Shetland Sealtainn
Flag Coat of arms
Location
Geography
Area	Ranked 12th
- Total	1,466 km² (566 sq mi)
- % Water	?
Admin HQ	Lerwick
ISO 3166-2	GB-ZET
ONS code	00RD
Demographics
Population	Ranked 31st
- Total (2006 )	21,900
- Density	15 /km² (39 /sq mi)
Politics
Shetland Islands Council http://www.shetland.gov.uk/
Control	Independent
MPs	Alistair Carmichael
MSPs	Tavish Scott

Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from Ȝetland; Old Norse Hjaltland; Scottish Gaelic: Sealtainn^[1]) is an archipelago off the northeast coast of mainland Scotland. The flag of Shetland was designed by Roy Grönneberg and Bill Adams in 1969 Geology and geomorphology See also Geology of Scotland The land area of Scotland is 78 772 km² (30414 square miles roughly 30% of the area of This is a list of Council areas of Scotland ordered by area. See also List of Scottish council areas by population (2004 For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data Scotland covers an area of 78782 km² or 30341 mi², giving it a Population density of. This is a list of council areas of Scotland ordered by population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. This is a list of Members of Parliament (MPs elected to the House of Commons by Scottish constituencies for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom Alistair Morrison Carmichael (born 15 July 1965 is a Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for the Scottish seat of Orkney and Composition of the Parliament Graphical representation This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 2nd session of the Scottish Parliament at the time Tavish Scott (born 6 May 1966) is a Scottish politician and Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, having been elected on 26 August 2008 Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The islands lie to the northeast of Orkney, 280 km (170 mi) from the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The total area is approximately 1,466 km² (566 sq mi). To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Shetland constitutes one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as The islands' administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick. A Burgh (ˈbʌʀə is an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a Town. For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands

The largest island, known as "the Mainland," has an area of 967 km² (374 sq mi), making it the third-largest Scottish island and the fifth-largest of the British Isles. Mainland is the main Island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only Burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's This is a list of the Islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. This page is a list of the larger islands that comprise the British Isles, listing area and population data The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan

Shetland is also a lieutenancy area, comprises the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament, and was formerly a county. The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch 's representatives in Scotland. Shetland is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood) The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The counties of Scotland were the principal divisions of Scotland until 1975

History

Prehistory

Shetland has been populated since at least 1500 BC. ^[2] The early people subsisted on cattle-farming and agriculture. During the Bronze Age, around 2000 BC, the climate cooled and the population moved to the coast. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for During the Iron Age, many stone fortresses were erected, some ruins of which remain today. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Around A. D. 297, Roman sources describe a people known as the Picts who ruled much of north Scotland, and Shetland eventually became part of the Pictish kingdom. The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Shetland's Picts were later conquered by the Vikings. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Due to the practice, dating to at least the early Neolithic, of building in stone on the virtually tree-less islands, Shetland is extremely rich in physical remains of all these periods, though fewer are preserved as Ancient Monuments than in Orkney. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north

The artefacts of all the eras of Shetland's past are best studied by a visit to the newly built (2007) Shetland Museum in Lerwick. For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands

Norwegian colonisation

Harald Hårfagre took control of Hjaltland in ca 875.
The image is from the Icelandic manuscript Flateyjarbók from the 1400s

By the end of the ninth century the Vikings shifted their attention from plundering to invasion, mainly due to the overpopulation of Norway in comparison to resources and arable land available there. The Flatey Book, (Flateyjarbók 'Flat-island book' is one of the most important medieval Icelandic Manuscripts It is also known as GkS 1005 fol Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Vikings colonised much of northern Europe, including Normandy, England, Scotland, Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, and subsequently North America. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north See also Hebrides (disambiguation The Hebrides (ˈhɛbrɨˌdiːz "HEB-ri-deez" Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Vinland was the name given to an area of North America by the Norseman Leifr Eiríksson, about the year A The Norwegians tended to follow a northern route to the islands and less populous places whereas the Danes went to more populated areas such as England and France, and the Swedes went east. The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. ^[3]

Hjaltland was colonised by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century, the existing indigenous population no doubt being wiped out or driven out. The colonisers gave it that name and established their laws and language. That language evolved into the West Nordic language Norn, which survived into the 1800s. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken on Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in

After Harald Hårfagre took control of all Norway, many of his opponents fled, some to Orkney and Shetland. Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c From these northern isles they continued to raid Scotland and Norway, prompting Harald Hårfagre to raise a large fleet which he sailed to the islands. The Northern Isles ( Old Norse: Norðreyjar) are a chain of Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. In about 875 he and his forces took control of Shetland and Orkney. Events By Place Europe December 29 — Charles the Bald, king of West Francia, is crowned emperor Ragnvald, Earl of Møre received Orkney and Shetland as an earldom from the king as reparation for his son's being killed in battle in Scotland. Rognvald "The Wise" Eysteinsson (son of Eystein Ivarsson) is the founder of the Earldom of Orkney in the Norse Sagas Three quite different accounts Ragnvald gave the earldom to his brother Sigurd the Mighty. Earldom of Orkney The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland

Shetland was Christianised in the tenth century. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings

Conflict with Norway

King Sverre transferred Shetland from the earl to the Crown of Norway in 1195.
Image: The oil painting King Sverre's march over the Vossefjell by Peter Nicolai Arbo. Peter Nicolai Arbo ( June 18 1831 &ndash October 14 1892) was a Norwegian painter who specialized in painting historical motifs and

In 1194 when king Sverre Sigurdsson (ca 1145 - 1202) ruled Norway and Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Shetland, the Lendmann Hallkjell Jonsson and the Earl's brother-in-law Olav raised an army called the eyjarskeggjar on Orkney and sailed for Norway. Sverre Sigurdsson ( Sverrir Sigurðarson, c 1145/1151 &ndash 9 March 1202) was King of Norway from 1184 to 1202 Harald Maddadsson ( Old Norse Haraldr Maddaðarson, Gaelic Aralt mac Mataid) (c Their pretender king was Olav's young foster son Sigurd, son of king Magnus Erlingsson. Sigurd Magnusson was a Norwegian Pretender and rival king during the Civil War era, against king Sverre Sigurdsson. Magnus Erlingsson (1156—1184 was a king of Norway, probably born in Etne in Hordaland. The eyjarskeggjar were beaten in the battle of Florvåg near Bergen. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell The body of Sigurd Magnusson was displayed for the king in Bergen in order for him to be sure of the death of his enemy, but he also demanded that Harald Maddadsson (Harald jarl) answer for his part in the uprising. In 1195 the earl sailed to Norway to reconcile with King Sverre. As a punishment the king placed the earldom of Shetland under the direct rule of the king, from which it was probably never returned.

Increased Scottish interest

After defending the Hebrides, Håkon IV Håkonsson dies in Kirkwall the same year.
Image from the Icelandic manuscript Flateyjarbók from the 1400s

When Alexander III of Scotland turned twenty-one in 1262 and became of age he declared his intentions of continuing the aggressive policy his father had begun towards the western and northern isles. The Flatey Book, (Flateyjarbók 'Flat-island book' is one of the most important medieval Icelandic Manuscripts It is also known as GkS 1005 fol Alexander III ( Medieval Gaelic: Alaxandair mac Alaxandair; Modern Gaelic Alasdair mac Alasdair) (4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286 King of Scots This had been put on hold when his father had died thirteen years earlier. Alexander sent a formal demand to the Norwegian King Håkon Håkonsson. Haakon Haakonsson (1204 &ndash December 15, 1263) ( Norwegian Håkon Håkonsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson) also called

After decades of civil war, Norway had achieved stability and grown to be a substantial nation with influence in Europe and the potential to be a powerful force in war. With this as a background, King Håkon rejected all demands from the Scottish. The Norwegians regarded all the islands in the North Sea as part of the Norwegian Realm. To put more weight on his answer King Harald activated the leidang and set off from Norway in a fleet which is said to have been the largest ever assembled in Norway. The institution known as leiðangr ( Old Norse) leidang ( Norwegian) leding, ( Danish) ledung The fleet met up in Breideyarsund in Shetland (probably today's Bressay Sound) before the king and his men sailed for Scotland and made landfall on Isle of Arran. The Isle of Arran ( Scots Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, with an area of 430 km² (167 square The aim was to conduct negotiations with the large army as a backup.

Alexander III drew out all negotiations while he patiently waited for the autumn storms to set in. Finally, after tiresome diplomatic talks, King Håkon lost his patience and decided to attack. At the same time a large storm set in which destroyed several of his ships and kept others from making landfall. The Battle of Largs in October 1263 was not decisive and both parties claimed victory, but King Håkon Håkonsson's position was hopeless. The Battle of Largs was an engagement fought between the armies of Norway and Scotland near the present-day town of Largs in North On 5 October, he returned to Orkney with a discontented army where he died of a fever on 17 December 1263. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila His death halted any further Norwegian expansion in Scotland.

King Magnus Lagabøte broke with his father's expansion policy. When Norway was united as a kingdom ( 900 - 1030 AD the existing Lagtings were constituted as superior regional assemblies Frostating Magnus Lagabøte ( old Norse Magnús lagabœtir, English Magnus the law-mender) or Magnus Håkonsson ( old Norse He started negotiations with Alexander III. With the Treaty of Perth in 1266 he surrendered furthest Norwegian possessions including Man and the Sudreyar (Hebrides) to Scotland in return for 4000 marks sterling and an annuity of 100 marks (which the Scottish soon stopped paying). The Treaty of Perth, 1266 ended military conflict between Norway under Magnus the Law-mender and Scotland under Alexander III over the The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical See also Hebrides (disambiguation The Hebrides (ˈhɛbrɨˌdiːz "HEB-ri-deez" Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse The Scottish also recognised the Norwegian sovereignty over Orkney and Shetland.

One of the main reasons behind the Norwegian desire for peace with Scotland was that trade with England was suffering from the state of war. In the new trade agreement between England and Norway in 1223 the English demanded Norway make peace with Scotland. In 1269, this agreement was expanded to include mutual free trade.

Pawned to Scotland

King Christian I pawned the islands to pay a dowry. Christian I (1426 &ndash 1481 Danish monarch and union king of Denmark (1448 &ndash 1481 Norway (1450 &ndash 1481 and Sweden (1457 &ndash
Illustration from the book Nordens Historie from 1887 by Niels Bache

In the 14th century Norway still treated Orkney and Shetland as a Norwegian province, but Scottish influence was growing, and in 1379 the Scottish earl Henry Sinclair took control of Orkney on behalf of the Norwegian king Håkon VI Magnusson. Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin (c Haakon VI Magnusson (Håkan Magnusson (appr 1340 &ndash 1380 was King of Norway 1343-80 and co-king of Sweden 1362-64 ^[4] In 1348 Norway was severely weakened by the Black Plague and in 1397 it entered the Kalmar Union. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal With time Norway came increasingly under Danish control. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe King Christian I of Denmark and Norway was in financial troubles and, when his daughter Margaret became engaged to James III of Scotland in 1468, he needed money to pay her dowry. Christian I (1426 &ndash 1481 Danish monarch and union king of Denmark (1448 &ndash 1481 Norway (1450 &ndash 1481 and Sweden (1457 &ndash James III (c 1451/1452 &ndash 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488 A dowry (also known as trousseau or tocher) is the money goods or estate that a woman brings to her soon to be husband in marriage Apparently without the knowledge of the Norwegian Riksråd (Council of the Realm) he entered into a contract on 8 September 1468 with the King of Scotland in which he pawned Orkney for 50,000 Rhenish guilders. Rigsraadet ( English The Council of the Realm or The Council of the State - sometimes translated as "Privy Council" is the name of the councils ^[5] On 28 May the next year he also pawned Shetland for 8,000 Rhenish guilders. ^[6]. He 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. ^[7]

James III and Margaret, their betrothal led to Shetland passing from Norway to Scotland

The Hansa era

After the decline of the Vikings, four centuries followed where the Shetlanders sold their goods through the Hanseatic League of German merchantmen in Bergen, and later to merchants from Bremen, Lübeck and Hamburg. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Bremen (ˈbʁeːmən is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany (official name Stadtgemeinde Bremen / City Municipality of Bremen Lübeck ( is the second largest City in Schleswig-Holstein, in Northern Germany, and one of the major Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted cod and ling. The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known Demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. The common ling, Molva molva, is a large member of the Cod family In return, the island population got cash, grain, cloth, beer and other goods. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea The trade with the North German towns lasted until the Act of Union 1707 prohibited the German merchants from trading with Shetland. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into Briefly Shetland went into an economic depression as the Scottish and local traders were not as skilled in trading with salted fish. However, some local merchant-lairds took up where the German merchants had left off, and fitted out their own ships to export Shetland fish to the Continent. For the independent farmers of Shetland this led to a negative spiral, where they had to fish for the merchant-lairds. ^[8]. The Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone freed the Shetland 'serfs' from the rule of the landlords in the 1880s. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party

Napoleonic wars

Some 3000 Shetlanders served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars from 1800 to 1815. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions

World War II

During World War II a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the Shetland Gang or the Shetland bus was established by the Special Operations Executive Norwegian Section in the autumn of 1940 with a base first at Lunna and later in Scalloway in order to conduct operations on the coast of Norway. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Shetland Bus was the popular name for the clandestine naval operation in World War II between the Shetland Islands ( Scotland) and Nazi -occupied The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers Scalloway ( Old Norse: Skalavagr - "bay with house" is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland Shetland About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered in Shetland. Many of these vessels were rented, and Norwegian fishermen were recruited as volunteers to operate them.

The Shetland Gang sailed in covert operations between Norway and Shetland, carrying men from Company Linge, intelligence agents, refugees, instructors for the resistance, and military supplies. Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NORIC1 pronounced as Norisen in Norwegian wasa SOE group formed in March of 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando Many people on the run from the Germans, and much important information on German activity in Norway, were brought back to the Allies this way. Some mines were laid and direct action against German ships was also taken. At the start the unit was under a British command, but later Norwegians joined in the command.

The fishing vessels made 80 trips across the sea. German attacks and bad weather caused the loss of 10 boats, 44 crewmen, and 60 refugees. Because of the high losses it was decided to procure faster vessels. The Americans gave the unit the use of three submarine chasers (HNoMS Hessa, HNoMS Hitra and HNoMS Vigra). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the History The Hitra was originally built as SC-718 for the United States Navy, but was transferred to the Shetland Bus organisation None of the trips with these vessels incurred loss of life or equipment. ^[9]

The Shetland Gang made over 200 trips across the sea and the most famous of the men, Leif Andreas Larsen (Shetlands-Larsen) made 52 of them. Leif Andreas Larsen DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar ( 9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990) popularly ^[10]

Shetland today

In the early 1970s, oil and gas was found off Shetland. The East Shetland Basin is one of the largest petroleum sedimentary basins in Europe and the oil extracted there is sent to the terminal at Sullom Voe (Norse: Solheimavagr). The East Shetland Basin is a major oil-producing area of the North Sea between Scotland and Norway. Sullom Voe is an Inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. Sullom Voe terminal opened in 1978 and is the largest oil export harbour in the United Kingdom with a volume of 25 million tons per year. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Income from oil, and the improved economic state that oil-related development has brought, has resulted in reduced emigration and vastly improved infrastructure throughout Shetland, leading to an improved quality of life.

As a result of the oil revenue and the cultural links with Norway, a small independence movement developed briefly within Shetland. It saw as its model the Isle of Man, as well as its closest neighbour, Faroe, an autonomous dependency of Denmark ^[11]. The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe

Timeline

Culture

The main cultural influences on Shetland are Scandinavian and British (especially Scottish) but North Sea and North Atlantic commerce have ensured various other influences. The 30th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC Events By Place Roman Empire Galerius conquers Ctesiphon from the Persians however as part of the peace treaty it Events By Place Europe December 29 — Charles the Bald, king of West Francia, is crowned emperor Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c Harald Maddadsson ( Old Norse Haraldr Maddaðarson, Gaelic Aralt mac Mataid) (c Sverre Sigurdsson ( Sverrir Sigurðarson, c 1145/1151 &ndash 9 March 1202) was King of Norway from 1184 to 1202 Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin (c Haakon VI Magnusson (Håkan Magnusson (appr 1340 &ndash 1380 was King of Norway 1343-80 and co-king of Sweden 1362-64 Christian I (1426 &ndash 1481 Danish monarch and union king of Denmark (1448 &ndash 1481 Norway (1450 &ndash 1481 and Sweden (1457 &ndash James III (c 1451/1452 &ndash 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488 Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken on Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1708 ( MDCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Scalloway ( Old Norse: Skalavagr - "bay with house" is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland Shetland For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Shetland Bus was the popular name for the clandestine naval operation in World War II between the Shetland Islands ( Scotland) and Nazi -occupied The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Shetland Islands Council is the local authority for the Shetland Islands. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Sullom Voe is an Inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility Shetland's fiddle music is a blend of ancient Norwegian folk music, Scots reels, jigs and slow airs, and tunes brought home by sailors from Ireland, Germany, North America and even Greenland. Notable exponents of Shetland folk music include fiddle players, the late Tom Anderson and Aly Bain, and the guitarist, the late Peerie Willie Johnson. Dr Tom (Tammie Anderson MBE (1910-1991 was a renowned Shetland Fiddler and teacher Aly Bain MBE (born 15 May 1946 in Lerwick, Shetland) is a Shetland Fiddler who learned his instrument from The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles "Peerie" Willie Johnson (William Henry Johnson (born Yell, Shetland 10 December 1920 died Lerwick, Shetland 22 May 2007 was a Scottish

The landscape and the light found in Shetland have been an inspiration to many artists in the fields of painting, drawing and sculpturing, both local and from elsewhere. The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating There are several local art galleries. As with other Scottish dialects, the Shetland dialect, a mixture of old English, Scots and Norse words, was actively discouraged in schools, churches and civic life until the late twentieth century, but has since then been restored as a language of culture. It is used both in local radio and dialect writing, kept alive by the Shetland Folk Society and the quarterly New Shetlander magazine. The Shetland Folk Society was created in 1945 as a heritage group to gather record and support all aspects of Shetland 's cultural history ^[12]

Up Helly Aa is any of a variety of fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter. Up Helly Aa refers to any of a variety of fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter to mark the end of the Yule season The festival is just over 100 years old in its present, highly organised form. Originally a temperance festival held to break up the long nights of winter the festival has become one celebrating the isles heritage and includes a procession of men dressed as Vikings, the burning of a replica longship and copious amounts of alcohol. Longships, or longboats were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxon people to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European The main Up Helly Aa in Lerwick bars women from taking part in the processions of guizers. Instead, women prepare food for the big night. ^[13]

Shetland competes in the bi-annual Island Games, which it hosted in 2005. International Island Games Association (IGA is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games a friendly biennial Athletic competition between teams

Language

Main articles: Norn language, Shetlandic, and Pictish language

Jakob Jakobsen was a Faroese linguist and leading documentarist of Norn

The Pictish language died out during the Viking occupation to be replaced by Old Norse, which in turn evolved into Norn. Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken on Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in Shetlandic is a Dialect of Insular Scots spoken in the Shetland Islands, north of mainland Scotland. Pictish is a term used for the Extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland Dr phil Jakob (properly Jákup Jakobsen, (* 22 February 1864 in Tórshavn, Faroe; † 15 August 1918 in Copenhagen The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken on Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in Pictish is a term used for the Extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken on Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in This remains the most prominent remnant of Norse culture on the islands. Almost every place name in use there can be traced back to the Vikings. ^[14] Norn continued to be spoken until the 18th century when it was replaced by an insular dialect of Scots also known as Shetlandic, which in turn is being replaced by Scottish English. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Shetlandic is a Dialect of Insular Scots spoken in the Shetland Islands, north of mainland Scotland. Scottish English is the variety of English spoken in Scotland, also called Scottish Standard English. However, the legacy of Norn remains in a number of words, making the Shetland dialect a distinctive form of Scots. The use of dialect was actively discouraged in schools, churches and civic life throughout Scotland until the late 20th century but islanders now take a pride in their native speech. Efforts are made to retain the use of the dialect and counter influence from English.

Although Norn was spoken for hundreds of years it is now extinct and few written sources remain.
Example of the Lord's Prayer in Shetland Norn:

For comparison to Orkney Norn and other languages please see: The Lord's Prayer in different languages.

Name

The original Norse name for Shetland was Hjaltland. Hjalt in Old Norse meaning the hilt or crossguard of a sword. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age The hilt (sometimes called the haft) of a Sword is its handle consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. The hilt (sometimes called the haft) of a Sword is its handle consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. As the local language evolved the ja became je as with Norse hjalpa which became hjelpa. Then the pronunciation of the combination of the letters hj changed to sh. This is also found in some Norwegian dialects in for instance the word hjå (with) and the place names Hjerkinn and Sjoa (from *Hjó). Hjerkinn is a Village in Dovre, Oppland, Norway. It is one of the driest places in the country with only 222 mm annual precipitation The Sjoa river provides the outlet from lake Gjende at Gjendesheim in the Jotunheimen mountains of Norway 's Jotunheim National Park. Lastly the l before the t disappeared. ^[15].

As Norn was gradually replaced by Scots Shetland became Ȝetland (the initial letter being the Middle Scots letter, yogh (which can also be found in the forename Menzies, e. Middle Scots describes the language of Anglic Lowland Scotland in the period 1450 to 1700 Not to be confused with the unrelated ʒ. For the rune transcribed as ȝ, see Gyfu. g. Menzies Campbell. Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician ) This sounded almost identical to the original Norn sound, /hj/). When the letter yogh was discontinued, it was often replaced by the similar-looking letter 'z', hence Zetland, the mispronounced form used to describe the pre-1975 county council. Z is the twenty-sixth and last letter of the modern Latin alphabet. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The counties of Scotland were the principal divisions of Scotland until 1975

The earliest recorded name for the islands was Inse Catt, "islands of the Cat people": the same people that Caithness is named after. Geography Caithness extends about 40 Miles (64 Kilometres) north-south and about 30 miles (50 km east-west

Norse names

The old Norse names of the principal islands were:

• Hjaltland (Mainland)
• Jell (Yell) - might be pre-Norse Pictish
• Unst - might be pre-Norse Pictish
• Fetlar - might be pre-Norse Pictish
• Hvalsey (Whalsay) - literally whale island (Hvalsøy/Kvalsøy in modern Norwegian)
• Brusey (Bressay) - most likely named after a Norse nobleman Bruse
• Fugley (Foula) - literally bird's island (Fugløy in modern Norwegian)
• Frjóey (Fair Isle) - literally fertile island (Froøy/Fræøy in modern Norwegian)

Shetland on film

Michael Powell made The Edge of the World in 1937. Michael Latham Powell ( 30 September 1905 &ndash 19 February 1990) was a British Film director, renowned for his partnership The Edge of the World ( 1937) is the first major project by British filmmaker Michael Powell. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This film is a dramatisation based on the true story of the evacuation of the last thirty-six inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda on 29 August 1930. St Kilda (Hiort is an isolated Archipelago 64 kilometres (40 mi west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. St Kilda lies in the Atlantic Ocean, 64 kilometres west-northwest of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides; the inhabitants spoke Gaelic. North Uist ( Scottish Gaelic: Uibhist a Tuath) is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. See also Hebrides (disambiguation The Hebrides (ˈhɛbrɨˌdiːz "HEB-ri-deez" Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Powell was unable to get permission to film on St. Kilda. Undaunted, he made the film over four months during the summer of 1936 on the island of Foula, in the Shetland Isles. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. See Fula for the African people and language family Foula ( Fugløy "fowl island" is one of Great Britain ’s most Despite the fact that the Foula islanders speak the Norse-tinged dialect of Shetland, the film loses none of its power.

• The Edge of the World (1937) dramatises the evacuation of the Islands and the ensuing tragedy. The Edge of the World ( 1937) is the first major project by British filmmaker Michael Powell. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Return To The Edge Of The World (1978) was a documentary capturing a reunion of cast and crew of 1937's The Edge Of The World, 40 years after the fact, as they revisit the island. The Edge of the World ( 1937) is the first major project by British filmmaker Michael Powell. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1934) at the Internet Movie Database
• A Crofter's Life in Shetland (1932)
• Devil's Gate (2003). Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Devil's Gate is a 2003 British film directed by Stuart St Paul. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
• It's Nice Up North (2006) comedy documentary by Graham Fellows as John Shuttleworth. It's Nice Up North is a 2006 Comedy documentary made by comedian Graham Fellows as his alter ego John Shuttleworth Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Graham Fellows (born Sheffield, 22 May 1959) is an English comedy actor and musician best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth

Shetland in Literature

• Raman Mundair, 'A Choreographer's Cartography', Peepal Tree Press, Leeds, 2007, ISBN13: 9781845230517

The first section of this book - 60 degrees north - is a series of poems, some in Shetland dialect, that reflect the poet's experiences of Shetland and offers a unique British Asian perspective to the landscape. Raman Mundair is a British Poet, Writer, artist and playwright Peepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian Fiction, Poetry and academic books

Churches

Haroldswick Methodist Church is the most northerly church building in the UK. Haroldswick or Harold's Wick (meaning "Harolds Bay" is on Unst, Shetland Islands, and is one of the most northerly settlements in the British It was designed by Frank A Robertson.

There are churches of many different denominations in Shetland, with the largest variety found in Lerwick. Unlike much of Scotland, the Methodist Church has a relatively high membership in Shetland. The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations Shetland comprises a District of the Methodist Church (the rest of Scotland comprises a separate District). The Church of Scotland has a Presbytery of Shetland; the largest congregation is Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Presbyterian polity is a method of Church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of Presbyters or elders Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church is the largest Church of Scotland congregation in the Shetland Islands, serving the Island's capital Lerwick and the surrounding

Geography

A fine example of cross-bedding in Middle Old Red Sandstone on the Isle of Bressay. In Geology, cross-bedding refers to inclined sedimentary structures in a horizontal unit of rock The Old Red Sandstone is a Rock formation of considerable importance to early Paleontology. Bressay is a populated island in the Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Out of the approximately 100 islands, only fifteen are inhabited. The main island of the group is known as Mainland. Mainland is the main Island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only Burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's

The other inhabited islands are: Bressay, Burra, Fetlar, Foula, Muckle Roe, Papa Stour, Trondra, Vaila, Unst, Whalsay, Yell in the main Shetland group, plus Fair Isle to the south, and Housay and Bruray in the Out Skerries to the east (see below). Bressay is a populated island in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Burra ( Old Norse: Barrey) is the collective name for two of the Shetland Islands, West (pop Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a population of 86 at the time of the 2001 census See Fula for the African people and language family Foula ( Fugløy "fowl island" is one of Great Britain ’s most Muckle Roe is an Island in Shetland, Scotland, in Saint Magnus Bay, to the west of Mainland Shetland. Papa Stour is one of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, with a population of over twenty people some of whom immigrated after an appeal for residents in Trondra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Vaila ( Old Norse: "Valey" is an Island in Shetland, Scotland, lying south of the Westland Peninsula of the Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Whalsay (from Old Norse Hvalsey or Hvals-oy, meaning 'Whale Island' is the sixth largest of the Shetland islands in Scotland with Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 957 Fair Isle (from Old Norse Frjóey Scottish Gaelic Eileann nan Geansaidh is an island off Scotland, lying around halfway Housay, also known as West Isle, is one of the three islands that form the Out Skerries island group the most easternly part of the Shetland Isles Bruray is one of the three Out Skerries islands of Shetland, and contains Scotland 's most easterly settlement The Out Skerries are an Island group in Shetland, Scotland. They are sometimes called the Outer Skerries or just Skerries

For a more complete list of islands, see List of Shetland islands. This is a list of Shetland islands in Scotland. The Shetland archipelago is located 100  Kilometres (62  Miles north of mainland Scotland and the

Fair Isle lies approximately halfway between Shetland and Orkney, but it is administered as part of Shetland and is often counted as part of the island group. Fair Isle (from Old Norse Frjóey Scottish Gaelic Eileann nan Geansaidh is an island off Scotland, lying around halfway The Out Skerries lie east of the main group. The Out Skerries are an Island group in Shetland, Scotland. They are sometimes called the Outer Skerries or just Skerries Due to the islands' latitude, on clear winter nights the aurora borealis or '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'. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the

Climate

Shetland has a Maritime Subarctic climate. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands Chapman codes are largely a superset of the ISO 3166-2GB and BS 6879 codes identifying administrative divisions in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the The climate all year round is mild due to the influence of the relative warmth of the surrounding seas, the surface temperature of which falls to 5°C in early March and peaks at 13 to 14°C in late August. However, summers are cool and temperatures over 21°C are rare. The warmest month on record was August 1947, when the average maximum temperature was 17. 2°C.

The general character of the climate is windy and cloudy with at least 1mm of rain falling on about 200 days a year. Average yearly precipitation at Lerwick is 1238 mm, with November and December the wettest months, together receiving about a quarter of annual precipitation. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric Snowfall can occur at any time from July to early June although it seldom lies on the ground for more than a day. Less rain falls from April to August although no month receives less than 50mm. Fog is common in the east of the islands during summer due to the cooling effect of the sea on mild southerly airflows. Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground

There is a wide variation in daylength during the course of the year due the islands' northerly location. On the shortest day at the winter solstice sunlight lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes and this stretches to 23 hours at the summer solstice, with twilight occupying the remainder of the time. The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun 's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the However, the remoteness of the islands from warm and dry airflows means that all months are cloudy. Annual sunshine hours average 1065 hours or about 25% daytime so fine days are rare and overcast days are common. ^[16]

^[17]

Flora

The landscape in Shetland is marked by the grazing of sheep and the rarity of trees. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or The flora is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, moss and lichen. Mosses are small soft Plants that are typically 1–10  cm (0 Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as

Fauna

Shetland is the site of one of the largest bird colonies in the North Atlantic, home to more than one million birds. Most birds are found in colonies on Hermaness, Foula, Mousa, Noss, Sumburgh Head and Fair Isle. Hermaness is the northernmost headland of Unst, the northernmost inhabited island of Shetland, Scotland. See Fula for the African people and language family Foula ( Fugløy "fowl island" is one of Great Britain ’s most Mousa ( Old Norse: Mosey "mossy island" is a small Island in Shetland, uninhabited since the nineteenth century Noss is a small Island in Shetland, Scotland. It is separated from the island of Bressay by the narrow Noss Sound. Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. Fair Isle (from Old Norse Frjóey Scottish Gaelic Eileann nan Geansaidh is an island off Scotland, lying around halfway Some of the birds found on the islands are Atlantic Puffin, Storm-petrel, Northern Lapwing and Winter Wren. The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. The storm-petrels are Seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. The Winter Wren ( Troglodytes troglodytes) also known as the Northern Wren, is a very small Bird, a member of the mainly New World Many arctic birds spend the winter on Shetland and among those are Whooper Swan and Great Northern Diver. The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus) is a large Northern Hemisphere Swan. The Great Northern Diver, known in North America as the Common Loon ( Gavia immer) is a large member of the Loon, or diver Family The Shetland Isles are also the home of the Shetland Sheepdog or 'Sheltie' which is a small, robust but graceful dog.

The geographical isolation and recent glacial history of Shetland have resulted in a depleted mammalian fauna. The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus L. The wood mouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus) also called the long-tailed field mouse, is a common Rodent that was recognised as a distinct species in 1894 ), along with the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout) and the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus Schwartz & Schwartz), are one of only three recorded types of rodent present on the island. The House Mouse ( Mus musculus) is one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus commonly termed a Mouse. Based largely on morphological studies of epigenetic variations, the source of the original founding population has been attributed to Norway with the most obvious date of introduction being presumed to be around the 9th century AD with the arrival of the Vikings. In Biology, the term epigenetics refers to changes in Gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas However, archaeological evidence now suggests that this species was present during the Middle Iron Age (around 200 BC - AD 400), and one theory proposes that Apodemus was in fact introduced from Orkney where a population had existed since at the least the Bronze Age. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for ^[18]

Notable places

• Clickimin broch
• Fort Charlotte
• Jarlshof archaeological site
• Mavis Grind
• Mousa Broch
• Muness Castle the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom
• Old Scatness archaeological site
• Scalloway Castle
• Selivoe
• St Ninian's Isle
• Sullom Voe oil terminal
• Sumburgh Head
• Skaw the most northerly settlement in the United Kingdom

Subdivisions

Shetland is subdivided into 22 parishes or wards that have no more administrative significance but are used for statistical purposes:

1. Sound
2. Clickimin
3. North Central
4. Breiwick
5. South Central
6. Harbour and Bressay
7. North
8. Upper Sound, Gulberwick and Quarff
9. Unst and Island of Fetlar
10. Yell
11. Northmavine, Muckle Roe and Busta
12. Delting West
13. Delting East and Lunnasting
14. Nesting, Whiteness, Girlsta and Gott
15. Scalloway
16. Whalsay/Skerries
17. Sandsting, Aithsting and Weisdale
18. Walls, Sandness and Clousta
19. Burra/Trondra
20. Cunningsburgh and Sandwick
21. Sandwick, Levenwick and Bigton
22. Dunrossness

Economy

85% of the catch (67 000 tonn) in Shetland is herring and mackerel which is 52% of the catch value. Clickimin broch is a large and well preserved Broch in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland which contained a later wheelhouse Fort Charlotte in Lerwick, in the Shetland islands Scotland, was built by Robert Mylne under the orders of Charles II at the start Jarlshof is the best known prehistoric archaeological site in Shetland, Scotland. Mavis Grind is a narrow Isthmus joining the Northmavine peninsula to the rest of Shetland Mainland in the Shetland Islands, UK. Broch of Mousa is the finest preserved example of a Broch or round tower in Shetland, Scotland. Muness Castle lies in the south east corner of Unst, Shetland; Scotland 's most northerly inhabited island not far from the rocky headland of Mu Ness Old Scatness is an archaeological site in Shetland consisting of Mediaeval, Viking, Pictish, and Bronze Age remains Scalloway Castle was built from 1599 by Patrick Stewart 2nd Earl of Orkney to tighten his grip on Shetland. Ayres of Selivoe is a place in the Shetland Islands (6021° N 01 St Ninian's isle is a small island connected by the largest active Tombolo in the UK to the south-western coast of the Mainland Shetland. Sullom Voe is an Inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. For the Skaw municipality of Denmark see Skagen; there is also a Skaw on Whalsay. This is a list of the 871 civil parishes in Scotland. From 1845 to 1930 parishes formed part of the Local government system of Scotland having A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at subnational level represented by one or more councillors Clickimin broch is a large and well preserved Broch in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland which contained a later wheelhouse Breiwick is a village in Shetland, Scotland Bressay is a populated island in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a population of 86 at the time of the 2001 census Northmavine is a peninsula and parish in North Mainland, Shetland. Muckle Roe is an Island in Shetland, Scotland, in Saint Magnus Bay, to the west of Mainland Shetland. Nesting is a parish in the east of Mainland Shetland. It includes not only a part of the Mainland measure about twelve miles by four on coast and seaboard from Whiteness ( Old Norse: Hvitanes, meaning "white headland" is a hamlet and parish in the Shetland Islands, on Mainland. Scalloway ( Old Norse: Skalavagr - "bay with house" is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland Shetland Whalsay (from Old Norse Hvalsey or Hvals-oy, meaning 'Whale Island' is the sixth largest of the Shetland islands in Scotland with Sandsting is a parish in the west of Mainland Shetland. It contains the hamlet of Garderhouse, and the islands of Vementry and Papa Little on Walls, known locally as Waas, ( Old Norse: Vagar = "Sheltered Bays" ( Voes - the Ordnance Survey added the "ll" Burra ( Old Norse: Barrey) is the collective name for two of the Shetland Islands, West (pop Trondra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Cunningsburgh, formerly also known as Coningsburgh (from the Old Norse Konungsborgr meaning "King's Broch" is a hamlet and ancient parish Sandwick may refer to a settlement on the east coast of Shetland, 15 miles south of Lerwick Sandwick Orkney: a parish on the west Levenwick is a very scenic small village about 17 miles south of Lerwick, on the east side of the South Mainland of Shetland. Dunrossness, ( Old Norse: Dynrastarnes meaning "headland of the tidal din" referring to the noise of Sumburgh Roost) Herring are small Oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow temperate waters of the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the North The Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus, is a Pelagic schooling species of Mackerel found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean Haddock, cod and angler achieve higher prices and make up the rest of the catch value, even though these species only make up 15% of the catch. The haddock or offshore hake is a marine Fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known Demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. The angler, also sometimes called fishing-frog, frog-fish or sea-devil, Lophius piscatorius, is a Monkfish in the family Lophiidae Pictured: Mackerel.

Fishing has been an integral part of Shetland's economy since prehistory and it remains central to the islands' economy even today. It was also important in bringing in commerce from outside the isles, for example 17th century Hanseatic traders and Victorian-era herring activities.

The main areas of revenue in Shetland today are agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and petroleum industry (Crude oil and Natural gas production). Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including Molluscs Crustaceans and aquatic plants For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Farming is mostly connected to raising of Shetland sheep^[19], known for their unusually fine wool, along with the Shetland Sheepdog as well as the Shetland pony. Shetland sheep have been on the Shetland Isles for over a thousand years probably brought there by Viking settlers The Shetland pony is a breed of Pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Crops raised include oats and barley; however, the cold, windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants. Crofting, the farming of small plots of land on a legally restricted tenancy basis, is still practiced and viewed as a key Shetland tradition as well as important source of income. A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land usually small and arable with a crofter's Dwelling thereon

North Sea oil rig

More recently, oil reserves discovered in the 20th century out to sea have provided a much needed alternative source of income for the islands. The East Shetland Basin is one of Europe's largest oil fields. The East Shetland Basin is a major oil-producing area of the North Sea between Scotland and Norway. Oil produced there is landed at the Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland. Sullom Voe is an Inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. Taxes from the oil have increased spending on social welfare, art, sport, environmental measures and financial development. Three quarters of the islands work force is employed in the service sector. Even though oil makes up 15% of the islands' economy, £116 million a year, the fish related industry generates twice as much income and employs three times as many workers. ^[20], however the oil revenue allows increased expenditure by the Shetland Islands Council, which alone accounted for 27. 9% of employment in 2003 ^[21].

The last 25 years unemployment has been under 5% and as of 2004 was on 2%, but the fluctuations in the market for farmed salmon and trawled white fish leads to seasonal changes in unemployment. Atlantic salmon, known scientifically as Salmo salar, is a species of Fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Trawling is a method of Fishing that involves pulling a large Fishing net through the water behind one or more boats

In January 2007, the Shetland Islands Council signed a partnership agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy for a 200 turbine wind farm and subsea cable. The Shetland Islands Council is the local authority for the Shetland Islands. Scottish and Southern Energy plc ( is a leading British -based energy company A wind farm is a group of Wind turbines in the same location used for production of electric power The renewable energy project would produce about 600 megawatts and contribute about £20 million to the Shetland economy per year^[22], but this plan is meeting significant opposition within the islands, primarily resulting from expected visual impact of the development. Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal

Media

Shetland is served by a weekly local newspaper, The Shetland Times (one of the first UK newspapers to publish on the internet), two monthly magazines, Shetland Life and i'i' Shetland and a news website, www. The Shetland Times is a weekly newspaper publication in Shetland published every Friday and a part of a long-running successful publishing concern based in Lerwick, Shetland shetland-news. co. uk

Radio service is provided by BBC Radio Shetland (the local opt-out of BBC Radio Scotland) and SIBC, a commercial radio station. BBC Radio Shetland is an opt-out service of BBC Radio Scotland covering the Shetland Islands, Scotland Programmes It has two programme slots SIBC (Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company is the local independent radio station in Shetland, UK.

Transport

Transport between islands is primarily by ferry. Shetland is served by a domestic ferry connection from Lerwick to the mainland, operated by Northlink Ferries to Aberdeen. NorthLink Ferries operates daily ferry services between mainland Scotland and the northern archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland. Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council

Air plane from Loganair on Fair Isle, midway between Orkney and Shetland

Sumburgh Airport, the main airport on Shetland, is located close to Sumburgh, 40 km (25 miles) south of Lerwick. Sumburgh Airport is the main Airport serving Shetland in Scotland. Sumburgh may refer to Sumburgh Head Sumburgh Airport Loganair operates flights under British Airways to other parts of the British Isles seven times a day. Loganair is an Airline based at Glasgow International Airport in Scotland. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe The destinations are Kirkwall, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. In the summer months, there are also flights to London (Stansted) and the Faeroes operated by the Faeroese airliner Atlantic Airways. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Not to be confused with Atlantic Airlines, a British airline Atlantic Airways ( is the national Airline of the Faroe Islands

Inter-Island flights from the Shetland Mainland to Fair Isle, Foula, Papa Stour, and Out Skerries are operated from Tingwall Airport 11 km west of Lerwick, by Directflight Ltd. Tingwall Airport, also known as Lerwick/Tingwall Airport, is located in the Tingwall valley near the village of Gott, 4 Nautical miles (7 , using Islander aircraft owned by the Shetland Islands Council.

There are frequent charter flights from Aberdeen to Scatsta (near Sullom Voe), which are used to transport oilfield workers. Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council Scatsta Airport, is a commercial airport on Shetland in Scotland located 24 miles (39 km NNW of Lerwick and 5 miles (8 km SW of Sullom Voe is an Inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland.

Public services

Shetland Islands Council

The Shetland Islands Council provide services in the areas of Environmental Health , Roads, Social Work, Community Development, Organisational Development, Economic Development, Building Standards, Trading Standards, Housing, Waste, Education, Burial Grounds, Fire Service, Port and Harbours and others. The Shetland Islands Council is the local authority for the Shetland Islands. The council is allowed to collect Council Tax. Council Tax is the system of local Taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each

Political composition:

• Independent - 17
• Scottish Liberal Democrats - 5

Schools

In Shetland there are a total of 34 schools: two High Schools, seven Junior High Schools with primary and nursery departments, and 25 Primary Schools. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal structure of the British Liberal Democrats; the others being the English

• Anderson High School
• Brae High School

Shetland is also home to the North Atlantic Fisheries College

NHS

The Shetland NHS is the local Scottish health service in the Shetland Islands. The Anderson High School (AHS is the largest school in the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland with about 880 pupils from age 12 to 17

Flag

Flag of Shetland

Roy Grönneberg founded the local chapter of the SNP (Scottish National Party) in 1966 and was active in the struggle for Shetland autonomy. The flag of Shetland was designed by Roy Grönneberg and Bill Adams in 1969 The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish Autonomy ( Greek: Auto- Nomos - nomos meaning "law" one who gives oneself his/her own Law) is the right to Self-government In 1969 he designed the flag of Shetland in cooperation with Bill Adams to mark the 500 year anniversary of the transfer of Shetland from Norway to Scotland. ^[23].

The reasons behind the design was the desire to illustrate the Shetland had been a part of Norway for 500 years and a part of Scotland for 500 years. The colours are identical to the ones in Flag of Scotland, but shaped in the Nordic cross and is the same design Icelandic republicans used in the early 20th century known in Iceland as the Hvítbláinn, the white-blue. The Flag of Scotland is a white Saltire, a crux decussate (X-shaped cross representing the Cross of the Christian Martyr Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated

In 1975 the two local authorities in Shetland, Lerwick Town Council and Zetland County Council, were combined in to the Shetland Islands Council. Grönneberg wanted his flag proposal to become the official flag of Shetland, but was unsuccessful. A plebiscite in 1985 also failed to give it official status. In 2005 the Lord Lyon King of Arms approved the flag as the official flag of Shetland. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility

People

It is believed that the island group had an original population about which little is known who were replaced or assimilated by the Picts. The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century Historical, archaeological, place-name and linguistic evidence indicates complete Norse cultural dominance of Shetland during the Viking period. ^[24] It is not known whether the Picts were rapidly assimilated into the Norse population or driven away. A few place names might have Pictish origin, but this is disputed. Several genetic studies have been made comparing the genetic makeup of the islands' population today in order to establish its origin. Shetland, due to its relative isolation continues to have almost identical proportions of Scandinavian matrilineal and patrilineal ancestry (ca 44%). This suggests that the islands were settled by both men and women. The genetic make-up of those in Shetland today also suggesting that the indigenous population simply disappeared, giving credence to the theory that the Vikings eradicated the indigenous culture already settled within the isles. This genetic distribution is also found in Orkney and the northern and western coastline of Scotland, but areas of the British Isles further away from Scandinavia show signs of being colonised primarily by males who found local wives. ^[25] After the islands were transferred to Scotland thousands of Scots families emigrated to Shetland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Contacts with Germany and the Netherlands through the fishing trade brought smaller numbers of immigrants from those countries. World War II and the oil industry have also contributed to population increase through immigration. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[26]

Population development

The population development on Shetland has through the times been affected by deaths at sea and epidemics. Smallpox afflicted the islands hard in the 17th and 18th centuries, but as vaccines became common after 1760 the population increased to 40 000 in 1861. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. The population increase led to a lack of food and many young men went away to serve in the British merchant fleet. 100 years later the islands' population was more than halved. This decrease was mainly caused by the large number of Shetlandic men being torpedoed at sea during the two world wars and the waves of emigration in the 1920s and 1930s. Now more people of Shetlandic background live in Canada, Australia and New Zealand than in Shetland. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

See also: List of Shetland islands

Notable Shetlanders

• Arthur Anderson (1792-1868), co-founder of P&O
• Tom Anderson MBE (1910-1991), a fiddler, composer, folklorist and teacher who was a profoundly influential figure in the development of Shetland music
• Willie Hunter (1934-1994), the best all-around example of Shetland fiddling
• Peerie Willie Johnson (1920-2007), a highly renowned pioneer of jazz swing influenced folk guitar who played with the likes of Tom Anderson and Willie Hunter. Bound Skerry is part of the Out Skerries group in the Shetland Islands. Grunay is an uninhabited island in the Out Skerries group the most easternly part of Shetland, Scotland. Bressay is a populated island in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Bruray is one of the three Out Skerries islands of Shetland, and contains Scotland 's most easterly settlement East Burra (Old Norse "Barrey" is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Fair Isle (from Old Norse Frjóey Scottish Gaelic Eileann nan Geansaidh is an island off Scotland, lying around halfway Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a population of 86 at the time of the 2001 census See Fula for the African people and language family Foula ( Fugløy "fowl island" is one of Great Britain ’s most Housay, also known as West Isle, is one of the three islands that form the Out Skerries island group the most easternly part of the Shetland Isles Mainland is the main Island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only Burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's Muckle Flugga is a small rocky Island north of Unst in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Muckle Roe is an Island in Shetland, Scotland, in Saint Magnus Bay, to the west of Mainland Shetland. Noss is a small Island in Shetland, Scotland. It is separated from the island of Bressay by the narrow Noss Sound. Papa Stour is one of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, with a population of over twenty people some of whom immigrated after an appeal for residents in Trondra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Vaila ( Old Norse: "Valey" is an Island in Shetland, Scotland, lying south of the Westland Peninsula of the West Burra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Whalsay (from Old Norse Hvalsey or Hvals-oy, meaning 'Whale Island' is the sixth largest of the Shetland islands in Scotland with Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 957 This is a list of Shetland islands in Scotland. The Shetland archipelago is located 100  Kilometres (62  Miles north of mainland Scotland and the Arthur Anderson (1792 Shetland &ndash 27 February 1868, London) was a Scottish businessman and Liberal politician The P&O Cruises brand is not owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company Dr Tom (Tammie Anderson MBE (1910-1991 was a renowned Shetland Fiddler and teacher The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Willie Hunter (1933-1995 was a Scottish folk fiddler born in Shetland who played an important part in the rejuvenation of the Shetland fiddling traditions. "Peerie" Willie Johnson (William Henry Johnson (born Yell, Shetland 10 December 1920 died Lerwick, Shetland 22 May 2007 was a Scottish
• Ian Bairnson (b. Ian Bairnson (born 3 August 1953, Levenwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland) is a Scottish Musician, famous for being 1953), session guitarist (The Alan Parsons Project)
• Aly Bain (b. The Alan Parsons Project was a British Progressive rock band active between 1975 and 1990 founded by Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons. Aly Bain MBE (born 15 May 1946 in Lerwick, Shetland) is a Shetland Fiddler who learned his instrument from 1946), fiddle player.
• Sir William Watson Cheyne of Leagarth. [1] (b. 14 December 1852, d. 19 April 1932) Pioneered the development of antiseptic.
• Morgan Goodlad (b. 1950), controversial Chief Executive of Shetland Islands Council (see, for example, Private Eye No 1144 p27, or this story from the Sunday Herald. Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical Magazine, edited by Ian Hislop. The Sunday Herald is an award winning Scottish Sunday Newspaper launched on 7 February 1999 Found guilty of maladministration by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on 23 May 2007. )
• Sir Herbert John Clifford Grierson (1866-1960), a literary scholar and critic
• Norman Lamont (b. Sir Herbert John Clifford Grierson (1866-1960 often referred to as Herbert J Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont Baron Lamont of Lerwick, PC (born 8 May 1942 is a former Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames, England 1942), Conservative MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990 to 1993. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)
• Steven Robertson (b. Steven Robertson (born 1980 in Vidlin, in the Shetland Islands, Scotland) is a Scottish theatre and film Actor. 1980), a theatre and film actor from Vidlin
• Robert Stout (1844-1930), Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century
• Astrid Williamson, musician
• Sandra Voe (b. Vidlin (from Old Norse: Vaðill meaning a ford is a small Village located in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Sir Robert Stout KCMG ( 28 September 1844 &ndash 19 July 1930) was Premier of New Zealand on two occasions in The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's Head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in Astrid Williamson is a Shetland born musician and songwriter In the 1990s Williamson obtained her degree in music from the Royal Scottish Academy and co-founded 1936), actress appearing in many small film and TV roles (including Coronation Street) and mother of Pulp keyboard player Candida Doyle. Coronation Street (commonly known as 'Corrie' is an award-winning Soap opera created by Tony Warren Pulp were an English Alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978 by Jarvis Cocker ( vocals Guitar) Candida Doyle (born Candida Mary Doyle 25 August 1963, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) is a Keyboard player
• Neil Hughes from Seven Up!
• Robert Alan Jamieson (b. Robert Alan Jamieson is a Scottish and Shetlandic poet and novellist who grew up on the crofting community of Sandness. 1958), poet and novelist. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story
• Christine De Luca, poet
• Hazel Tindall, world champion knitter
• "Vagaland" (1903-1973), often considered the national poet. Christine de Luca, née Pearson, is one of the foremost contemporary poets in Scotland, and she hails from Shetland. Vagaland ( 1903-03-06 – 1973-12-30) is arguably the greatest Shetland poet of the 20th century was born Thomas Alexander Robertson at

References

External links

• Shetland travel guide from Wikitravel
• VisitShetland.com
• Shetland.org
• Up-Helly-Aa: Insideoot, a book by Vertigo
• Shetland in Statistics (pdf file)
• Shetland Dialect
• Shetlink - Shetland's Online Community
• Undiscovered Scotland - Shetland Islands
• Shetland Islands Council
• Shetland Scenes
• Virtual Tour of Shetland
• Shetlopedia.com - The Shetland Encyclopedia that anyone can edit
• Tom Weir on the Shetland Language
• ShetlandDictionary.com - Online Shetland Dictionary