Shetland - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 367

Shetland
Shetland is surprisingly different from neighbouring Orkney. While Orkney
lies within sight of the Scottish mainland, Shetland lies beyond the horizon,
closer to Bergen in Norway than Edinburgh, and to the Arctic Circle than
Manchester. With little fertile ground, Shetlanders have traditionally been
crofters, often looking to the sea for an uncertain living in fishing and
whaling or the naval and merchant services. The 23,000 islanders tend to
refer to themselves as Shetlanders first, and, with the Shetland flag widely
displayed, they regard Scotland as a separate entity. As in Orkney, the
Mainland is the one in their own archipelago, not the Scottish mainland.

Most folk come here for the unique wildlife and landscape . Smoothed by the last
glaciation, the coastline's crust of cliffs with caves, blowholes and stacks, testifies to the
continuing battle with the weather. Inland (a relative term, since you're never more
than three miles from the sea), the treeless terrain is a barren mix of moorland, studded
with peaty lochs.
The islands' capital, Lerwick , is a busy port and the only town of any size, with many
parts of Shetland easily reached on a day-trip. South Mainland , a narrow finger of land
that runs 25 miles from Lerwick to Sumburgh Head , is an area rich in archeological
remains, including the Iron Age Mousa Broch and the ancient settlement of Jarlshof .
A further 25 miles south of Sumburgh Head is the remote but thriving Fair Isle ,
synonymous with knitwear and exceptional birdlife. The Westside of Mainland is
bleaker and more sparsely inhabited, as is North Mainland . A mile off the west coast,
Papa Stour boasts some spectacular caves and stacks; much further out are the
distinctive peaks and precipitous cliffs of the remote island of Foula . Shetland's three
North Isles bring Britain to a dramatic, windswept end: Yell has the largest population
of otters in Shetland; Fetlar is home to the rare red-necked phalarope; north of Unst ,
there's nothing until you reach the North Pole.
Weather has a serious influence in these parts. In winter, gales are routine and
Shetlanders take even the occasional hurricane in their stride. Even in the summer
months it will often be windy and rainy. The wind-chill factor is not to be taken lightly,
and there is often a dampness in the air, even when it's not actually raining. While
there are some good spells of dry, sunny weather (which often brings in sea mist) from
May to September, it's the simmer dim , the twilight which lingers through the small
hours at this latitude, which makes Shetland summers so memorable.

8

Brief history
Since people first began to explore the North Atlantic, Shetland has been a stepping
stone on routes between Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia; people have lived here since
prehistoric times , certainly from about 3500 BC. The Norse settlers began to arrive from
about 800 AD, and established Shetland first as part of the Orkney earldom, ruling it
directly from Norway after 1195. The Vikings left the islands with a unique cultural
character, most evident today in the place names and in the dialect , which contains

Shetland ponies, sheep and sheepdogs
p.373
Böds p.374
Up Helly-Aa p.376

Lerwick's other festivals p.378
The Shetland Bus p.380
Walking on Papa Stour p.391
Walking on Foula p.392