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 theNorth Seato 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 theShetland constituencyof theScottish Parliament. The local authority, theShetland Islands Council, is one of the 32council areasof Scotland. The islands' administrative centre and onlyburghisLerwick, which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708, before which time the capital wasScalloway.
The largest island, known as "the Mainland", has an area of 967 km2(373 sq mi),[4]and is thefifth-largestisland in theBritish Isles. It is one of 16 inhabited islands in Shetland. The archipelago has anoceanic climate, complex geology, rugged coastline, and many low, rolling hills.
Humans have lived in Shetland since theMesolithicperiod.Picts are known to have been the original inhabitants of the islands, before the Norse conquest and subsequent colonisation in theEarly Middle Ages.[5]During the 10th to 15th centuries, the islands formed part of theKingdom of Norwayuntil they were annexed into theKingdom of Scotlanddue to a royal dispute involving the payment of adowry.[6]In 1707, when Scotland and England united to form theKingdom of Great Britain, trade between Shetland and continentalNorthern Europedecreased. The discovery ofNorth Sea oilin 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 theUp Helly Aafire festivals and a strong musical tradition, especially the traditionalfiddlestyle. Almost all place names in the islands also have Norse origin.[8]The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets, who have often written in the distinctiveShetland dialect. Numerous areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the localfaunaandflora, 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 theShetland sheep,cow,goose, andduck. The Shetland pig, orgrice, has been extinct since about 1930.
The islands' motto, which appears on the Council'scoat of arms, is "Með lögum skal land byggja" (“By law shall the land be built"). The phrase is ofOld Norseorigin, is mentioned inNjáls saga, and was likely borrowed from provincial Norwegian laws such as theFrostathing Law.
The nameShetlandmay derive from theOld Norsewordshjalt('hilt'), andland('land'). Another possibility is that the first syllable is derived from the name of an ancient Celtic tribe.[9][10]
In AD 43, the Roman authorPomponius Melamade reference in his writing to seven islands he called theHaemodae. In AD 77,Pliny the Eldercalled these same islands theAcmodae. Scholars have inferred that both of these references are to islands in the Shetland group. Another possible early written reference to the islands isTacitus' report inAgricolain AD 98. After he described the Roman discovery and conquest of Orkney, he added that the Roman fleet had seen "Thule, too".[Note 2]Inearly Irishliterature, Shetland is referred to asInsi Catt— "the Isles of Cats" (meaning the island inhabited by the tribe calledCat). 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 (seeKingdom of Cat); and their name survives in the names of the county ofCaithnessand in the Scottish Gaelic name forSutherland,Cataibh, which means "among the Cats".[13]
The oldest known version of the modern name Shetland isHetland. It occurs in a letter written by Harald, earl of Orkney, Shetland and Caithness, in c.1190.[14]By 1431, the islands were being referred to asHetland, after various intermediate transformations. It is possible that thePictish"cat" sound contributed to thisNorsename. In the 16th century, Shetland was referred to asHjaltland.[15][16][Note 3]
When the ScandinavianNorn languagepreviously spoken by the inhabitants of the islands was replaced by the Shetland dialect ofScots(a gradual process),HjaltlandbecameȜetland. The initial letter is theMiddle Scotsletter,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 letterz(which at the time was usually rendered with a curled tail: ⟨ʒ⟩) henceZetland, the form used in the name of the pre-1975county council.[17][18]This is also the source of theZE postcodeused for Shetland.
Most of the individual islands haveNorsenames, although the derivations of some are obscure and may represent pre-Norse, possiblyPictishor even pre-Celticnames or elements.[19]
Shetland is around 170 km (106 mi) north of Great Britain and 230 km (143 mi) west ofBergen,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 (9.9 mi) of the town.[20]
Scallowayon the west coast, which was the capital until 1708, has a population of fewer than 1,000 people.[21]
The uninhabited islands includeMousa, known for theBroch of Mousa, the finest preserved example in the world of anIron Agebroch;Nossto the east ofBressay, which has been a national nature reserve since 1955;St Ninian's Isle, connected to Mainland by the largest activetomboloin the United Kingdom; andOut Stack, thenorthernmostpoint of theBritish Isles.[22][23][24]Shetland's location means that it provides a number of such records:Munessis the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom andSkawthe most northerly settlement.[25]
Much of Shetland's economy depends on the oil-bearing sediments in the surrounding seas.[27]Geological evidence shows that in around 6100 BC atsunamicaused by theStoregga Slidehit Shetland, as well as the west coast of Norway, and may have created a wave of up to 25 m (82 ft) high in thevoeswhere modern populations are highest.[28]
The highest point of Shetland isRonas Hillat 450 m (1,480 ft). ThePleistoceneglaciations entirely covered the islands. During that period, the Stanes of Stofast, a 2000-tonneglacial erratic, came to rest on a prominent hilltop inLunnasting.[29]
Shetland has anational scenic areawhich, unusually, includes a number of discrete locations: Fair Isle, Foula, South West Mainland (including theScalloway Islands), Muckle Roe,Esha Ness, Fethaland andHerma Ness.[30]The total area covered by the designation is 41,833ha, of which 26,347 ha is marine (i.e. below low tide).[31]
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.[32][33][34]
Shetland has an oceanic temperate maritime climate (Köppen:Cfb), bordering on, but very slightly above average in summer temperatures, thesubpolarvariety, with long but cool winters and short mild 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.[35]The highest temperature on record was 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) on 6 August 1910 atSumburgh Head[36]and the lowest −8.9 °C (16.0 °F) in the Januaries of 1952 and 1959.[37]The frost-free period may be as little as three months.[38]In contrast, inland areas of nearbyScandinaviaon 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 yearlyprecipitationis 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).Fogis common during summer due to the cooling effect of the sea on mild southerly airflows.[35][37]
Because of the islands'latitude, on clear winter nights thenorthern lightscan sometimes be seen in the sky, while in summer there is almostperpetual daylight, a state of affairs known locally as the "simmer dim".[39]Annual bright sunshine averages 1110 hours, and overcast days are common.[40]
hideClimate data for Shetland Isles, 82 m asl, 1981–2010, extremes 1922–MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYearRecord high °C (°F)Average high °C (°F)Daily mean °C (°F)Average low °C (°F)Record low °C (°F)Average rainfall mm (inches)Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)Mean monthly sunshine hours
The preserved ruins of awheelhouseandbrochatJarlshof, described as "one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles".[43]
Due to the practice, dating to at least the earlyNeolithic, 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.[44]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.[45][46]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 fromfelsitefromNorthmavine.[48]
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.[49]This includes asmithy, a cluster ofwheelhousesand a later broch. The site has provided evidence of habitation during various phases right up until Viking times.[43][50]Heel-shaped cairns, are a style ofchambered cairnunique to Shetland, with a particularly large example inVementry.[48]
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.[51]The later Iron Age inhabitants of theNorthern Isleswere probably Pictish, although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states in relation to KingBridei I of the Pictsin 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".[52]In 2011, the collective site, "The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland", including Broch of Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof, joined the UKs "Tentative List" ofWorld Heritage Sites.[53][54]
Shetland (boxed) in relation to surrounding territories includingNorway(to the east), theFaroe Islands(to the north west), andOrkneyand the rest of theBritish Isles(to the south west).
The expanding population ofScandinavialed to a shortage of available resources and arable land there and led to a period ofViking expansion, theNorsegradually shifting their attention from plundering to invasion.[55]Shetland was colonised during the late 8th and 9th centuries,[56]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, -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.[57]
The islands converted toChristianityin the late 10th century. KingOlav Tryggvassonsummoned thejarlSigurd the Stoutduring 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.[60]Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norsejarlsowed allegiance both to Norway and to the Scottish crown through their holdings asEarls of Caithness.[61]
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 byAlexander IIand was continued by his successorAlexander III. This strategy eventually led to an invasion of Scotland byHaakon Haakonsson, King of Norway. His fleet assembled in Bressay Sound before sailing for Scotland. After the stalemate of theBattle 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, theHebrides and Mannwere yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266Treaty of Perth, although the Scots recognised continuing Norwegian sovereignty over Orkney and Shetland.[64][65][66]
In the 14th century, Orkney and Shetland remained a Norwegian possession, but Scottish influence was growing.Jon Haraldsson, who was murdered inThursoin 1231, was the last of an unbroken line of Norse jarls,[67]and thereafter the earls were Scots noblemen of the houses ofAngusandSt Clair.[68]On the death ofHaakon VIin 1380,[69]Norway formed apolitical unionwith Denmark, after which the interest of the royal house in the islands declined.[62]In 1469, Shetland waspledgedbyChristian I, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of thedowryof his daughterMargaret, betrothed toJames 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 Caithnessceded his title to James III, and the following year the Northern Isles were directly absorbed to the Crown of Scotland,[72]an action confirmed by theParliament of Scotlandin 1472.[73]Nonetheless, Shetland's connection with Norway has proved to be enduring.[Note 8]
From the early 15th century onward Shetlanders sold their goods through theHanseatic Leagueof German merchantmen. The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted fish, wool and butter, and importsalt,cloth,beerand other goods. The late 16th century and early 17th century were dominated by the influence of the despoticRobert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, who was granted the islands by his half-sisterMary Queen of Scots, and his sonPatrick. The latter commenced the building ofScalloway Castle, but after his imprisonment in 1609, the Crown annexed Orkney and Shetland again until 1643, whenCharles Igranted them toWilliam Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton. These rights were held on and off by the Mortons until 1766, when they were sold byJames Douglas, 14th Earl of Mortonto Laurence Dundas.[74][75]
Full-rigged shipMaella, ofOslo, in Bressay Sound, around 1922
The trade with the North German towns lasted until the 1707Act of Union, 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.[76]
Smallpoxafflicted the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries (as it did all of Europe), but asvaccinesbecame available after 1800, health improved. The islands were very badly hit by thepotato famine of 1846and the government introduced a Relief Plan for the islands under the command ofCaptain Robert Craigieof 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.[77]
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 theRoyal Navy. Some 3,000 served during theNapoleonic warsfrom 1800 to 1815 andpress gangswere 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.[78][79]With the passing of theCrofters' Actin 1886 theLiberalprime ministerWilliam Gladstoneemancipated 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.[80]By this time fishermen fromHolland, who had traditionally gathered each year off the coast of Shetland to fish forherring, triggered an industry in the islands that boomed from around 1880 until the 1920s when stocks of the fish began to dwindle.[81]The production peaked in 1905 at more than a million barrels, of which 708,000 were exported.[82]
County Buildingsin Lerwick, the former headquarters of Zetland County Council
DuringWorld War I, many Shetlanders served in theGordon 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.[79][85]
DuringWorld War II, a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the "Shetland Bus" was established by theSpecial Operations Executivein the autumn of 1940 with a base first atLunnaand 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, andLeif Larsen, the most highly decoratedalliednaval officer of the war, made 52 of them.[84][86]Several RAF airfields and sites were also established at Sullom Voe and several lighthouses suffered enemy air attacks.[85]
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]TheEast Shetland Basinis one of Europe's prolific petroleum provinces. As a result of the oil revenue and the cultural links with Norway, a smallHome Rule movementdeveloped briefly to recast theconstitutional position of Shetland. It saw as its models theIsle of Man, as well as Shetland's closest neighbour, theFaroe Islands, an autonomous dependency of Denmark.[87]
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.[94]
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.Mackerelmakes up more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value, and there are significant landings ofhaddock,cod,herring,whiting,monkfishandshellfish.[89]
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".[95]
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".[96]
Oil and gas were first landed in 1978 atSullom Voe, which has subsequently become one of the largest terminals in Europe.[7][97]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,[98][99]and theShetland Islands Councilalone accounted for 27.9% of output in 2003.[100][101]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.[102][Note 9]
In January 2007, the Shetland Islands Council signed a partnership agreement withScottish and Southern Energyfor theViking Wind Farm, a 200-turbinewind farmand subsea cable. Thisrenewable energyproject would produce about 600megawattsand contribute about £20 million to the Shetland economy per year.[104]The plan met with significant opposition within the islands, primarily resulting from the anticipated visual impact of the development.[105]The PURE project in Unst is a research centre which uses a combination of wind power andfuel cellsto create awind hydrogensystem. The project is run by the Unst Partnership, the local community'sdevelopment trust.[106][107]
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".[108]
In December 2020 the Scottish government released a hydrogen policy statement with plans for incorporating bothblueandgreen hydrogenfor use in heating, transportation and industry.[109]The government also planned an investment of £100 million in the hydrogen sector "for the £180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund".[110]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 nearSullom VoeTerminal 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".[111]
Farming is mostly concerned with the raising ofShetland sheep, known for their unusually fine wool.[21][112][113]
Knitwear is important both to the economy and culture of Shetland, and theFair Isle designis well known. However, the industry faces challenges due toplagiarismof the word "Shetland" by manufacturers operating elsewhere, and a certification trademark, "The Shetland Lady", has been registered.[114]
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.[115]Crops raised include oats and barley; however, the cold, windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants.
Shetland is a popular destination for cruise ships, and in 2010 theLonely Planetguide 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".[118]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.[119]In 2009, the most popular visitor attractions were theShetland Museum, theRSPBreserve at Sumburgh Head, Bonhoga Gallery atWeisdale Milland Jarlshof.[120]Geopark Shetland(now Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark) was established by the Amenity Trust in 2009 to boostsustainable tourismto the islands.[121]
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".[96]
Extremely popular in many countries, with five series having been filmed and aired by early 2021,Shetland (TV series)was inspired by theAnn Cleevesbooks about the fictional Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. This has created an interest in Shetland[122]and some tourists visit because they wish to see the places where the series is set and filmed. In 2018, series starDouglas Henshallsaid 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".[123][124]
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".[125][126]
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.[127]
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".[128]
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".[129]As of 31 December 2020, the usage of ferries and buses was restricted to those traveling for essential purposes.[130]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.[131]
Transport between islands is primarily by ferry, and Shetland Islands Council operates variousinter-island services.[132]Shetland is also served by a domestic connection from Lerwick toAberdeenon mainland Scotland. This service, which takes about 12 hours, is operated byNorthLink Ferries. Some services also call atKirkwall, Orkney, which increases the journey time betweenAberdeenand Lerwick by 2 hours.[133][134]There are plans for road tunnels to some of the islands, especiallyBressayandWhalsay; however, it is hard to convince the mainland government to finance them.[135]
Sumburgh Airport, the main airport in Shetland, is located close to Sumburgh Head, 40 km (25 mi) south of Lerwick.Loganairoperates flights to other parts of Scotland up to ten times a day, the destinations beingKirkwall,Aberdeen,Inverness,GlasgowandEdinburgh.[136]Lerwick/Tingwall Airportis located 11 km (6.8 mi) west of Lerwick. Operated by Directflight Limited in partnership with Shetland Islands Council, it is devoted to inter-island flights from the Shetland Mainland toFair IsleandFoula.[137]
Scatsta Airportwas an airport nearSullom Voewhich allowed frequent charter flights fromAberdeento transport oilfield workers. The airport closed on 30 June 2020.[138]
The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous sites of wrecked ships.[140]Lighthousesare sited as an aid to navigation at various locations.[141]
As of early 2021, Shetland had 22 primary schools, five junior high schools, and two high schools:Anderson High Schooland Brae High School.[145][146]
Shetland College UHI is a partner of theUniversity 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".[145]
The Institute for Northern Studies, operated by UHI, provides "postgraduate teaching and research programmes"; one of the three locations is at Shetland.[147]
HaroldswickMethodist Church, the most northerly church building in the United Kingdom
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.
TheReformationreached the archipelago in 1560. This was an apparently peaceful transition and there is little evidence of religious intolerance in Shetland's recorded history.[150]
In the 2011 census, Shetland registered a higher proportion of people with no religion than the Scottish average.[149]Nevertheless, a variety of religious denominations are represented in the islands.
TheMethodist Churchhas a relatively high membership in Shetland, which is a District of the Methodist Church (with the rest of Scotland comprising a separate District).[151]
TheChurch of Scotlandhad aPresbyteryof Shetland that includesSt. Columba's Churchin Lerwick.[152]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.
TheCatholicpopulation is served by the church of St. Margaret and the Sacred Heart in Lerwick. The parish is part of the Diocese of Aberdeen.
TheWir Shetlandmovement was set up in 2015 to campaign for greater autonomy.[160]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.[161]
In 2022, as part of theLevelling Up White Paper, an "Island Forum" was proposed, which would allow local policymakers and residents in Shetland to work alongside their counterparts inOrkney, theWestern Isles,Angleseyand theIsle of Wighton 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.[162][163]
Roy Grönneberg, who founded the local chapter of theScottish National Partyin 1966, designed theflag of Shetlandin 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 theflag of Scotland, but are shaped in theNordic cross. After several unsuccessful attempts, including aplebiscitein 1985, theLord Lyon King of Armsapproved it as the official flag of Shetland in 2005.[164][Note 10]
After the islands were officially transferred from Norway to Scotland in 1472, several Scots families from theScottish Lowlandsemigrated to Shetland in the 16th and 17th centuries.[165][166]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%).[166]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.[167]The LerwickUp Helly Aais one of several fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter, starting on the last Tuesday of January.[168]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 ofYule, the festival has become one celebrating the isles' heritage and includes a procession of men dressed as Vikings and the burning of a replicalongship.[169]
Thecuisineof Shetland is based on locally produced lamb, beef and seafood, some of itorganic. Thereal ale-producingValhalla Breweryis the most northerly in Britain. The Shetland Black is a variety ofblue potatowith a dark skin and indigo-coloured flesh markings.[171]
TheNorn languagewas a form ofOld Norsespoken in theNorthern Isles, and continued to be spoken until the 18th century. It was gradually replaced in Shetland by an insular dialect ofScots, known asShetlandic, which is in turn being replaced byScottish English. Although Norn was spoken for hundreds of years, it is now extinct and few written sources remain, although influences remain in theInsular Scotsdialects.[172]Shetland dialect is used in local radio and dialect writing, and is kept alive by organisations such as Shetland Forwirds, and theShetland Folk Society.[173][174][175]
Shetland's culture and landscapes have inspired a variety of musicians, writers and film-makers.The Forty Fiddlerswas formed in the 1950s to promote the traditional fiddle style, which is a vibrant part of local culture today.[176]Notable exponents of Shetland folk music includeAly Bain,Jenna Reid,Fiddlers' Bid, and the lateTom AndersonandPeerie Willie Johnson.Thomas Fraserwas acountry musicianwho never released a commercial recording during his life, but whose work has become popular more than 20 years after his death in 1978.[177]
The annual Shetland Folk Festival began in 1981 and is hosted on the first weekend of May.[178]
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 toWest Linga.[180]The 1975 novelNorth StarbyHammond Innesis largely set in Shetland andRaman Mundair's 2007 book of poetryA Choreographer's Cartographyoffers a British Asian perspective on the landscape.[181]TheShetland QuartetbyAnn Cleeves, who previously lived inFair Isle, is a series of crime novels set around the islands.[182]In 2013, her novelRed Bonesbecame the basis ofBBCcrime drama television seriesShetland.[183]
There is one monthly magazine in production:Shetland.[188]The quarterlyThe New Shetlander, founded in 1947, is said to be Scotland's longest-running literary magazine.[189]For much of the later 20th century, it was the major vehicle for the work of local writers — and of others, including early work byGeorge Mackay Brown.[190]
Michael PowellmadeThe Edge of the Worldin 1937, a dramatisation based on the true story of the evacuation of the last 36 inhabitants of the remote island ofSt Kildaon 29 August 1930. St Kilda lies in the Atlantic Ocean, 64 km (40 mi) west of theOuter Hebridesbut 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 documentaryReturn to the Edge of the Worldwas filmed, capturing a reunion of cast and crew of the film as they revisited the island in 1978.
TheBBC Onetelevision seriesShetland, a crime drama, is set in the islands and is based on the book series byAnn Cleeves. The programme is filmed partly in Shetland and partly on the Scottish mainland.[193][194]
One of the earlyornithologiststhat wrote about the wealth of birdlife in Shetland wasEdmund Selous(1857–1934) in his bookThe Bird Watcher in the Shetlands(1905).[209]He writes extensively about the gulls and terns, about thearctic skuas, theblack guillemotsand 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 thebrown ratandhouse mouseare two of only three species of rodent present in the islands. TheShetland field mouseis the third and the archipelago's fourth endemic subspecies, of which there are three varieties in Yell, Foula and Fair Isle.[207]They are variants ofApodemus sylvaticusand archaeological evidence suggests that this species was present during the MiddleIron Age(around 200 BC to 400 AD). It is possible thatApodemuswas introduced from Orkney where a population has existed since at the least theBronze Age.[210]
There is a variety of indigenous breeds, of which the diminutiveShetland ponyis 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.[211][212]Others are theShetland Sheepdogor "Sheltie", the endangeredShetland cattle[213]andShetland goose[214][215]and theShetland sheepwhich is believed to have originated prior to 1000 AD.[216]TheGricewas 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.[217]
