurs crowned senior football champions" 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Shetland Times, (1 October 2012), Retrieved 25 July 2014
  158. ^ a b "Area Profiles". scotlandscensus.gov.uk. Scottish Government. from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  159. ^ Schei (2006) p. 14
  160. ^ "Area 3 Districts" 19 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, methodist.org.uk, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  161. ^ "Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church Profile" 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, (pdf), shetland-communities.org.uk, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  162. ^ "About". Alistair Carmichael. from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  163. ^ "Alistair Carmichael: MP for Orkney and Shetland" 13 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, alistaircarmichael.org.uk, Retrieved 8 September 2009 [full citation needed]
  164. ^ "Candidates and Constituency Assessments" 15 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, alba.org.uk, "The almanac of Scottish elections and politics", Retrieved 9 February 2010
  165. ^ "The Untouchable Orkney & Shetland Isles " (1 October 2009) www.snptacticalvoting.com Retrieved 9 February 2010 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  166. ^ "Tavish Scott MSP" 28 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Parliament, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  167. ^ Fraser, Gemma (4 October 2019). "Lib Dems win Shetland by-election". holyrood.com. from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  168. ^ "About your councillors". Shetland Islands Council. from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  169. ^ Shetland Islands toy with idea of post-Brexit independence 22 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, EurActiv, 16 February 2017
  170. ^ Cope, Chris (10 September 2020). "Self-determination motion a "first small step towards a brighter future"". shetnews.co.uk. Shetland News. from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  171. ^ Cope, Chris (3 February 2021). "New islands forum should not be 'box ticking exercise'". The Shetland News. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  172. ^ Paveley, Rebecca (11 February 2021). "Gove announces Levelling-up forum for islands". Church Times. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  173. ^ a b "Flag of Shetland" 11 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Flags of the World, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  174. ^ Macdougall, Norman (1982). James III: a political study. J. Donald. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-85976-078-2. Retrieved 19 February 2012. What James III had acquired from Earl William in return for this compensation was the comital rights in Orkney and Shetland. He already held a wadset of the royal rights; and to ensure his complete control, he referred the matter to parliament. On 20 February 1472, the three estates approved the annexation of Orkney and Shetland to the crown...
  175. ^ a b Goodacre, S. et al (2005) "Genetic evidence for a family-based Scandinavian settlement of Shetland and Orkney during the Viking periods" 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Heredity 95, pp. 129–135. nature.com, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  176. ^ Julian Richards, Vikingblod, page 236, Hermon Forlag, ISBN 82-3020-016-5
  177. ^ "Welcome to Up Helly Aa" 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, uphellyaa.org, Retrieved 8 December 2013
  178. ^ "Up Helly Aa" 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, visit.shetland.org, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  179. ^ "Member Profile: Shetland Islands" 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, International Island Games Association, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  180. ^ "Food and drink" 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, visit.shetland.org, Retrieved 11 May 2012
  181. ^ "Velkomen!" 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, nornlanguage.110mb.com, Retrieved 8 March 2011
  182. ^ "Culture and Music" 28 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, visit.shetland.org, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  183. ^ "Shetland ForWirds" 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetlanddialect.org.uk, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  184. ^ "Shetland Folk Society" 24 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetlopedia.com, Retrieved 20 March 2011
  185. ^ "The Forty Fiddlers" 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetlopedia.com, Retrieved 8 March 2011
  186. ^ Culshaw, Peter (18 June 2006) "The Tale of Thomas Fraser" 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, Retrieved 8 March 2011
  187. ^ "Shetland Folk Festival". shetlandfolkfestival.com. 21 May 2019. from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  188. ^ "Jarlshof" 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Gazetteer for Scotland, Retrieved 2 August 2008
  189. ^ "Hugh MacDiarmid" 6 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetlopedia.com, Retrieved 8 March 2011
  190. ^ Morgan, Gavin (19 April 2008) "Shetland author wins acclaim", Shetland News, Retrieved 26 March 2011
  191. ^ "Shetland" 18 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, anncleeves.com, Retrieved 8 December 2013
  192. ^ "Shetland" 10 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, Retrieved 8 December 2013
  193. ^ "Vagaland" 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, shetlopedia.com, Retrieved 8 March 2011
  194. ^ "Shetland Writing and Writers: Stella Sutherland" 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland Islands Council, Retrieved 6 January 2014
  195. ^ "William J. (Billy) Tait" 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland For Wirds, Retrieved 6 January 2014
  196. ^ "Shetland Writing and Writers: Laureen Johnson" 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland Islands Council, Retrieved 6 January 2014
  197. ^ "Home" 6 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Millgaet Media, Retrieved 17 March 2011
  198. ^ "The New Shetlander" 12 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Voluntary Action Shetland, Retrieved 8 December 2013
  199. ^ "Life and Work: Part 3", 11 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, George Mackay Brown website, Retrieved 8 December 2013
  200. ^ "A Crofter's Life in Shetland" 21 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine, screenonline.org.uk, Retrieved 12 October 2008
  201. ^ "The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric" 8 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, IMDb, Retrieved 12 October 2008
  202. ^ "Street Closed for Filming Television Crime Series". Shetland Times. 9 April 2015. from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  203. ^ "Scottish actor Douglas Henshall on the perks of filming new BBC crime drama Shetland ... in and around Glasgow". Daily Record. Glasgow. 2 March 2013. from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  204. ^ Shetland Islands Council (2010) p. 52
  205. ^ Scott, W. and Palmer, R. (1987) The Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Shetland Islands. Shetland Times. Lerwick.
  206. ^ Scott, W.; Harvey P.; Riddington R.; and Fisher, M. (2002) Rare Plants of Shetland, Shetland Amenity Trust, Lerwick.
  207. ^ "Flora" 6 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine visit.shetland.org. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  208. ^ Steer, Patrick (1999) "Shetland Biodiversity Audit". Shetland Amenity Trust.
  209. ^ Maggs, C.A. and Hommersand, M.H. 1993. Seaweeds of the British Isles, The Natural History Museum, London, ISBN 0-11-310045-0
  210. ^ Macdonald, Kenneth (16 August 2017). "Scientists discover a new flower of Shetland". BBC News. from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  211. ^ Simón-Porcar, Violeta I.; Silva, Jose L.; Meeus, Sofie; Higgins, James D.; Vallejo-Marín, Mario (October 2017). "Recent autopolyploidization in a naturalized population of Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 185 (2): 189–207. doi:10.1093/botlinnean/box052. hdl:2381/40377.
  212. ^ a b SNH (2008) p. 16
  213. ^ McFarlan, D., ed. (1991). The Guinness Book of Records. Enfield: Guinness Publishing. p. 35.
  214. ^ "Home" 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Nature in Shetland, Retrieved 12 March 2011
  215. ^ Williamson, Kenneth (1951) "The wrens of Fair Isle", Ibis 93(4): pp. 599–601, Retrieved 12 March 2011
  216. ^ a b "Endemic Vertebrates of Shetland" 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Nature in Shetland, Retrieved 12 March 2011
  217. ^ SNH (2008) p. 10
  218. ^ Selous, Edmund (1905). The Bird Watcher in the Shetlands  – via Wikisource.
  219. ^ Nicholson, R.A.; Barber, P.; Bond, J.M. (2005). "New Evidence for the Date of Introduction of the House Mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, Schwartz & Schwartz, and the Field Mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.) to Shetland". Environmental Archaeology. 10 (2): 143–151. Bibcode:2005EnvAr..10..143N. doi:10.1179/env.2005.10.2.143. S2CID 83897428.
  220. ^ "Breed History" 1 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland Pony Studbook Society, Retrieved 11 May 2012
  221. ^ "Shetland Pony" 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Equine World, Retrieved 20 July 2009
  222. ^ "Home" 27 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Shetland Cattle Breeders Association, Retrieved 20 July 2009
  223. ^ "Shetland Geese". feathersite.com. from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  224. ^ "Shetland Goose" 18 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Retrieved 20 July 2009
  225. ^ "Sheep Breeds — S–St" 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Sheep101.info, Retrieved 1 May 2009
  226. ^ "Extinct Island Pig Spotted Again". BBC News Online. 17 November 2006. from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2007.

General references edit

  • Armit, I.; (2003), Towers in the North: The Brochs of Scotland, Stroud, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-1932-3
  • Ballin Smith, B. and Banks, I.; (ed. 2002), In the Shadow of the Brochs, the Iron Age in Scotland, Stroud, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-2517-X
  • Barrett, James H.; "The Norse in Scotland" in Brink, Stefan, (ed. 2008), The Viking World, Abingdon, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-33315-6
  • Clapperton, Chalmers M.; (ed. 1983), Scotland: A New Study, Newton Abbott, David & Charles
  • Gillen, Con; (2003), Geology and landscapes of Scotland, Harpenden, Terra Publishing, ISBN 1-903544-09-2
  • Graham-Campbell, James; (1999), Cultural Atlas of the Viking World, Facts On File, ISBN 0-8160-3004-9
  • Fleming, Andrew; (2005), St. Kilda and the Wider World: Tales of an Iconic Island, Windgather Press, ISBN 1-905119-00-3
  • Gammeltoft, Peder; (2010), "Shetland and Orkney Island-Names – A Dynamic Group 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Northern Lights, Northern Words, Selected Papers from the FRLSU Conference, Kirkwall 2009, edited by Robert McColl Millar
  • General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Scotland's Census 2001 – Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  • Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
  • Hunter, James; (2000), Last of the Free: A History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Edinburgh, Mainstream, ISBN 1-84018-376-4
  • Jones, Charles; (ed. 1997), The Edinburgh history of the Scots language, Edinburgh University Press, ISBN 0-7486-0754-4
  • Keay, J. & Keay, J.; (1994), Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland, London, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-255082-2
  • Mellor, Chris (January 2020). "An illustrated guide to sea stack climbing in the UK & Ireland" (PDF). needlesports. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  • Noble, Gordon; Poller, Tessa & Verrill, Lucy; (2008), Scottish Odysseys: The Archaeology of Islands, Stroud, Tempus, ISBN 978-0-7524-4168-9
  • Omand, Donald; (ed. 2003), The Orkney Book, Edinburgh, Birlinn, ISBN 1-84158-254-9
  • Nicolson, James R.; (1972), Shetland, Newton Abbott, David & Charles
  • Sandnes, Berit; (2003), From Starafjall to Starling Hill: An investigation of the formation and development of Old Norse place-names in Orkney 22 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, (pdf), Doctoral Dissertation, NTU Trondheim
  • Schei, Liv Kjørsvik; (2006), The Shetland Isles, Grantown-on-Spey, Colin Baxter Photography, ISBN 978-1-84107-330-9
  • Scottish Natural Heritage, (2008), The Story of Hermaness National Nature Reserve, Lerwick
  • Shetland Islands Council, (2005), , (pdf), Economic Development Unit, Lerwick, Retrieved 19 March 2011
  • Shetland Islands Council, (2010), "Shetland in Statistics 2010", (pdf), Economic Development Unit, Lerwick, Retrieved 6 March 2011
  • Thomson, William P. L.; (2008), The New History of Orkney, Edinburgh, Birlinn, ISBN 978-1-84158-696-0
  • Turner, Val; (1998), Ancient Shetland, London, B. T. Batsford/Historic Scotland, ISBN 0-7134-8000-9
  • Watson, William J.; (1994), The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland, Edinburgh, Birlinn, ISBN 1-84158-323-5, First published 1926.

Further reading edit

  • McMillan, Ron (2008). Between Weathers: Travels in 21st Century Shetland. Dingwall, Ross-shire: Sandstone Press. ISBN 978-1905207206. OCLC 220008309.
  • Shepherd, Mike (2015). Oil Strike North Sea: A first-hand history of North Sea oil. Luath Press.
  • Withrington, Donald J., ed. (1983). Shetland and the Outside World, 1469–1969. Aberdeen University Studies Series, no. 15. Oxford, United Kingdom: Published for the University of Aberdeen by Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780197141076. OCLC 8195814.

External links edit

 
Look up Shetland Islands in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shetland Islands.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Shetland Islands.
  • Shetland at Curlie
  • Shetland Islands Council
  • www.shetland.org
  • (PDF file) from Highlands and Islands Enterprise
  • Shetlink – Shetland's Online Community
  • National Library of Scotland: Scottish Screen Archive (selection of archive films about Shetland)

May 09, 2024
shetland, other, uses, disambiguation, hjaltland, redirects, here, passenger, ferry, operated, northlink, ferries, hjaltland, also, called, islands, archipelago, scotland, lying, between, orkney, faroe, islands, norway, northernmost, region, united, kingdom, s. For other uses see Shetland disambiguation Hjaltland redirects here For the passenger ferry operated by NorthLink Ferries see MV Hjaltland Shetland also called the Shetland Islands is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney the Faroe Islands and Norway It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom ShetlandScottish Gaelic nameSealtainn Note 1 Pronunciationˈʃalˠ t ɪɲScots nameShetlandOld Norse nameHjaltlandMeaning of name Hiltland Flag Coat of armsLocationShetlandShetland shown within ScotlandOS grid referenceHU4363Coordinates60 20 N 1 20 W 60 333 N 1 333 W 60 333 1 333Physical geographyIsland groupNorthern IslesArea1 466 km2 566 sq mi Highest elevationRonas Hill 450 m 1 480 ft AdministrationSovereign stateUnited KingdomCountryScotlandCouncil areaShetland Islands CouncilDemographicsPopulation22 920 2019 Population density15 km2 39 sq mi Largest settlementLerwick The islands lie about 80 km 50 mi to the northeast of Orkney 170 km 110 mi from mainland Scotland and 220 km 140 mi west of Norway They form part of the border between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east Their total area is 1 466 km2 566 sq mi 2 and the population totalled 22 920 in 2019 3 The islands comprise the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament The local authority the Shetland Islands Council is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland The islands administrative centre largest settlement and only burgh is Lerwick which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708 before which time the capital was Scalloway The archipelago has an oceanic climate complex geology rugged coastline and many low rolling hills The largest island known as the Mainland has an area of 967 km2 373 sq mi 4 and is the fifth largest island in the British Isles It is one of 16 inhabited islands in Shetland Humans have lived in Shetland since the Mesolithic period Picts are known to have been the original inhabitants of the islands before the Norse conquest and subsequent colonisation in the Early Middle Ages 5 During the 10th to 15th centuries the islands formed part of the Kingdom of Norway until they were annexed into the Kingdom of Scotland due to a royal dispute involving the payment of a dowry 6 In 1707 when Scotland and England united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain trade between Shetland and continental Northern Europe decreased The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted Shetland s economy employment and public sector revenues 7 Fishing has always been an important part of the islands economy The local way of life reflects the Norse heritage of the isles including the Up Helly Aa fire festivals and a strong musical tradition especially the traditional fiddle style Almost all place names in the islands have Norse origin 8 The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets who have often written in the distinctive Shetland dialect Numerous areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the local fauna and flora including a number of important seabird nesting sites The Shetland pony and Shetland Sheepdog are two well known Shetland animal breeds Other animals with local breeds include the Shetland sheep cow goose and duck The Shetland pig or grice has been extinct since about 1930 The islands motto which appears on the Council s coat of arms is Med logum skal land byggja By law shall the land be built a The phrase is of Old Norse origin is mentioned in Njals saga and was likely borrowed from provincial Norwegian laws such as the Frostathing Law Contents 1 Etymology 2 Geography and geology 2 1 Climate 3 Settlements 4 Prehistory 5 History 5 1 Scandinavian colonisation 5 2 Increased Scottish interest 5 3 Absorption by Scotland 5 4 18th and 19th centuries 5 5 20th century 6 Economy 6 1 Fishing 6 2 Energy and fossil fuels 6 3 Farming and textiles 6 4 Media 6 5 Tourism 6 5 1 Effect of the COVID 19 pandemic 6 6 Quarries 6 7 Transport 7 Government 8 Education 9 Sport 10 Churches and religion 11 Politics 12 Flag 13 Local culture and the arts 13 1 Language 13 2 Music 13 3 Writers 13 4 Films and television 14 Wildlife 14 1 Flora 14 2 Fauna 14 3 Domesticated animals 15 See also 15 1 Lists 15 2 About Shetland 15 3 Others 16 Notes 17 References 17 1 General references 18 Further reading 19 External linksEtymology edit nbsp Detailed map of Shetland The name Shetland may derive from the Old Norse words hjalt hilt and land land Another possibility is that the first syllable is derived from the name of an ancient Celtic tribe 9 10 In 43 CE the Roman author Pomponius Mela made reference in his writing to seven islands he called the Haemodae In 77 CE Pliny the Elder called these same islands the Acmodae Scholars have inferred that both of these references are to islands in the Shetland group Another possible early written reference to the islands is Tacitus report in Agricola in 98 CE After he described the Roman discovery and conquest of Orkney he added that the Roman fleet had seen Thule too Note 2 In early Irish literature Shetland is referred to as Insi Catt the Isles of Cats meaning the island inhabited by the tribe called Cat This may have been the pre Norse inhabitants name for the islands Cat was the name of a Pictish people who occupied parts of the northern Scottish mainland see Kingdom of Cat and their name survives in the names of the county of Caithness and in the Scottish Gaelic name for Sutherland Cataibh which means among the Cats 13 The oldest known version of the modern name Shetland is Hetland this may represent Catland the Germanic language softening the C to H according to Grimm s law It occurs in a letter written by Harald earl of Orkney Shetland and Caithness in ca 1190 14 By 1431 the islands were being referred to as Hetland after various intermediate transformations It is possible that the Pictish cat sound contributed to this Norse name In the 16th century Shetland was referred to as Hjaltland 15 16 Note 3 Gradually the Scandinavian Norn language previously spoken by the inhabitants of the islands was replaced by the Shetland dialect of Scots and Hjaltland became Ȝetland The initial letter is the Middle Scots letter yogh the pronunciation of which is almost identical to the original Norn sound hj When the use of the letter yogh was discontinued it was often replaced by the similar looking letter z which at the time was usually rendered with a curled tail ʒ hence Zetland the form used in the name of the pre 1975 county council 17 18 This is the source of the ZE postcode used for Shetland Most of the individual islands have Norse names although the derivations of some are obscure and may represent pre Norse Pictish or even pre Celtic names or elements 19 Geography and geology editMain article List of Shetland islands nbsp Lerwick is Shetland s largest settlement nbsp Mainland Shetland nbsp Unst Shetland is around 170 km 106 mi north of Great Britain and 230 km 143 mi west of Bergen Norway It covers an area of 1 468 km2 567 sq mi and has a coastline 2 702 km 1 679 mi long 2 Lerwick the capital and largest settlement has a population of 6 958 and about half of the archipelago s total population of 22 920 people 3 live within 16 km 10 mi of the town 20 Scalloway on the west coast which was the capital until 1708 has a population of fewer than 1 000 people 21 Only 16 of about 100 islands are inhabited The main island of the group is known as Mainland The next largest are Yell Unst and Fetlar which lie to the north and Bressay and Whalsay which lie to the east East and West Burra Muckle Roe Papa Stour Trondra and Vaila are smaller islands to the west of Mainland The other inhabited islands are Foula 28 km 17 mi west of Walls Fair Isle 38 km 24 mi south west of Sumburgh Head and the Out Skerries to the east Note 4 The uninhabited islands include Mousa known for the Broch of Mousa the finest preserved example of an Iron Age broch Noss to the east of Bressay which has been a national nature reserve since 1955 St Ninian s Isle connected to Mainland by the largest active tombolo in the United Kingdom and Out Stack the northernmost point of the British Isles 22 23 24 Shetland s location means that it provides a number of such records Muness is the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom and Skaw the most northerly settlement 25 nbsp Shetland geological map The geology of Shetland is complex with numerous faults and fold axes These islands are the northern outpost of the Caledonian orogeny and there are outcrops of Lewisian Dalradian and Moine metamorphic rocks with histories similar to their equivalents on the Scottish mainland There are also Old Red Sandstone deposits and granite intrusions The most distinctive feature is the ophiolite in Unst and Fetlar which is a remnant of the Iapetus Ocean floor made up of ultrabasic peridotite and gabbro 26 Much of Shetland s economy depends on the oil bearing sediments in the surrounding seas 27 Geological evidence shows that in around 6100 BC a tsunami caused by the Storegga Slide hit Shetland as well as the west coast of Norway and may have created a wave of up to 25 m 82 ft high in the voes where modern populations are highest 28 The highest point of Shetland is Ronas Hill at 450 m 1 480 ft The Pleistocene glaciations entirely covered the islands During that period the Stanes of Stofast a 2000 tonne glacial erratic came to rest on a prominent hilltop in Lunnasting 29 It has been estiimated that there are about 275 sea stacks in Scotland of which circa 110 are located around the coasts of Shetland For many of them there is no record of there having been any attempt by rock climbers to ascend them 30 31 Shetland has a national scenic area which unusually includes a number of discrete locations Fair Isle Foula South West Mainland including the Scalloway Islands Muckle Roe Esha Ness Fethaland and Herma Ness 32 The total area covered by the designation is 41 833 ha of which 26 347 ha is marine i e below low tide 33 In October 2018 legislation came into force in Scotland to prevent public bodies without good reason showing Shetland in a separate box in maps as had often been the practice The legislation requires the islands to be displayed in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland so as make clear the islands real distance from other areas 34 35 36 Climate edit nbsp Aurora in Scatness Shetland has an oceanic temperate maritime climate Koppen Cfb bordering on but very slightly above average in summer temperatures the subpolar variety with long but cool winters and short warm summers The climate all year round is moderate owing to the influence of the surrounding seas with average night time low temperatures a little above 1 C 34 F in January and February and average daytime high temperatures of near 14 C 57 F in July and August 37 The highest temperature on record was 27 8 C 82 0 F on 6 August 1910 at Sumburgh Head 38 and the lowest 8 9 C 16 0 F in the Januaries of 1952 and 1959 39 The frost free period may be as little as three months 40 In contrast inland areas of nearby Scandinavia on similar latitudes experience significantly larger temperature differences between summer and winter with the average highs of regular July days comparable to Lerwick s all time record heat that is around 23 C 73 F further demonstrating the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean In contrast winters are considerably milder than those expected in nearby continental areas even comparable to winter temperatures of many parts of England and Wales much further south The general character of the climate is windy and cloudy with at least 2 mm 0 08 in of rain falling on more than 250 days a year Average yearly precipitation is 1 003 mm 39 5 in with November and December the wettest months Snowfall is usually confined to the period November to February and snow seldom lies on the ground for more than a day Less rain falls from April to August although no month receives less than 50 mm 2 0 in Fog is common during summer due to the cooling effect of the sea on mild southerly airflows 37 39 Because of the islands latitude on clear winter nights the northern lights can sometimes be seen in the sky while in summer there is almost perpetual daylight a state of affairs known locally as the simmer dim 41 Annual bright sunshine averages 1110 hours and overcast days are common 42 Climate data for Shetland Isles S Screen b elevation 82 m 269 ft 1991 2020 normals extremes 1930 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high C F 12 8 55 0 11 7 53 1 13 3 55 9 16 1 61 0 20 7 69 3 22 2 72 0 23 4 74 1 22 1 71 8 19 4 66 9 17 2 63 0 13 9 57 0 12 6 54 7 23 4 74 1 Mean daily maximum C F 6 1 43 0 5 8 42 4 6 7 44 1 8 3 46 9 10 6 51 1 12 6 54 7 14 4 57 9 14 7 58 5 13 0 55 4 10 4 50 7 8 1 46 6 6 6 43 9 9 8 49 6 Daily mean C F 4 1 39 4 3 8 38 8 4 6 40 3 6 1 43 0 8 1 46 6 10 3 50 5 12 2 54 0 12 6 54 7 11 1 52 0 8 5 47 3 6 2 43 2 4 5 40 1 7 7 45 9 Mean daily minimum C F 2 2 36 0 1 8 35 2 2 4 36 3 3 8 38 8 5 6 42 1 8 1 46 6 10 1 50 2 10 5 50 9 9 1 48 4 6 6 43 9 4 3 39 7 2 5 36 5 5 3 41 5 Record low C F 8 9 16 0 7 4 18 7 8 3 17 1 5 7 21 7 2 2 28 0 0 6 30 9 3 5 38 3 2 8 37 0 0 6 30 9 3 3 26 1 5 7 21 7 8 2 17 2 8 9 16 0 Average precipitation mm inches 150 4 5 92 122 7 4 83 109 2 4 30 67 8 2 67 56 9 2 24 59 8 2 35 67 7 2 67 88 6 3 49 105 8 4 17 130 6 5 14 143 2 5 64 149 7 5 89 1 252 3 49 30 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 22 0 19 2 19 3 14 7 11 7 11 5 12 1 13 1 16 1 20 3 21 5 22 6 204 1 Average snowy days 10 9 9 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 8 48 Average relative humidity 87 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 90 89 87 87 89 Mean monthly sunshine hours 27 4 57 6 97 7 141 2 191 9 147 7 128 6 132 4 99 5 75 1 38 3 20 6 1 158 Source 1 Met Office 43 NOAA relative humidity and snow days 1961 1990 44 Source 2 KNMI 45 The motto is given on the arms in all uppercase but the eth in Med is rendered using the Czech letter D rather than D which is the regular uppercase form of eth Weather station is located 1 7 miles 2 7 km from the Lerwick port centre Settlements edit nbsp nbsp Lerwick nbsp Scalloway nbsp Brae nbsp Sandwick nbsp Aith nbsp Mid Yell nbsp Baltasound nbsp SymbisterOrkney class notpageimage The largest settlements in the Shetland The main Tier 1 settlements 46 i e locality areas having the greatest population and or service provision facilities are Settlement Population mid 2020 est 47 Lerwick 6 760 Scalloway 1 170 Brae 750 Sandwick lt 500 a Aith lt 500 a Mid Yell lt 500 a Baltasound lt 500 a Symbister lt 500 a a b c d e Not listed in mid 2020 census indicating a population of less than 500 List of islands by largest population Island Population 48 49 1991 2001 2011 Shetland Mainland 17 562 17 550 18 765 Whalsay 1 041 1 034 1 061 Yell 1 075 957 966 West Burra 817 753 776 Unst 1 055 720 632 Bressay 352 384 368 Trondra 117 133 135 Muckle Roe 115 104 130 East Burra 72 66 76 Fair Isle 67 69 68Prehistory editMain article Prehistoric Shetland nbsp The preserved ruins of a wheelhouse and broch at Jarlshof described as one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles 50 Due to the practice dating to at least the early Neolithic of building in stone on virtually treeless islands Shetland is extremely rich in physical remains of the prehistoric eras and there are over 5 000 archaeological sites all told 51 A midden site at West Voe on the south coast of Mainland dated to 4320 4030 BC has provided the first evidence of Mesolithic human activity in Shetland 52 53 The same site provides dates for early Neolithic activity and finds at Scord of Brouster in Walls have been dated to 3400 BC Note 5 Shetland knives are stone tools that date from this period made from felsite from Northmavine 55 Pottery shards found at the important site of Jarlshof also indicate that there was Neolithic activity there although the main settlement dates from the Bronze Age 56 This includes a smithy a cluster of wheelhouses and a later broch The site has provided evidence of habitation during various phases right up until Viking times 50 57 Heel shaped cairns are a style of chambered cairn unique to Shetland with a particularly large example in Vementry 55 Numerous brochs were erected during the Iron Age In addition to Mousa there are significant ruins at Clickimin Culswick Old Scatness and West Burrafirth although their origin and purpose is a matter of some controversy 58 The later Iron Age inhabitants of the Northern Isles were probably Pictish although the historical record is sparse Hunter 2000 states in relation to King Bridei I of the Picts in the sixth century AD As for Shetland Orkney Skye and the Western Isles their inhabitants most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence 59 In 2011 the collective site The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland including Broch of Mousa Old Scatness and Jarlshof joined the UKs Tentative List of World Heritage Sites 60 61 History editMain article History of Shetland Scandinavian colonisation edit nbsp Shetland boxed in relation to surrounding territories including Norway to the east the Faroe Islands to the north west and Orkney and the rest of the British Isles to the south west nbsp 14th century Flateyjarbok image of Harald Fairhair right with fair hair who took control of Hjaltland c 875 The expanding population of Scandinavia led to a shortage of available resources and arable land there and led to a period of Viking expansion so the Norse gradually shifted their attention from plundering to invasion 62 Shetland was colonised during the late 8th and 9th centuries 63 the fate of the existing indigenous Pictish population being uncertain Modern Shetlanders still retain the Norse DNA with many family trees showing the Norse patronymic system sson son dottir daughter Modern DNA studies such as the Viking Health Study are severely flawed as they only account for a tiny fraction of the population 64 Vikings then used the islands as a base for pirate expeditions to Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland In response Norwegian king Harald Harfagre Harald Fair Hair annexed the Northern Isles comprising Orkney and Shetland in 875 Note 6 Rognvald Eysteinsson received Orkney and Shetland as an earldom from Harald as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd the Mighty 66 The islands converted to Christianity in the late 10th century King Olaf I Tryggvasson summoned the jarl Sigurd the Stout during a visit to Orkney and said I order you and all your subjects to be baptised If you refuse I ll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel Unsurprisingly Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke 67 Unusually from c 1100 onwards the Norse jarls owed allegiance both to Norway and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as Earls of Caithness 68 In 1194 when Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Shetland a rebellion broke out against King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway The Eyjarskeggjar Island Beardies sailed for Norway but were beaten in the Battle of Florvag near Bergen After his victory King Sverre placed Shetland under direct Norwegian rule a state of affairs that continued for nearly two centuries 69 70 Increased Scottish interest edit From the mid 13th century onwards Scottish monarchs increasingly sought to take control of the islands surrounding their seas The process was begun in earnest by Alexander II and was continued by his successor Alexander III This strategy eventually led to an invasion of Scotland by Haakon IV Haakonsson King of Norway His fleet assembled in Bressay Sound before sailing for Scotland After the stalemate of the Battle of Largs Haakon retreated to Orkney where he died in December 1263 entertained on his deathbed by recitations of the sagas His death halted any further Norwegian expansion in Scotland and following this ill fated expedition the Hebrides and Mann were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth although the Scots recognised continuing Norwegian sovereignty over Orkney and Shetland 71 72 73 Absorption by Scotland edit nbsp James III and Margaret of Denmark whose betrothal led to Shetland passing from Norway to Scotland In the 14th century Orkney and Shetland remained a Norwegian possession but Scottish influence was growing Jon Haraldsson who was murdered in Thurso in 1231 was the last of an unbroken line of Norse jarls 74 and thereafter the earls were Scots noblemen of the houses of Angus and St Clair 75 On the death of Haakon VI in 1380 76 Norway formed a political union with Denmark after which the interest of the royal house in the islands declined 69 In 1469 Shetland was pledged by Christian I in his capacity as King of Norway as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret betrothed to James III of Scotland As the money was never paid the connection with the Crown of Scotland became permanent Note 7 In 1470 William Sinclair 1st Earl of Caithness ceded his title to James III and the following year the Northern Isles were directly absorbed by the Crown of Scotland 79 an action confirmed by the Parliament of Scotland in 1472 80 Nonetheless Shetland s connection with Norway has proved to be enduring Note 8 From the early 15th century onward Shetlanders sold their goods through the Hanseatic League of German merchantmen The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted fish wool and butter and import salt cloth beer and other goods The late 16th century and early 17th century were dominated by the influence of the despotic Robert Stewart Earl of Orkney who was granted the islands by his half sister Mary Queen of Scots and his son Patrick The latter commenced the building of Scalloway Castle but after his imprisonment in 1609 the Crown annexed Orkney and Shetland again until 1643 when Charles I granted them to William Douglas 7th Earl of Morton These rights were held on and off by the Mortons until 1766 when they were sold by James Douglas 14th Earl of Morton to Laurence Dundas 81 82 18th and 19th centuries edit nbsp County Buildings in Lerwick the former headquarters of Zetland County Council The trade with the North German towns lasted until the Act of Union 1707 when high salt duties prevented the German merchants from trading with Shetland Shetland then went into an economic depression as the local traders were not as skilled in trading salted fish However some local merchant lairds took up where the German merchants had left off and fitted out their own ships to export fish from Shetland to the Continent For the independent farmers of Shetland this had negative consequences as they now had to fish for these merchant lairds 83 Smallpox afflicted the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries as it did all of Europe but as vaccines became available after 1800 health improved The islands were very badly hit by the potato famine of 1846 and the government introduced a Relief Plan for the islands under the command of Captain Robert Craigie of the Royal Navy who stayed in Lerwick to oversee the project 1847 1852 During this period Craigie also did much to improve and increase roads in the islands 84 Population increased to a maximum of 31 670 in 1861 However British rule came at a price for many ordinary people as well as traders The Shetlanders nautical skills were sought by the Royal Navy Some 3 000 served during the Napoleonic wars from 1800 to 1815 and press gangs were rife During this period 120 men were taken from Fetlar alone and only 20 of them returned home By the late 19th century 90 of all Shetland was owned by just 32 people and between 1861 and 1881 more than 8 000 Shetlanders emigrated 85 86 With the passing of the Crofters Holdings Scotland Act 1886 the Liberal prime minister William Gladstone emancipated crofters from the rule of the landlords The Act enabled those who had effectively been landowners serfs to become owner occupiers of their own small farms 87 By this time fishermen from Holland who had traditionally gathered each year off the coast of Shetland to fish for herring triggered an industry in the islands that boomed from around 1880 until the 1920s when stocks of the fish began to dwindle 88 The production peaked in 1905 at more than a million barrels of which 708 000 were exported 89 The Local Government Scotland Act 1889 established a uniform system of county councils in Scotland and realigned the boundaries of many of Scotland s counties Zetland County Council which was created in 1890 was established at County Buildings in Lerwick 90 20th century edit nbsp Full rigged ship Maella of Oslo in Bressay Sound around 1922 During World War I many Shetlanders served in the Gordon Highlanders a further 3 000 served in the Merchant Navy and more than 1 500 in a special local naval reserve The 10th Cruiser Squadron was stationed at Swarbacks Minn the stretch of water to the south of Muckle Roe and during a single year from March 1917 more than 4 500 ships sailed from Lerwick as part of an escorted convoy system In total Shetland lost more than 500 men a higher proportion than any other part of Britain and there were further waves of emigration in the 1920s and 1930s 86 91 nbsp Leif Shetland Larsen Norwegian leader of the Shetland Bus operations in World War II the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war 92 During World War II a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the Shetland Bus was established by the Special Operations Executive in the autumn of 1940 with a base first at Lunna and later in Scalloway to conduct operations around the coast of Norway About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered and the Shetland Bus conducted covert operations carrying intelligence agents refugees instructors for the resistance and military supplies It made over 200 trips across the sea and Leif Larsen the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war made 52 of them 92 93 Several RAF airfields and sites were also established at Sullom Voe and several lighthouses suffered enemy air attacks 91 Oil reserves discovered in the later 20th century in the seas both east and west of Shetland have provided a much needed alternative source of income for the islands 7 The East Shetland Basin is one of Europe s prolific petroleum provinces As a result of the oil revenue and the cultural links with Norway a small Home Rule movement developed briefly to recast the constitutional position of Shetland It saw as its models the Isle of Man as well as Shetland s closest neighbour the Faroe Islands an autonomous dependency of Denmark 94 The population stood at 17 814 in 1961 95 Economy editToday the main revenue producers in Shetland are agriculture aquaculture fishing renewable energy the petroleum industry crude oil and natural gas production the creative industries and tourism 96 Unst also has a rocket launch site called SaxaVord Spaceport previously known as Shetland Space Centre 97 A February 2021 news item indicated that a rocket manufacturer from Germany HyImpulse Technologies planned to launch spacecraft powered by hydrogen from the Spaceport starting in 2023 98 During the previous month the Space Centre had filed plans with Council for a satellite launch facility and associated infrastructure 99 As of February 2021 information on the Promote Shetland Web site indicated that Shetland is less reliant on tourism than many Scottish islands and that oil was an important sector of the economy The process of gradually transitioning from oil to clean renewable energy production of clean hydrogen was also emphasized Fishing remained the primary sector and was expected to grow 100 Fishing edit nbsp Atlantic Mackerel Fishing is central to the islands economy today with the total catch being 75 767 t 83 519 tons in 2009 valued at over 73 2 million Atlantic mackerel makes up more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value and there are significant landings of haddock cod herring whiting monkfish and shellfish 101 A report published in October 2020 was optimistic about the future of this sector in With new fish markets in Lerwick and Scalloway and plans to expand its aquaculture offerings in Yell Shetland is preparing for more growth in its biggest industry 102 As of February 2021 the Promote Shetland Web site stated that more fish is landed in Shetland than in England Wales and Northern Ireland combined that Shetland harvests 40 000 tonnes of salmon a year worth 180 million and that 6 500 tonnes of mussels are grown in Shetland more than 80 per cent of the total Scottish production 103 Energy and fossil fuels edit nbsp Map of Shetland Oil and gas were first landed in 1978 at Sullom Voe which has subsequently become one of the largest terminals in Europe 7 104 Taxes from the oil have increased public sector spending on social welfare art sport environmental measures and financial development Three quarters of the islands workforce is employed in the service sector 105 106 and the Shetland Islands Council alone accounted for 27 9 of output in 2003 107 108 Shetland s access to oil revenues has funded the Shetland Charitable Trust which in turn funds a wide variety of local programmes The balance of the fund in 2011 was 217 million i e about 9 500 per head 109 Note 9 In January 2007 the Shetland Islands Council signed a partnership agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy for the Viking Wind Farm a 200 turbine wind farm and subsea cable This renewable energy project would produce about 600 megawatts and contribute about 20 million to the Shetland economy per year 111 The plan met with significant opposition within the islands primarily resulting from the anticipated visual impact of the development 112 The PURE project in Unst is a research centre which uses a combination of wind power and fuel cells to create a wind hydrogen system The project is run by the Unst Partnership the local community s development trust 113 114 nbsp Apache Corporation s Beryl alpha oil platform in the East Shetland Basin A status report on hydrogen production in Shetland published in September 2020 stated that Shetland Islands Council SIC had joined a number of organisations and projects to drive forward plans to establish hydrogen as a future energy source for the isles and beyond For example it was a member of the Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association SHFCA The ORION project previously named the Shetland Energy Hub was underway the plan was to create an energy hub that would use clean electricity in the development of new technologies such as blue and green hydrogen generation 115 In December 2020 the Scottish government released a hydrogen policy statement with plans for incorporating both blue and green hydrogen for use in heating transportation and industry 116 The government also planned an investment of 100 million in the hydrogen sector for the 180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund 117 Shetland Islands Council planned to obtain further specifics about the availability of funding The government had already agreed that the production of green hydrogen from wind power near Sullom Voe Terminal was a valid plan A December 2020 report stated that the extensive terminal could also be used for direct refuelling of hydrogen powered ships and suggested that the fourth jetty at Sullom Voe could be suitable for ammonia export 118 Farming and textiles edit Farming is mostly concerned with the raising of Shetland sheep known for their unusually fine wool 21 119 120 Knitwear is important both to the economy and culture of Shetland and the Fair Isle design is well known However the industry faces challenges due to plagiarism of the word Shetland by manufacturers operating elsewhere and a certification trademark The Shetland Lady has been registered 121 Crofting the farming of small plots of land on a legally restricted tenancy basis is still practised and is viewed as a key Shetland tradition as well as an important source of income 122 Crops raised include oats and barley however the cold windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants Media edit Television signals in Shetland are received from the Bressay TV transmitter 123 Shetland is served by a weekly local newspaper The Shetland Times and the online Shetland News 124 with radio service being provided by BBC Radio Shetland and the commercial radio station SIBC 125 Tourism edit nbsp Victoria pier Lerwick The replica Viking longboat Dim Riv is bottom left and the town hall is on the hill Taken from the Aberdeen ferry in Bressay Sound Shetland is a popular destination for cruise ships and in 2010 the Lonely Planet guide named Shetland as the sixth best region in the world for tourists seeking unspoilt destinations The islands were described as beautiful and rewarding and the Shetlanders as a fiercely independent and self reliant bunch 126 Overall visitor expenditure was worth 16 4 million in 2006 in which year just under 26 000 cruise liner passengers arrived at Lerwick Harbour This business has grown substantially with 109 cruise ships already booked in for 2019 representing over 107 000 passenger visits 127 In 2009 the most popular visitor attractions were the Shetland Museum the RSPB reserve at Sumburgh Head Bonhoga Gallery at Weisdale Mill and Jarlshof 128 Geopark Shetland now Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark was established by the Amenity Trust in 2009 to boost sustainable tourism to the islands 129 According to the Promote Shetland organisation s website tourism increased by 12 6 million between 2017 and 2019 with more than half of visitors giving their trip a perfect rating 103 Extremely popular in many countries with seven series having been filmed and aired by early 2023 Shetland TV series was inspired by the Ann Cleeves books about the fictional Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez This has created an interest in Shetland 130 and some tourists visit because they wish to see the places where the series is set and filmed In 2018 series star Douglas Henshall said in an interview When we were there filming there s people from Australia and different parts of America who had come specifically because of the show It s showing all over the world Now you get a lot of people from Scandinavia on these noir tours 131 132 An October 2018 report stated that 91 000 passengers from cruise ships arrived that year a record high an increase over the 70 000 in 2017 There was a drop in 2019 to over 76 000 cruise ship passengers 133 134 Effect of the COVID 19 pandemic edit Tourism dropped significantly in 2020 and into 2021 due to restrictions necessitated by the COVID 19 pandemic and the major decline in the number of cruise ships that continued to operate worldwide 135 As of early February 2021 the Promote Shetland website was still stating this information At present nobody should travel to Shetland from a Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area in Scotland unless it s for essential purposes That page reiterated the government recommendation that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England Wales or Northern Ireland 136 A September 2020 report stated that The Highlands and Islands region has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic to date when compared to Scotland and the UK as a whole The tourism industry required short term support for business survival and recovery and that was expected to continue as the sector was severely impacted for as long as physical distancing and travel restrictions 137 As of 31 December 2020 the usage of ferries and buses was restricted to those traveling for essential purposes 138 The Island Equivalent scheme was introduced in early 2021 by the Scottish government to financially assist hospitality and retail businesses affected by Level 3 coronavirus restrictions Previous schemes in 2020 included the Strategic Framework Business Fund and the Coronavirus Business Support Fund 139 Quarries edit Brindister 60 06 52 N 1 12 57 W 60 114475 N 1 215874 W 60 114475 1 215874 Scord 60 08 32 N 1 15 42 W 60 142287 N 1 261629 W 60 142287 1 261629 Scalloway 05 Sullom 60 26 24 N 1 22 56 W 60 439953 N 1 382306 W 60 439953 1 382306 Vatster 60 12 46 N 1 13 15 W 60 212887 N 1 220861 W 60 212887 1 220861 Transport edit nbsp Loganair aircraft in Fair Isle midway between Orkney and Shetland Transport between islands is primarily by ferry and Shetland Islands Council operates various inter island services 140 Shetland is also served by a domestic connection from Lerwick to Aberdeen on mainland Scotland This service which takes about 12 hours is operated by NorthLink Ferries Some services also call at Kirkwall Orkney which increases the journey time between Aberdeen and Lerwick by 2 hours 141 142 There are plans for road tunnels to some of the islands especially Bressay and Whalsay however it is hard to convince the mainland government to finance them 143 Sumburgh Airport the main airport in Shetland is located close to Sumburgh Head 40 km 25 mi south of Lerwick Loganair operates flights to other parts of Scotland up to ten times a day the destinations being Kirkwall Aberdeen Inverness Glasgow and Edinburgh 144 Lerwick Tingwall Airport is located 11 km 6 8 mi west of Lerwick Operated by Directflight in partnership with Shetland Islands Council it is devoted to inter island flights from the Shetland Mainland to Fair Isle and Foula 145 Scatsta Airport was an airport near Sullom Voe which allowed frequent charter flights from Aberdeen to transport oilfield workers The airport closed on 30 June 2020 146 Public bus services are operated in Mainland Trondra Burra Unst and Yell with scheduled dial a ride services available in Bressay and Fetlar Buses also connect with ferries leading to Foula Papa Stour and Whalsay 147 148 The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide and there are numerous sites of wrecked ships 149 Lighthouses are sited as an aid to navigation at various locations 150 Government editThe Shetland Islands Council is the local government authority for all the islands and is based in Lerwick Town Hall Shetland is sub divided into 18 community council areas 151 and into 12 civil parishes that are used for statistical purposes 152 Civil Parish Included areas 95 Area km 153 PopulationCensus2011 03 27 95 Density Bressay 27 8 368 13 2 Delting Brae Muckle Roe 131 7 1 917 14 6 Dunrossness Cunningsburgh Fair Isle Sandwick 120 5 3 216 26 7 Fetlar 41 4 61 1 5 Lerwick Gulberwick Quarff Burra 32 2 8 607 267 3 Nesting Skerries Whalsay 105 6 1 759 16 7 Northmavine 204 1 741 3 6 Sandsting 162 4 831 5 1 Tingwall Scalloway Trondra 118 9 3 091 26 0 Unst 122 2 632 5 2 Walls and Sandness Foula Papa Stour Vaila 78 6 978 12 4 Yell 211 7 966 4 6 Shetland 1 357 1 23 167 17 1 nbsp Dunrossness Lerwick Bressay Tingwall Sandsting Walls and Sandness Nesting Delting Northmavine Yell Fetlar UnstEducation editAs of early 2021 Shetland had 22 primary schools five junior high schools and two high schools Anderson High School and Brae High School 154 155 Shetland College UHI is a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands UHI UHI s Centre for Rural Creativity partners with Shetland Arts Development Agency to provide courses on film music and media up to Masters level at Mareel The North Atlantic Fisheries College NAFC also operates in partnership with UHI offering a range of training courses relevant to the maritime industries 154 The Institute for Northern Studies operated by UHI provides postgraduate teaching and research programmes one of the three locations is at Shetland 156 Sport editThe Shetland Football Association oversees two divisions a Premier League and a Reserve League which are affiliated with the Scottish Amateur Football Association 157 Seasons take place during summer The islands are represented by the Shetland football team which regularly competes in the Island Games Churches and religion editReligion in Shetland 2011 158 Non religious 45 4 Church of Scotland 29 9 Catholic Church 4 1 Other Christian 10 6 Islam 0 4 Other religions 1 1 Not stated 8 5 The Reformation reached the archipelago in 1560 This was an apparently peaceful transition and there is little evidence of religious intolerance in Shetland s recorded history 159 In the 2011 census Shetland registered a higher proportion of people with no religion than the Scottish average 158 Nevertheless a variety of religious denominations are represented in the islands nbsp Haroldswick Church the most northerly church building in the United Kingdom The Methodist Church has a relatively high membership in Shetland which is a District of the Methodist Church with the rest of Scotland comprising a separate District 160 The Church of Scotland had a Presbytery of Shetland that includes St Columba s Church in Lerwick 161 On 1 June 2020 the Presbytery of Shetland merged with the Presbytery of Aberdeen becoming the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland In addition there was further church reorganisation in the islands with a series of church closures and all parishes merging into one covering the whole of Shetland The Catholic population is served by the church of St Margaret and the Sacred Heart in Lerwick The parish is part of the Diocese of Aberdeen The Scottish Episcopal Church part of the Anglican Communion has regular worship at St Magnus Church Lerwick St Colman s Church Burravoe and the Chapel of Christ the Encompasser Fetlar the last of which is maintained by the Society of Our Lady of the Isles the most northerly and remote Anglican religious order of nuns The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has a congregation in Lerwick The former print works and offices of the local newspaper The Shetland Times has been converted into a chapel Jehovah s Witnesses has a congregation and Kingdom Hall in Lerwick Politics editShetland is represented in the House of Commons as part of the Orkney and Shetland constituency which elects one Member of Parliament MP As of May 2023 and since 2001 the MP is Alistair Carmichael a Liberal Democrat He grew up on Islay the son of hill farmers who raised sheep and cattle and worked at various occupations before running for election 162 This seat has been held by the Liberal Democrats or their predecessors the Liberal Party since 1950 longer than any other seat in the United Kingdom 163 164 165 In the Scottish Parliament the Shetland constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament MSP by the first past the post system Tavish Scott of the Scottish Liberal Democrats had held the seat since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 166 Beatrice Wishart MSP also of the Scottish Liberal Democrats was elected to replace Tavish Scott in August 2019 167 Shetland is within the Highlands and Islands electoral region The political composition of the Shetland Islands Council is 21 Independents and 1 Scottish National Party 168 In the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom Shetland voted to remain in the United Kingdom by the third largest margin of the 32 local authority areas by 63 71 to 36 29 in favour of the Union In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum Shetland voted for the UK to remain an EU member state with 56 5 voting to remain and 43 5 voting to leave In comparison to the rest of Scotland Shetland had lower than average support for remaining in the EU The Wir Shetland movement was set up in 2015 to campaign for greater autonomy 169 In September 2020 the Shetland Islands Council voted 18 2 to explore replacing the council with a new system of government which controls a fairer share of the islands revenue streams and has a greater influence over their own affairs which could include very lucrative oil fields and fishing waters 170 In 2022 as part of the Levelling Up White Paper an Island Forum was proposed which would allow local policymakers and residents in Shetland to work alongside their counterparts in Orkney the Western Isles Anglesey and the Isle of Wight on common issues such as broadband connectivity and provide a platform for them to communicate directly with the government on the challenges island communities face in terms of levelling up 171 172 Flag editRoy Gronneberg who founded the local chapter of the Scottish National Party in 1966 designed the flag of Shetland in cooperation with Bill Adams to mark the 500th anniversary of the transfer of the islands from Norway to Scotland The colours are identical to those of the flag of Scotland but are shaped in the Nordic cross After several unsuccessful attempts including a plebiscite in 1985 the Lord Lyon King of Arms approved it as the official flag of Shetland in 2005 173 Note 10 Local culture and the arts edit nbsp The Shetland Crofthouse museum nbsp The Lerwick Up Helly Aa After the islands were officially transferred from Norway to Scotland in 1472 several Scots families from the Scottish Lowlands emigrated to Shetland in the 16th and 17th centuries 174 175 Studies of the genetic makeup of the islands population however indicate that Shetlanders are just under half Scandinavian in origin and sizeable amounts of Scandinavian ancestry both patrilineal and matrilineal have been reported in Orkney 55 and Shetland 68 175 This combination is reflected in many aspects of local life For example almost every place name in use can be traced back to the Vikings 176 The Lerwick Up Helly Aa is one of several fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter starting on the last Tuesday of January 177 The festival is just over 100 years old in its present highly organised form Originally held to break up the long nights of winter and mark the end of Yule the festival has become one celebrating the isles heritage and includes a procession of men dressed as Vikings and the burning of a replica longship 178 Shetland also competes in the biennial International Island Games which it hosted in 2005 179 The cuisine of Shetland is based on locally produced lamb beef and seafood some of it organic The real ale producing Valhalla Brewery is the most northerly in Britain The Shetland Black is a variety of blue potato with a dark skin and indigo coloured flesh markings 180 Language edit See also Norn language and Shetland dialect The Norn language was a form of Old Norse spoken in the Northern Isles and continued to be spoken until the 18th century It was gradually replaced in Shetland by an insular dialect of Scots known as Shetlandic which is in turn being replaced by Scottish English Although Norn was spoken for hundreds of years it is now extinct and few written sources remain although influences remain in the Insular Scots dialects 181 The Shetland dialect is used in local radio and dialect writing and is kept alive by organisations such as Shetland Forwirds and the Shetland Folk Society 182 183 184 Music edit Shetland s culture and landscapes have inspired a variety of musicians writers and film makers The Forty Fiddlers was formed in the 1950s to promote the traditional fiddle style which is a vibrant part of local culture today 185 Notable exponents of Shetland folk music include Aly Bain Jenna Reid Fiddlers Bid and the late Tom Anderson and Peerie Willie Johnson Thomas Fraser was a country musician who never released a commercial recording during his life but whose work has become popular more than 20 years after his death in 1978 186 The annual Shetland Folk Festival began in 1981 and is hosted on the first weekend of May 187 Writers edit Walter Scott s 1822 novel The Pirate is set in a remote part of Shetland and was inspired by his 1814 visit to the islands The name Jarlshof meaning Earl s Mansion is a coinage of his 188 Robert Cowie a doctor born in Lerwick published the 1874 work entitled Shetland Descriptive and Historical Being a Graduation Thesis on the Inhabitants of the Shetland Islands and a Topographical Description of the Country Menzies 1874 Hugh MacDiarmid the Scots poet and writer lived in Whalsay from the mid 1930s through 1942 and wrote many poems there including a number that directly address or reflect the Shetland environment such as On A Raised Beach which was inspired by a visit to West Linga 189 The 1975 novel North Star by Hammond Innes is largely set in Shetland and Raman Mundair s 2007 book of poetry A Choreographer s Cartography offers a British Asian perspective on the landscape 190 The Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves who previously lived in Fair Isle is a series of crime novels set around the islands 191 In 2013 her novel Red Bones became the basis of BBC crime drama television series Shetland 192 Vagaland who grew up in Walls was arguably Shetland s finest poet of the 20th century 193 Haldane Burgess was a Shetland historian poet novelist violinist linguist and socialist and Rhoda Bulter 1929 1994 is one of the best known Shetland poets of recent times Other 20th and 21st century poets and novelists include Christine De Luca Robert Alan Jamieson who grew up in Sandness the late Lollie Graham of Veensgarth Stella Sutherland of Bressay 194 the late William J Tait from Yell 195 and Laureen Johnson 196 There is one monthly magazine in production Shetland 197 The quarterly The New Shetlander founded in 1947 is said to be Scotland s longest running literary magazine 198 For much of the later 20th century it was the major vehicle for the work of local writers and of others including early work by George Mackay Brown 199 Films and television edit Michael Powell made The Edge of the World in 1937 a dramatisation based on the true story of the evacuation of the last 36 inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda on 29 August 1930 St Kilda lies in the Atlantic Ocean 64 km 40 mi west of the Outer Hebrides but Powell was unable to get permission to film there Undaunted he made the film over four months during the summer of 1936 in Foula and the film transposes these events to Shetland Forty years later the documentary Return to the Edge of the World was filmed capturing a reunion of cast and crew of the film as they revisited the island in 1978 A number of other films have been made on or about Shetland including A Crofter s Life in Shetland 1932 200 A Shetland Lyric 1934 201 Devil s Gate 2003 and It s Nice Up North 2006 a comedy documentary by Graham Fellows The Screenplay film festival takes place annually in Mareel a cinema music and education venue The BBC One television series Shetland a crime drama is set in the islands and is based on the book series by Ann Cleeves The programme is filmed partly in Shetland and partly on the Scottish mainland 202 203 Wildlife edit nbsp Shetland mouse ear Cerastium nigrescens on the Keen of Hamar reserve Unst Shetland has three national nature reserves at the seabird colonies of Hermaness and Noss and at Keen of Hamar to preserve the serpentine flora There are a further 81 SSSIs which cover 66 or more of the land surfaces of Fair Isle Papa Stour Fetlar Noss and Foula Mainland has 45 separate sites 204 Flora edit The landscape in Shetland is marked by the grazing of sheep and the harsh conditions have limited the total number of plant species to about 400 Native trees such as rowan and crab apple are only found in a few isolated places such as cliffs and loch islands The flora is dominated by Arctic alpine plants wild flowers moss and lichen Spring squill buck s horn plantain Scots lovage roseroot and sea campion are abundant especially in sheltered places Shetland mouse ear Cerastium nigrescens is an endemic flowering plant found only in Shetland It was first recorded in 1837 by botanist Thomas Edmondston Although reported from two other sites in the nineteenth century it currently grows only on two serpentine hills in the island of Unst The nationally scarce oysterplant is found in several islands and the British Red Listed bryophyte Thamnobryum alopecurum has also been recorded 205 206 207 208 Listed marine algae include Polysiphonia fibrillosa Dillwyn Sprengel and Polysiphonia atlantica Kapraun and J Norris Polysiphonia brodiaei Dillwyn Sprengel Polysiphonia elongata Hudson Sprengel Polysiphonia elongella Harvey 209 The Shetland Monkeyflower is unique to Shetland and is a mutation of the Monkeyflower mimulus guttatus introduced to Shetland in the 19th century 210 211 Fauna edit nbsp Atlantic puffin in the Shetland Islands Shetland has numerous seabird colonies Birds found in the islands include Atlantic puffin storm petrel red throated diver northern gannet and great skua locally called bonxie 212 Numerous rarities have also been recorded including black browed albatross and snow goose A single pair of snowy owls bred in Fetlar from 1967 to 1975 212 213 214 The Shetland wren Fair Isle wren and Shetland starling are subspecies endemic to Shetland 215 216 There are also populations of various moorland birds such as curlew lapwing snipe and golden plover 217 One of the early ornithologists that wrote about the wealth of birdlife in Shetland was Edmund Selous 1857 1934 in his book The Bird Watcher in the Shetlands 1905 218 He wrote extensively about the gulls and terns about the arctic skuas the black guillemots and many other birds and the seals of the islands The geographical isolation and recent glacial history of Shetland have resulted in a depleted mammalian fauna and the brown rat and house mouse are two of only three species of rodent present in the islands The Shetland field mouse is the third and the archipelago s fourth endemic subspecies of which there are three varieties in Yell Foula and Fair Isle 216 They are variants of Apodemus sylvaticus and archaeological evidence suggests that this species was present during the Middle Iron Age around 200 BC to 400 CE It is possible that Apodemus was introduced from Orkney where a population has existed since at the least the Bronze Age 219 Domesticated animals edit nbsp Shetland ponies Main article Shetland animal breeds See also List of domesticated Scottish breeds There is a variety of indigenous breeds of which the diminutive Shetland pony is probably the best known as well as being an important part of the Shetland farming tradition The first written record of the pony was in 1603 in the Court Books of Shetland and for its size it is the strongest of all the horse breeds 220 221 Others are the Shetland Sheepdog or Sheltie the endangered Shetland cattle 222 and Shetland goose 223 224 and the Shetland sheep which is believed to have originated prior to 1000 AD 225 The Grice was a breed of semi domesticated pig that had a habit of attacking lambs It became extinct sometime between the middle of the nineteenth century and the 1930s 226 See also edit nbsp Scottish Islands portal nbsp Scotland portal nbsp Islands portal Lists edit List of counties of the United Kingdom List of islands in Scotland List of populated places in Shetland About Shetland edit Mavis Grind Udal law Others edit Hjeltefjorden Battle of Florvag Rognvald Kali Kolsson Timeline of prehistoric Scotland Prehistoric Scotland Constitutional status of Orkney Shetland and the Western IslesNotes edit Shetland unlike the rest of Scotland has no tradition of Gaelic 1 Watson 1926 is sure that Tacitus was referring to Shetland although David Breeze 2002 is more sceptical The name Thule was mentioned by Pytheas of Massilia when he described visiting Britain sometime between 322 and 285 BC but it is unlikely he was referring to Shetland because he also wrote that he believed Thule was a six day sail north of Britain and a one day sail from the frozen sea 11 12 As with all western dialects of Norse the stressed a shifts to e and so the ja became je as with Norse hjalpa which became hjelpa Then the pronunciation changed through a process of reverse lenition of the initial hj to ʃ This is also found in some Norwegian dialects for example in the word hja with and the place names Hjerkinn and Sjoa meaning from Hjo Lastly the l before the t disappeared 10 Shetland Islands Council state there are 15 inhabited islands and count East and West Burra which are joined by a bridge as a single unit Out Skerries has two inhabited islands Housay and Bruray 2 The Scord of Brouster site includes a cluster of six or seven walled fields and three stone circular houses that contains the earliest hoe blades found so far in Scotland 54 Some scholars believe that this story which appears in the Orkneyinga Saga is apocryphal and based on the later voyages of Magnus Barelegs 65 Apparently without the knowledge of the Norwegian Rigsraadet Council of the Realm Christian pawned Orkney for 50 000 Rhenish guilders On 28 May 1470 he also pawned Shetland for 8 000 Rhenish guilders 77 He had secured a clause in the contract which gave future kings of Norway the right to redeem the islands for a fixed sum of 210 kg of gold or 2 310 kg of silver Several attempts were made during the 17th and 18th centuries to redeem the islands without success 78 When Norway became independent again in 1906 the Shetland authorities sent a letter to King Haakon VII in which they stated Today no foreign flag is more familiar or more welcome in our voes and havens than that of Norway and Shetlanders continue to look upon Norway as their mother land and recall with pride and affection the time when their forefathers were under the rule of the Kings of Norway 69 No other part of the United Kingdom has any such oil related fund By comparison as of 31 December 2010 the total value of the Government Pension Fund of Norway was NOK 3 077 billion US 525 billion 110 i e circa 68 000 per head The flag is the same design Icelandic republicans used in the early 20th century known in Iceland as Hvitblainn the white blue 173 References edit Forcing Gaelic on our schools is wrong says MSP The Shetland Times 2 February 2016 Archived from the original on 31 October 2020 Retrieved 31 August 2020 a b c Shetland Islands Council 2012 p 4 a b Shetland Islands Council Area Profile National Records of Scotland April 2020 Archived from the original on 5 May 2020 Retrieved 7 May 2020 Haswell Smith 2004 p 406 Jennings Stephen 9 April 2021 In Depth The Fate of the Picts in the Northern Isles archaeologyshetland Retrieved 18 August 2022 On this day 1472 Orkney and Shetland join Scotland www scotsman com 20 February 2015 Retrieved 18 August 2022 a b c Shepherd Mike 2015 Oil Strike North Sea A first hand history of North Sea oil Luath Press Shetland Place Names Shetland Heritage www shetland heritage co uk Retrieved 18 August 2022 Hjaltland Shetland yet land 1871 Archived 27 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Jakobsen Jakob fetlaraerial com Retrieved 14 May 2015 a b Placenames with a hjalt Leirvik permanent dead link Norwegian Language Council Norwegian Retrieved 26 March 2011 Archived version here Breeze David J The ancient geography of Scotland in Smith and Banks 2002 pp 11 13 Watson 1994 p 7 Watson 1994 p 30 Diplomatarium Norvegicum p 2 1190 Dilectissimis amicis suis et hominibus Haraldus Orcardensis Hetlandensis et Catanesie comes salutem archive org Gammeltoft 2010 p 21 22 Sandnes 2010 p 9 Jones 1997 p 210 Zetland County Council Archived 24 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia com Retrieved 16 July 2009 Gammeltoft 2010 p 19 Visit Shetland Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Visit Shetland org Retrieved 25 December 2010 a b Shetland Islands Council 2010 p 10 Hansom J D 2003 St Ninian s Tombolo Archived 23 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine pdf Coastal Geomorphology of Great Britain Geological Conservation Review Retrieved 13 March 2011 Get a map Archived 22 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Ordnance Survey Retrieved 7 March 2011 Fojut Noel 1981 Is Mousa a broch Proc Soc Antiq Scot 111 pp 220 228 Skaw Unst Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetlopedia Retrieved 13 March 2011 Gillen 2003 pp 90 91 Keay amp Keay 1994 p 867 Smith David Tsunami hazards Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Fettes com Retrieved 7 March 2011 Schei 2006 pp 103 04 Mellor 2020 pp 5 6 Mellor 2020 p 184 Shetland National Scenic Area NatureScot Archived from the original on 15 August 2021 Retrieved 7 October 2020 National Scenic Areas Maps SNH 20 December 2010 Archived from the original on 12 June 2018 Retrieved 24 May 2018 Islands Scotland Act 2018 section 17 Ban on putting Shetland in a box on maps comes into force BBC News 4 October 2018 Archived from the original on 4 October 2018 Retrieved 4 October 2018 Kent Alexander Remapping the Shetland Isles canterbury ac uk Canterbury Christ Church University Archived from the original on 10 June 2020 Retrieved 10 June 2020 Kent Alexander 18 October 2018 Maps gt Representation The Cartographic Journal 55 3 203 204 Bibcode 2018CartJ 55 203K doi 10 1080 00087041 2018 1527980 a b Shetland Scotland Climate Archived 18 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine climatetemp info Retrieved 6 January 2018 MWR 1910 Met Office UA digital nmla metoffice gov uk Archived from the original on 25 May 2021 Retrieved 25 May 2021 a b Shetland Islands Council 2005 pp 5 9 Northern Scotland climate Archived 7 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Met office Retrieved 6 January 2018 The Climate of Shetland Archived 8 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Visit Shetland Retrieved 11 May 2012 Lerwick climate information Met Office Archived from the original on 24 January 2016 Retrieved 5 August 2015 Lerwick S Screen Shetland Islands UK climate averages Met Office Retrieved 1 January 2022 Lerwick 1961 1990 NOAA Retrieved 30 January 2016 Manchester ringway extreme values KNMI Archived from the original on 2 February 2018 Retrieved 30 January 2016 Shetland Islands Council Shetland Main Issues Report 2020 p 17 Retrieved 1 September 2023 Mid 2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland National Records of Scotland 31 March 2022 Retrieved 31 March 2022 2011 Census First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C Part Two PDF Retrieved 1 September 2023 Scotland s Census 2001 Statistics for Inhabited Islands PDF Retrieved 1 September 2023 a b Jarlshof amp Scatness Archived 10 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine shetland heritage co uk Retrieved 2 August 2008 Turner 1998 p 18 Melton Nigel D West Voe A Mesolithic Neolithic Transition Site in Shetland in Noble et al 2008 pp 23 33 Melton N D amp Nicholson R A March 2004 The Mesolithic in the Northern Isles the preliminary evaluation of an oyster midden at West Voe Sumburgh Shetland U K Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Antiquity 78 No 299 Fleming 2005 p 47 quoting Clarke P A 1995 Observations of Social Change in Prehistoric Orkney and Shetland based on a Study of the Types and Context of Coarse Stone Artefacts M Litt thesis University of Glasgow a b Schei 2006 p 10 Nicolson 1972 pp 33 35 Kirk William Prehistoric Scotland The Regional Dimension in Clapperton 1983 p 106 Armit 2003 pp 24 26 Hunter 2000 pp 44 49 From Chatham to Chester and Lincoln to the Lake District 38 UK places put themselves forward for World Heritage status Archived 13 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine 7 July 2010 Department for Culture Media and Sport Retrieved 7 March 2011 Sites make Unesco world heritage status bid shortlist Archived 1 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine 22 March 2011 BBC Scotland Retrieved 22 March 2011 Graham Campbell 1999 p 38 Schei 2006 pp 11 12 Gilbert E et al 2019 The genetic landscape of Scotland and the Isles Archived 3 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11 September 2020 Thomson 2008 p 24 27 Thomson 2008 p 24 Thomson 2008 p 69 quoting the Orkneyinga Saga chapter 12 Crawford Barbara E Orkney in the Middle Ages in Omand 2003 p 64 a b c Schei 2006 p 13 Nicolson 1972 p 43 Hunter 2000 pp 106 111 Barrett 2008 p 411 Agreement between Magnus IV and Alexander III 1266 Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Manx Society IV VII amp IX isleofman com Retrieved 23 March 2011 Crawford Barbara E Orkney in the Middle Ages in Omand 2003 pp 72 73 Nicolson 1972 p 44 Hakon 6 Magnusson Archived 3 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Om Store Norske Leksikon Norwegian Retrieved 19 January 2013 Diplom fra Shetland datert 24 november 1509 Archived 5 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Bergen University Norwegian Retrieved 13 September 2009 Norsken som dode Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Universitas Norsken som dode Norwegian Retrieved 13 September 2009 Nicolson 1972 p 45 Thomson 2008 p 204 Schei 2006 pp 14 16 Nicolson 1972 pp 56 57 History Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine visit shetland org Retrieved 20 March 2011 Craigie electricscotland com Archived from the original on 28 January 2019 Retrieved 27 January 2019 Ursula Smith Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetlopedia Retrieved 12 October 2008 a b Schei 2006 pp 16 17 57 A History of Shetland Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Visit Shetland org Retrieved 16 January 2013 Hutton Guthrie 2009 Old Shetland Catrine Ayrshire Stenlake Publishing ISBN 9781840334555 p 3 Annual Statistics scottishherringhistory uk Archived from the original on 8 May 2016 Retrieved 28 April 2016 Historic Environment Scotland County Buildings including Lerwick Sheriff Court House and Police Station boundary walls gatepiers and railings and excluding 2 storey concrete rendered block to north Hillhead Lerwick LB37263 Retrieved 18 July 2021 a b Nicolson 1972 pp 91 94 95 a b The Shetland Bus Archived 23 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine scotsatwar org uk Retrieved 23 March 2011 Shetlands Larsen Statue monument Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Kulturnett Hordaland Norwegian Retrieved 26 March 2011 Tallack Malachy 2 April 2007 Fair Isle Independence thinking Archived 23 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine London New Statesman a b c Population of Shetland by Area based on Census PDF shetland gov uk Archived from the original PDF on 5 August 2017 Retrieved 22 July 2019 Economy Archived 10 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine move shetland org Retrieved 19 March 2011 Name change and rebrand for our rocket site Shetland Space Centre 30 June 2021 Archived from the original on 3 October 2021 Retrieved 12 October 2021 German rocket company commits to using Unst space centre Shetland News 2 February 2021 Archived from the original on 7 February 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Key milestone reached for space centre as full plans are submitted Shetland News 18 January 2021 Archived from the original on 8 February 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 About Promote Shetland 1 October 2020 Archived from the original on 20 January 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Shetland Islands Council 2010 pp 16 17 Good times for Shetland s fishing industry Promote Shetland 1 October 2020 Archived from the original on 26 February 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 a b About Promote Shetland Archived from the original on 20 January 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Asset Portfolio Sullom Voe Termonal pdf BP Retrieved 19 March 2011 Shetland Islands Council 2010 p 13 Shetland s Economy Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Visit Shetland org Retrieved 19 March 2011 Shetland Islands Council 2005 p 13 Public Sector Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine move shetland org Retrieved 19 March 2011 Financial Statements 31 March 2011 Archived 22 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Charitable Trust Retrieved 8 October 2011 Fifth Best Year in the Fund s History Norges Bank Investment Management 18 March 2011 Archived from the original on 26 March 2011 Retrieved 5 April 2011 Powering on with island wind plan Archived 22 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine 19 January 2007 BBC News Retrieved 19 March 2011 Shetlands storm over giant wind farm Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 9 March 2008 London The Observer Retrieved 19 March 2011 PURE Energy Centre Pure Energy Centre Archived from the original on 15 April 2012 Retrieved 4 April 2012 Unst Partnership Development Trusts Association Scotland Archived from the original on 13 March 2014 Retrieved 4 April 2012 Council SIC moves ahead in developing hydrogen as an alternative fuel Shetland News 2 September 2020 Archived from the original on 26 February 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Stones Jake 22 December 2020 Scotland outlines hydrogen policy to 2045 Archived 25 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine ICIS Retrieved 2 January 2021 Scotland Invests in Offshore Wind and Tidal Energy for Green Hydrogen Maritime Executive 20 December 2020 Archived from the original on 23 January 2021 Retrieved 21 January 2021 Energy hub team keeping close eye on 100m government hydrogen pledge Shetland News 23 December 2020 Archived from the original on 5 March 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Home Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Sheep Society Retrieved 19 March 2011 Shetland Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Sheep101 info Retrieved 1 May 2009 Shetland Islands Council 2005 p 25 Crofting FAQS Archived 23 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Scottish Crofting Federation Retrieved 19 March 2011 Full Freeview on the Bressay transmitter 1 May 2004 Retrieved 27 February 2024 Shetland News Shetland s internet only daily newspaper and digest shetnews co uk Archived from the original on 22 August 2019 Retrieved 22 July 2019 Shetland News Archived 28 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 March 2011 Hough Andrew 2 November 2010 Shetland Islands among best places to visit says Lonely Planet guide Archived 22 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine London The Telegraph Retrieved 7 April 2011 Cruise ship tourists set to almost double 12 March 2018 Archived from the original on 18 December 2018 Retrieved 18 December 2018 Shetland Islands Council 2010 p 26 Delight as Shetland s remarkable rocks recognised with Geopark status The Shetland Times 15 September 2009 Archived from the original on 2 August 2019 Retrieved 2 August 2019 Discover Shetland Follow Jimmy Perez s footsteps Shetland org 14 February 2018 Archived from the original on 13 February 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 If you are one of the millions of people around the world fascinated by Jimmy Perez and his crime solving adventures in Ann Cleeves Shetland now a major BBC TV series we think you ll love the real place Shetland experiences television tourism boom after blockbuster police thriller Express 3 January 2018 Archived from the original on 15 August 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 Shetland TV hit starring Douglas Henshall to return for two more series BBC News 2 December 2019 Archived from the original on 9 November 2020 Retrieved 6 February 2021 VisitScotland in Shetland last year said the Shetland TV series and books had been an amazing success for the islands New plans to fire up Shetland tourism Shetland org Tourism 30 December 2020 Archived from the original on 13 February 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 Shetland enjoys record cruise year with 90 000 passengers BBC News 11 October 2018 Archived from the original on 16 July 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 How Cruise Lines are Preparing for a Post Pandemic World Maritime Executive 30 September 2020 Archived from the original on 25 January 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 FAQs on travelling to Shetland in winter 2020 Promote Shetland Archived from the original on 27 February 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 The Impact of COVID 19 On the Highlands and Islands PDF HIE 1 September 2021 Archived PDF from the original on 15 January 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 Ferries move to restricted timetable and bookings system Shetland Islands Council 31 December 2020 Archived from the original on 31 December 2020 Retrieved 6 February 2021 Support for businesses Island Equivalent Payment Shetland Islands Council 2 February 2021 Retrieved 6 February 2021 from 28 December 2020 to 24 January 2021 businesses in Level 3 island areas including Shetland can now apply for a payment of 2 000 or 3 000 Ferries Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetland gov uk Retrieved 23 May 2011 Shetland Islands Council 2010 pp 32 35 2011 Timetables Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine NorthLink Ferries Retrieved 7 April 2011 Shetland Isles tunnel plans Tunnels and Tunnelling International tunnelsonline info Archived from the original on 15 February 2017 Retrieved 13 February 2016 Sumburgh Airport Archived 22 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Highlands and Islands Airports Retrieved 16 March 2011 Shetland Inter Island Scheduled Service directflight co uk Retrieved 11 May 2012 UK Airport Statistics 2005 Annual Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine Table 10 EU and Other International Terminal Passenger Comparison with Previous Year pdf CAA Retrieved 16 March 2011 Shetland Islands Council 2010 p 34 Stantec 2022 ZetTrans Regional Transport Strategy Case for Change Report PDF ZetTrans Ferguson David M 1988 Shipwrecks of Orkney Shetland and the Pentland Firth David amp Charles ISBN 9780715390573 Lighthouse Library Archived 3 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Northern Lighthouse Board Retrieved 8 July 2010 Shetland Islands Council 2010 pp 51 54 56 Map of Parishes in the Islands of Orkney and Shetland Archived 25 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine scotlandsfamily com Retrieved 19 July 2013 1 Archived 1 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Parish of Lerwick example The parish areas add up to 1357 1 km only a b Schools and Education Promote Shetland Archived from the original on 20 January 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Schools in Shetland Shetland Islands Council Archived from the original on 17 March 2016 Retrieved 19 March 2016 About Us UHI 3 November 2020 Archived from the original on 22 May 2021 Retrieved 7 February 2021 Spurs crowned senior football champions Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Times 1 October 2012 Retrieved 25 July 2014 a b Area Profiles scotlandscensus gov uk Scottish Government Archived from the original on 20 August 2018 Retrieved 29 December 2016 Schei 2006 p 14 Area 3 Districts Archived 19 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine methodist org uk Retrieved 20 March 2011 Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church Profile Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine pdf shetland communities org uk Retrieved 20 March 2011 About Alistair Carmichael Archived from the original on 18 January 2021 Retrieved 21 January 2021 Alistair Carmichael MP for Orkney and Shetland Archived 13 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine alistaircarmichael org uk Retrieved 8 September 2009 full citation needed Candidates and Constituency Assessments Archived 15 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine alba org uk The almanac of Scottish elections and politics Retrieved 9 February 2010 The Untouchable Orkney amp Shetland Isles 1 October 2009 www snptacticalvoting com Retrieved 9 February 2010 Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Tavish Scott MSP Archived 28 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine Scottish Parliament Retrieved 20 March 2011 Fraser Gemma 4 October 2019 Lib Dems win Shetland by election holyrood com Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 Retrieved 17 November 2019 About your councillors Shetland Islands Council Archived from the original on 9 January 2018 Retrieved 8 January 2018 Shetland Islands toy with idea of post Brexit independence Archived 22 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine EurActiv 16 February 2017 Cope Chris 10 September 2020 Self determination motion a first small step towards a brighter future shetnews co uk Shetland News Archived from the original on 11 September 2020 Retrieved 11 September 2020 Cope Chris 3 February 2021 New islands forum should not be box ticking exercise The Shetland News Retrieved 17 February 2022 Paveley Rebecca 11 February 2021 Gove announces Levelling up forum for islands Church Times Retrieved 17 February 2022 a b Flag of Shetland Archived 11 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flags of the World Retrieved 19 March 2011 Macdougall Norman 1982 James III a political study J Donald p 91 ISBN 978 0 85976 078 2 Retrieved 19 February 2012 What James III had acquired from Earl William in return for this compensation was the comital rights in Orkney and Shetland He already held a wadset of the royal rights and to ensure his complete control he referred the matter to parliament On 20 February 1472 the three estates approved the annexation of Orkney and Shetland to the crown a b Goodacre S et al 2005 Genetic evidence for a family based Scandinavian settlement of Shetland and Orkney during the Viking periods Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Heredity 95 pp 129 135 nature com Retrieved 20 March 2011 Julian Richards Vikingblod page 236 Hermon Forlag ISBN 82 3020 016 5 Welcome to Up Helly Aa Archived 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine uphellyaa org Retrieved 8 December 2013 Up Helly Aa Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine visit shetland org Retrieved 20 March 2011 Member Profile Shetland Islands Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine International Island Games Association Retrieved 20 March 2011 Food and drink Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine visit shetland org Retrieved 11 May 2012 Velkomen Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine nornlanguage 110mb com Retrieved 8 March 2011 Culture and Music Archived 28 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine visit shetland org Retrieved 20 March 2011 Shetland ForWirds Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlanddialect org uk Retrieved 20 March 2011 Shetland Folk Society Archived 24 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia com Retrieved 20 March 2011 The Forty Fiddlers Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia com Retrieved 8 March 2011 Culshaw Peter 18 June 2006 The Tale of Thomas Fraser Archived 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian Retrieved 8 March 2011 Shetland Folk Festival shetlandfolkfestival com 21 May 2019 Archived from the original on 10 June 2019 Retrieved 21 May 2019 Jarlshof Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Gazetteer for Scotland Retrieved 2 August 2008 Hugh MacDiarmid Archived 6 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia com Retrieved 8 March 2011 Morgan Gavin 19 April 2008 Shetland author wins acclaim Shetland News Retrieved 26 March 2011 Shetland Archived 18 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine anncleeves com Retrieved 8 December 2013 Shetland Archived 10 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine BBC Retrieved 8 December 2013 Vagaland Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine shetlopedia com Retrieved 8 March 2011 Shetland Writing and Writers Stella Sutherland Archived 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Islands Council Retrieved 6 January 2014 William J Billy Tait Archived 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Shetland For Wirds Retrieved 6 January 2014 Shetland Writing and Writers Laureen Johnson Archived 6 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Islands Council Retrieved 6 January 2014 Home Archived 6 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Millgaet Media Retrieved 17 March 2011 The New Shetlander Archived 12 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Voluntary Action Shetland Retrieved 8 December 2013 Life and Work Part 3 Archived 11 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine George Mackay Brown website Retrieved 8 December 2013 A Crofter s Life in Shetland Archived 21 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine screenonline org uk Retrieved 12 October 2008 The Rugged Island A Shetland Lyric Archived 8 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine IMDb Retrieved 12 October 2008 Street Closed for Filming Television Crime Series Shetland Times 9 April 2015 Archived from the original on 17 April 2015 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Scottish actor Douglas Henshall on the perks of filming new BBC crime drama Shetland in and around Glasgow Daily Record Glasgow 2 March 2013 Archived from the original on 13 December 2016 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Shetland Islands Council 2010 p 52 Scott W and Palmer R 1987 The Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Shetland Islands Shetland Times Lerwick Scott W Harvey P Riddington R and Fisher M 2002 Rare Plants of Shetland Shetland Amenity Trust Lerwick Flora Archived 6 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine visit shetland org Retrieved 7 April 2011 Steer Patrick 1999 Shetland Biodiversity Audit Shetland Amenity Trust Maggs C A and Hommersand M H 1993 Seaweeds of the British Isles The Natural History Museum London ISBN 0 11 310045 0 Macdonald Kenneth 16 August 2017 Scientists discover a new flower of Shetland BBC News Archived from the original on 19 August 2017 Retrieved 23 August 2017 Simon Porcar Violeta I Silva Jose L Meeus Sofie Higgins James D Vallejo Marin Mario October 2017 Recent autopolyploidization in a naturalized population of Mimulus guttatus Phrymaceae Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 185 2 189 207 doi 10 1093 botlinnean box052 hdl 2381 40377 a b SNH 2008 p 16 McFarlan D ed 1991 The Guinness Book of Records Enfield Guinness Publishing p 35 Home Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Nature in Shetland Retrieved 12 March 2011 Williamson Kenneth 1951 The wrens of Fair Isle Ibis 93 4 pp 599 601 Retrieved 12 March 2011 a b Endemic Vertebrates of Shetland Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Nature in Shetland Retrieved 12 March 2011 SNH 2008 p 10 Selous Edmund 1905 The Bird Watcher in the Shetlands via Wikisource Nicholson R A Barber P Bond J M 2005 New Evidence for the Date of Introduction of the House Mouse Mus musculus domesticus Schwartz amp Schwartz and the Field Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus L to Shetland Environmental Archaeology 10 2 143 151 Bibcode 2005EnvAr 10 143N doi 10 1179 env 2005 10 2 143 S2CID 83897428 Breed History Archived 1 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Pony Studbook Society Retrieved 11 May 2012 Shetland Pony Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Equine World Retrieved 20 July 2009 Home Archived 27 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Shetland Cattle Breeders Association Retrieved 20 July 2009 Shetland Geese feathersite com Archived from the original on 17 September 2008 Retrieved 22 October 2008 Shetland Goose Archived 18 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Retrieved 20 July 2009 Sheep Breeds S St Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Sheep101 info Retrieved 1 May 2009 Extinct Island Pig Spotted Again BBC News Online 17 November 2006 Archived from the original on 14 March 2013 Retrieved 1 January 2007 General references edit Armit I 2003 Towers in the North The Brochs of Scotland Stroud Tempus ISBN 0 7524 1932 3 Ballin Smith B and Banks I ed 2002 In the Shadow of the Brochs the Iron Age in Scotland Stroud Tempus ISBN 0 7524 2517 X Barrett James H The Norse in Scotland in Brink Stefan ed 2008 The Viking World Abingdon Routledge ISBN 0 415 33315 6 Clapperton Chalmers M ed 1983 Scotland A New Study Newton Abbott David amp Charles Gillen Con 2003 Geology and landscapes of Scotland Harpenden Terra Publishing ISBN 1 903544 09 2 Graham Campbell James 1999 Cultural Atlas of the Viking World Facts On File ISBN 0 8160 3004 9 Fleming Andrew 2005 St Kilda and the Wider World Tales of an Iconic Island Windgather Press ISBN 1 905119 00 3 Gammeltoft Peder 2010 Shetland and Orkney Island Names A Dynamic Group Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Northern Lights Northern Words Selected Papers from the FRLSU Conference Kirkwall 2009 edited by Robert McColl Millar General Register Office for Scotland 28 November 2003 Scotland s Census 2001 Occasional Paper No 10 Statistics for Inhabited Islands Retrieved 26 February 2012 Haswell Smith Hamish 2004 The Scottish Islands Edinburgh Canongate ISBN 978 1 84195 454 7 Hunter James 2000 Last of the Free A History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland Edinburgh Mainstream ISBN 1 84018 376 4 Jones Charles ed 1997 The Edinburgh history of the Scots language Edinburgh University Press ISBN 0 7486 0754 4 Keay J amp Keay J 1994 Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland London HarperCollins ISBN 0 00 255082 2 Mellor Chris January 2020 An illustrated guide to sea stack climbing in the UK amp Ireland PDF needlesports Retrieved 23 January 2021 Noble Gordon Poller Tessa amp Verrill Lucy 2008 Scottish Odysseys The Archaeology of Islands Stroud Tempus ISBN 978 0 7524 4168 9 Omand Donald ed 2003 The Orkney Book Edinburgh Birlinn ISBN 1 84158 254 9 Nicolson James R 1972 Shetland Newton Abbott David amp Charles Sandnes Berit 2003 From Starafjall to Starling Hill An investigation of the formation and development of Old Norse place names in Orkney Archived 22 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine pdf Doctoral Dissertation NTU Trondheim Schei Liv Kjorsvik 2006 The Shetland Isles Grantown on Spey Colin Baxter Photography ISBN 978 1 84107 330 9 Scottish Natural Heritage 2008 The Story of Hermaness National Nature Reserve Lerwick Shetland Islands Council 2005 Shetland In Statistics 2005 pdf Economic Development Unit Lerwick Retrieved 19 March 2011 Shetland Islands Council 2010 Shetland in Statistics 2010 pdf Economic Development Unit Lerwick Retrieved 6 March 2011 Thomson William P L 2008 The New History of Orkney Edinburgh Birlinn ISBN 978 1 84158 696 0 Turner Val 1998 Ancient Shetland London B T Batsford Historic Scotland ISBN 0 7134 8000 9 Watson William J 1994 The Celtic Place Names of Scotland Edinburgh Birlinn ISBN 1 84158 323 5 First published 1926 Further reading editMcMillan Ron 2008 Between Weathers Travels in 21st Century Shetland Dingwall Ross shire Sandstone Press ISBN 978 1905207206 OCLC 220008309 Shepherd Mike 2015 Oil Strike North Sea A first hand history of North Sea oil Luath Press Withrington Donald J ed 1983 Shetland and the Outside World 1469 1969 Aberdeen University Studies Series no 15 Oxford United Kingdom Published for the University of Aberdeen by Oxford University Press ISBN 9780197141076 OCLC 8195814 External links edit nbsp Look up Shetland Islands in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shetland Islands nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Shetland Islands Shetland at Curlie Shetland Islands Council www shetland org shetlopedia com The Online Shetland Encyclopedia HIE Area Profile Shetland PDF file from Highlands and Islands Enterprise Shetlink Shetland s Online Community National Library of Scotland Scottish Screen Archive selection of archive films about Shetland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shetland amp oldid 1221522299, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.