Shetland Islands

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(Redirected from Shetland)

See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings.

**Shetland Islands**
Image:ScotlandShetlandIslands.png Position of Shetlands within Scotland
Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 12th 1,466 km² ? %
Admin HQ	Lerwick
ISO 3166-2	GB-ZET
ONS code	00RD
Demographics
Population - Total (April 29, 2001) - Density	Ranked 31st 21,988 15 / km²
Politics
Shetland Islands Council http://www.shetland.gov.uk/
Control	Independent
MPs	Alistair Carmichael
MSPs	Tavish Scott

**Traditional county of Shetland**

Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 15th 352,876 acres ? %
County town	Lerwick
Chapman code	SHI

Image:Shetland flag.gif	Image:Shetland coat of arms.jpg
(In Detail)	(Coat of Arms)
Motto Með lögum skal land byggja

Image:Shetland.png The Shetland Islands (also sometimes spelled Zetland or Hjaltland) are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and also form a traditional county and Lieutenancy area. It is a Scottish island group between the Orkney Islands and the Faroe Islands, north of mainland Scotland, with a total area of approximately 1466 km². The administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick.

The Shetland Islands were originally a Norwegian colony, but ownership defaulted to the crown of Scotland on 20 February 1472 following non-payment of a marriage dowry. Many people on the islands do not feel Scottish, feeling closer to their Scandinavian roots. During World War II, boats from the Shetland Islands provided a relief service to occupied Norway, known as the "Shetland bus".

1 Composition
2 Famous places
3 Main industries
4 Animals
5 Language
6 Shetland Islands on film
7 External links

Composition

The main island of the group is known as Mainland. Other islands include:

Balta, Bigga, Bressay, Brother Isle, Burra
East Linga
Fetlar, Fish Holm, Foula
Gloup Holm, Gruney
Haaf Gruney, Hascosay, Hildasay, Huney
Lady's Holm, Lamba, Linga near Muckle Roe, Linga near Shetland Mainland, Linga near Yell, Little Roe, Lunna Holm
Moul of Eswick, Mousa, Muckle Flugga, Muckle Ossa, Muckle Roe
North Havra, Noss
Orfasay, Out Stack, Oxna
Papa, Papa Little, Papa Stour
Samphrey
Sound Gruney, South Havra, South Isle of Gletness
Trondra
Unst, Urie Lingey, Uyea, Uynarey
Vaila, Vementry
West Linga, Whalsay
Yell

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. The Outer Skerries lie east of the main group.

Famous places

Clickimin broch
Fort Charlotte
Jarlshof archaeological site
Mousa Broch
Old Scatness archaeological site
Scalloway Castle
St Ninian's Isle
Sullom Voe oil terminal
Sumburgh Head
Wind Dog Cafe (Yell)
Skaw, the most northerly settlement in the United Kingdom.

Main industries

Animals

Language

The older Norn was replaced by Lowland Scots, which in turn, is being replaced by Scottish English.

As Norn was gradually replaced by Scots, the original Scandinavian name of the islands, Hjaltland became Ȝetland (the initial letter being the old Scots letter, yogh, which 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 mis-pronounced form used to describe the pre-1975 county council.

Shetland sheep.

Shetland Islands on film

Michael Powell made The Edge of the World in 1937. This film is about 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 lies in the Atlantic Ocean, ten miles off the west coast of Scotland, and west of the Outer Hebrides; the inhabitants spoke Gaelic. Powell was unable to get permission to film on St. Kilda. Nothing daunted, he made the film over four months during the summer of 1936 on the island of Foula, in the Shetland Isles. 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) dramatizes the evacuation of the Islands and the ensuing tragedy.
"Return To The Edge Of The World" (1978) was a documentary capturing a reunion of cast and crew of 1937's "Edge Of The World," 40 years after the fact, as they re-visit the island.