Shetland
Five fascinating facts
Shetland belonged to Denmark until 1469, when Princess Margaret of Denmark married James III of Scotland – the Islands were part of her dowry but were to be reclaimed when finances allowed.
The Islands played a secret role in WWII, when mostly Norwegian fishing boats formed the ‘Shetland Bus’ – transporting munitions, supplies, and even rescuing refugees. This operation was run by the British but had many fine Norweigan sailors.
Shetland boasts an ancient civilisation that predates the Vikings and the Picts, with Neolithic archaeological sites which date back to 2500 BC.
The Shetland Isles lie about 170 km from mainland Scotland and 220 KM West or Norway.
At the height of summer, the sun barely sets – aside from a few hours of twilight which Shetlanders refer to as the ‘Simmer Dim’
Scalloway
Scalloway (Old Norse: Skálavágr, name of the bay) is the largest settlement on the west coast of the mainland, the largest island of the Shetland isles. The village had a population of roughly 900, at the 2020 census. Now a fishing port, until 1708 it was the capital of the Shetland Islands (now Lerwick on the east coast of the Shetland mainland).
The story behind the Shetland bus memorial. (pictured).
Shetland
Scotland's wild, awe-inspiring islands
'Da laand cries 'Hadd dee hand!' but da sea says 'Come again!'
Lerwick
BBC Drama Shetland:
The Lodberrie, straddling the foreshore of South Commercial Street, with its foundations built into the sea, is where Jimmy Perez lives in the fictional drama.
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