Mainland is the main
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
of Shetland,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The island contains Shetland's only
burghA Burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United Kingdom...
,
LerwickLerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Great Britain on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
, and is the centre of Shetland's
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and air connections.
It has an area of , making it the third largest Scottish island and the fifth largest of the
British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and numerous smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland...
after
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
,
Lewis and HarrisLewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides make up the largest island in Scotland. This is the largest single island of the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland.-Geography:...
and
SkyeSkye or the Isle of Skye , is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
.
Mainland can be broadly divided into four sections.
- The long southern peninsula
The South Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying south of Hellister .*Lerwick*Scalloway*Veensgarth*Gulberwick*Quarff*Cunningsburgh*Sandwick, Shetland*Hoswick*Bigton, St Ninian's Isle*Scousburgh...
, south of Lerwick, has a mixture of moorlandMoorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas, characterised by low growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland nowadays generally means uncultivated hill land , but the Old English mōr also refers to low-lying wetlands...
and farmlandIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
and contains many important archaeologicalArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
sites.
- Bigton
Bigton is a small settlement on South Mainland, Shetland, UK.It lies on the Atlantic coast of the island overlooking St Ninian's Isle and within view is the island of Burra, further to the north. It is 18 miles by road from Lerwick, just off the B9122 and lies just north of the settlement of...
- Sandwick
Sandwick is a township in the Shetland Islands, situated 13 miles south of Lerwick in the South Mainland. It is comprised of a number of distinct settlements in very close proximity to each other, each remaining distinct through being separated by agricultural land...
- Scalloway
Scalloway is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, Shetland with a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census...
- Sumburgh
Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. The head is a 100 m high rocky spur capped by the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. The Old Norse name was Dunrøstar høfdi, it means "The Head onto the Thunderous Noise", referring to the noise of Sumburgh Roost...
- The Central Mainland
The Central Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland, between Hellister, Aith and Voe....
has more farmland and some woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
plantations.
- The West Mainland
The West Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying west of Aith .*Aith*Twatt*Sandness*Walls*Easter Skeld*Reawick*Wester Skeld...
- Aith
Aith, , is a village on the Northern coast of the West Shetland Mainland at the southern end of Aith Voe, some 21 miles west of Lerwick....
- Walls
Walls, known locally as Waas, Walls, known locally as Waas, Walls, known locally as Waas, (Old Norse: Vagar = "Sheltered Bays" (voes) - the Ordnance Survey added the "ll" as they thought it was a corruption of "walls"...
- the North Mainland
The North Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying north of Voe .Notable places in North Mainland include:*Sullom Voe, its oil terminal being an important source of employment for the islanders.*Brae...
- in particular the large NorthmavineNorthmavine is a peninsula and parish in North Mainland, Shetland. It is in the north west of the island, and contains the villages of Hillswick, Ollaberry, and North Roe...
peninsula, connected to Mainland by a narrow isthmusAn isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. Of note, the Isthmus of Panama connects the continents of North and South America , and the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt connects Africa and Asia .Canals are often built on isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to...
at Mavis GrindMavis Grind is a narrow isthmus joining the Northmavine peninsula to the rest of Shetland Mainland in the Shetland Islands, UK. It is just 33 metres wide at its narrowest point...
- is wild, with much moorland and coastal cliffIn geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are...
s.
Discussion
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Mainland is the main
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
of Shetland,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The island contains Shetland's only
burghA Burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United Kingdom...
,
LerwickLerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Great Britain on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
, and is the centre of Shetland's
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and air connections.
It has an area of , making it the third largest Scottish island and the fifth largest of the
British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and numerous smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland...
after
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
,
Lewis and HarrisLewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides make up the largest island in Scotland. This is the largest single island of the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland.-Geography:...
and
SkyeSkye or the Isle of Skye , is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
.
Mainland can be broadly divided into four sections.
- The long southern peninsula
The South Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying south of Hellister .*Lerwick*Scalloway*Veensgarth*Gulberwick*Quarff*Cunningsburgh*Sandwick, Shetland*Hoswick*Bigton, St Ninian's Isle*Scousburgh...
, south of Lerwick, has a mixture of moorlandMoorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas, characterised by low growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland nowadays generally means uncultivated hill land , but the Old English mōr also refers to low-lying wetlands...
and farmlandIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
and contains many important archaeologicalArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
sites.
- Bigton
Bigton is a small settlement on South Mainland, Shetland, UK.It lies on the Atlantic coast of the island overlooking St Ninian's Isle and within view is the island of Burra, further to the north. It is 18 miles by road from Lerwick, just off the B9122 and lies just north of the settlement of...
- Sandwick
Sandwick is a township in the Shetland Islands, situated 13 miles south of Lerwick in the South Mainland. It is comprised of a number of distinct settlements in very close proximity to each other, each remaining distinct through being separated by agricultural land...
- Scalloway
Scalloway is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, Shetland with a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census...
- Sumburgh
Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. The head is a 100 m high rocky spur capped by the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. The Old Norse name was Dunrøstar høfdi, it means "The Head onto the Thunderous Noise", referring to the noise of Sumburgh Roost...
- The Central Mainland
The Central Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland, between Hellister, Aith and Voe....
has more farmland and some woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
plantations.
- The West Mainland
The West Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying west of Aith .*Aith*Twatt*Sandness*Walls*Easter Skeld*Reawick*Wester Skeld...
- Aith
Aith, , is a village on the Northern coast of the West Shetland Mainland at the southern end of Aith Voe, some 21 miles west of Lerwick....
- Walls
Walls, known locally as Waas, Walls, known locally as Waas, Walls, known locally as Waas, (Old Norse: Vagar = "Sheltered Bays" (voes) - the Ordnance Survey added the "ll" as they thought it was a corruption of "walls"...
- the North Mainland
The North Mainland of the Shetland Islands is the part of the Mainland lying north of Voe .Notable places in North Mainland include:*Sullom Voe, its oil terminal being an important source of employment for the islanders.*Brae...
- in particular the large NorthmavineNorthmavine is a peninsula and parish in North Mainland, Shetland. It is in the north west of the island, and contains the villages of Hillswick, Ollaberry, and North Roe...
peninsula, connected to Mainland by a narrow isthmusAn isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. Of note, the Isthmus of Panama connects the continents of North and South America , and the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt connects Africa and Asia .Canals are often built on isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to...
at Mavis GrindMavis Grind is a narrow isthmus joining the Northmavine peninsula to the rest of Shetland Mainland in the Shetland Islands, UK. It is just 33 metres wide at its narrowest point...
- is wild, with much moorland and coastal cliffIn geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are...
s. The North Mainland contains Sullom VoeSullom Voe is an inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. It is a location of the Sullom Voe oil terminal.The Voe, the longest in Shetland, and partially sheltered by the island of Yell was used as a military base during World War II both by the Norwegian Air Force and...
, its oil terminal an important source of employment for the islanders.
- Brae
Brae is a settlement on the mainland of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is located at the northeast end of Busta Voe, on the narrow isthmus that separates the mainland from Northmavine. Traditionally a fishing village, with the construction of the nearby Sullom Voe Oil Terminal in the 1970s...
- North Roe
North Roe is a village at the northern tip of the Mainland of Shetland.It is a small village, with a school containing only a handful a pupils,but more interestingly it is the home of a Potez 840 plane, which resides...
- Vidlin
Vidlin , is a small village located in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.It is at the head of Vidlin Voe, is the modern heart of the old parish of Lunnasting, which centred on the early church at Lunna....