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Lerwick
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- For the aircraft, see Saro Lerwick.
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles (160 km) off the north coast of mainland Great Britain on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland. Lerwick is about 210 miles north of Aberdeen, 230 miles west of Bergen in Norway and 230 miles south east of Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands.
Lerwick, Shetland's only burgh, had a population of approximately 7,070 residents in 2007 and is the most northerly town in Scotland (there are other large settlements more northerly in Shetland, most notable the village of Brae).
ick is a name with roots in Old Norse and its local descendant, Norn, which was spoken in Shetland until the mid-19th century.
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Encyclopedia
- For the aircraft, see Saro Lerwick.
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles (160 km) off the north coast of mainland Great Britain on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland. Lerwick is about 210 miles north of Aberdeen, 230 miles west of Bergen in Norway and 230 miles south east of Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands.
Lerwick, Shetland's only burgh, had a population of approximately 7,070 residents in 2007 and is the most northerly town in Scotland (there are other large settlements more northerly in Shetland, most notable the village of Brae).
History
Lerwick is a name with roots in Old Norse and its local descendant, Norn, which was spoken in Shetland until the mid-19th century. The name "Lerwick" means bay of clay. The corresponding Norwegian name is Leirvik, leir meaning clay and vik meaning "bay" or "inlet".
Evidence of human settlement’s in the Lerwick area date back 3000 years, centred around the Clickimin Broch.
The first settlement to be known as Lerwick was founded in the seventeenth century as a herring and white fish seaport to trade with the Dutch fishing fleet. This settlement was on the mainland (west) side of Bressay Sound, a natural harbour with south and north entrances between the Shetland mainland and the island of Bressay.
This collection of wooden huts was burned to the ground twice; in the 17th century by residents of the then capital town Scalloway who disapproved of the immoral and drunken activities of the assembled fishermen and sailors, and again in 1702 by the French fleet.
Fort Charlotte was built in the mid 17th Century on Lerwick’s waterfront and permanent stone built buildings began to be erected around 'the fort' and along the shoreline. The principal concentration of buildings was in the ‘lanes’ area; a steep hillside stretching from the shoreline to Hillhead at the top.
As Lerwick became more prosperous through sea trade and the fishing industry during the 19th century, the town expanded to the west of Hillhead. Lerwick Town Hall was built during this period of expansion.
The next period of significant expansion was during the North Sea oil boom of the 1970s when large housing developments were built to the north (Staneyhill) and south (Nederdale and Sandveien) of the main town.
Industry and economy
Lerwick is a busy fishing and ferry port. The harbour also services vessels supporting the offshore oil industry.
Notable buildings
Significant buildings in Lerwick include Fort Charlotte, Lerwick Town Hall, the Böd of Gremista, Shetland Museum and Archives and Clickimin Broch.
Churches
There are several churches in Lerwick, including:
Transportation
Lerwick is served by the Tingwall Airport located a few miles away.
Northlink Ferries operate a daily overnight ferry service between Lerwick and Aberdeen, regularly calling in to to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.
The Shetland Islands Council operate a ro-ro ferry service to Out Skerries and Bressay from a terminal in the centre of the town, and the Good Sheppard, Fair Isle's supply boat, regularly calls in to Lerwick's Hay's Dock.
Schools and education
Lerwick has three schools; Bell's Brae Primary School, Sound Primary School and Anderson High School.
Shetland College, a constituent partner institution of the UHI Millennium Institute, is also based in the town, offering degree-level education (among other further education courses) to locals who unsurprisingly find it difficult to study further afield (the next closest university-level institution is the University of Aberdeen, a twelve-hour boat journey away).
Hospitals and healthcare
The Gilbert Bain Hospital provides secondary care services to all of Shetland. The Lerwick Health Centre is situated across the South Road from the hospital.
Media
Local independent radio station SIBC broadcasts daily from a studio in Market Street. BBC Radio Shetland, a BBC Radio Scotland regional opt out, has it's studios in Pitt Lane. The Shetland Times, a weekly local newspaper, has its premises in Gremista on the northern outskirts of Lerwick. Millgaet Media Group, a multi-media production company that includes Shetland Television, is based at the North Ness Business Park.
Culture
Lerwick has strong ties with Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway (Lerwick has a friendship agreement with Måløy in Norway), and this is reflected in the street names of Lerwick (e.g. King Harald Street, King Haakon Street).
Events
Lerwick is the focus of most events in Shetland, including the largest of the annual Up Helly-Aa fire festivals.
Gallery
See also
External links
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