About the Shetland Islands
The Shetland Isles lie on the 60 degree north
line of latitude, and range from the Shetland
Mainland to
tiny
holms,
with
just a little green.
According to a local song, there are a hundred
Shetland Islands. Of these hundred isles,
just 16 islands are inhabited.
Within Shetland, ferries run to a regular
timetable, and some
islands
are linked to the Shetladn Mainland by bridges.
Some islands have a scheduled air service
as well.
Our network of 1,000 miles of high quality
roads are seldom busy.
Shetland has a population of about 22,000 people,
approximately a third of those live in Lerwick,
the main town.
With a coastline of almost 2000 miles, there
are many beautiful beaches and much wild
spectacular cliff scenery. On these cliffs
hundreds of thousands
of seabirds make their homes, especially
in the breeding season. Visitors can be
within
a few feet of birds, such as the loveable puffins.
As well as the birds, that ornithologist Bill
Oddie and so many others come to see, there
is always a chance of spotting whales, dolphins
and porpoises, while seals can by commonly seen.
Shetland ponies are a must and the native,
multi-coloured sheep produce the very finest
wool.
Visitors are as likely to see otters in Shetland
as anywhere else - indeed there are road signs
that warn of "Otters Crossing".
Hundreds of archaeological sites bear witness
to the fact that Shetland has been inhabited
for thousands of years. On the island of Mousa,
the 2,000-year-old broch remains virtually intact
and is therefore, unique.
The tiny, shy, storm petrels nest in the
walls of the Mousa broch and can be seen
during the Simmer
Dim - the twilight that is the Shetland summer
night.
Other fascinating archaeological sites date
from Mesolithic times onwards.
Vikings came to Shetland in the ninth century
and Norse rule prevailed for the next 600 years.
Shetlanders are immensely proud of their Norse
heritage manifested in the dialect, in placenames,
and the Up Helly Aa fire festival celebrations.
More recent history tells heroic stories of
the Shetland Bus and its contribution to the
Norwegian resistance during World War 2.
Shetlanders can look back on a colourful and
varied past but in recent years they have enjoyed
a prosperous and buoyant economy with near full
employment. Fishing, aquaculture, oil, agriculture
and tourism all play their part as well as the
knitwear industry including the world famous
Fair Isle patterns.
Islanders have always moved with the times
and today Shetland is a delightful blend of
old and new.
In our 39 schools children learn to
play traditional fiddle tunes along
side computer skills.
Shetland is a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan,
and truly friendly community. |