| Scottish Gaelic name | Sealtainn[Note 1] |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [ˈʃalˠ̪t̪ɪɲ] |
| Scots name | Shetland (Shitlin, Insular Scots) |
| Old Norse name | Hjaltland |
| Meaning of name | 'Hiltland' |
 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
 | |
  Shetland Shetland shown within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | HU4363 |
| Coordinates | 60°20′N 1°20′W / 60.333°N 1.333°W ISO Code: GB-ZET |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Northern Isles |
| Area | 1,467 km2 (566 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | Ronas Hill 450 m (1,480 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Shetland Islands Council |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 23,020 (2022)[2] |
| Population density | 16/km2 (41/sq mi) |
| Largest settlement | Lerwick |
 | |
Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.
The islands lie about 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the northeast of Orkney, 110 mi (170 km) from mainland Scotland and 140 mi (220 km) west of Norway. They form part of the border between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. Their total area is 1,467 km2 (566 sq mi), and the population totalled 23,020 in 2022.[2] The islands comprise the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament. Shetland forms one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is the Shetland Islands Council. The islands' administrative centre, largest settlement and only burgh is Lerwick, which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708, before which time the capital was Scalloway.
The archipelago has an oceanic climate, complex geology, rugged coastline, and many low, rolling hills. The largest island, known as "the Mainland", has an area of 373 sq mi (967 km2),[3] and is the fifth-largest island in the British Isles. It is one of 16 inhabited islands in Shetland.
Humans have lived in Shetland since the Mesolithic period. Picts are known to have been the original inhabitants of the islands, before the Norse conquest and subsequent colonisation in the Early Middle Ages.[4] From the 10th to 15th centuries, the islands formed part of the Kingdom of Norway. In 1472, the Parliament of Scotland absorbed the Lordship of Shetland into the Kingdom of Scotland, following the failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark.[5] After Scotland and England united in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, trade between Shetland and continental Northern Europe decreased. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted Shetland's economy, employment and public-sector revenues.[6] Fishing has always been an important part of the islands' economy.
The local way of life reflects the Norse heritage of the isles, including the Up Helly Aa fire festivals and a strong musical tradition, especially the traditional fiddle style. Almost all place names in the islands have Norse origin.[7] The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets, who have often written in the distinctive Shetland dialect of the Scots language. Many areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the local fauna and flora, including a number of important seabird nesting sites. The Shetland pony and Shetland Sheepdog are two well-known Shetland animal breeds. Other animals with local breeds include the Shetland sheep, cow, goose, and duck. The Shetland pig, or grice, has been extinct since about 1930.
The islands' motto, which appears on the Council's coat of arms, is "Með lögum skal land byggja" ("By law shall the land be built").[a] The phrase is of Old Norse origin, is mentioned in Njáls saga, and was likely borrowed from provincial Norwegian laws such as the Frostathing Law.
- ^ "Forcing Gaelic on our schools is wrong, says MSP". The Shetland Times. 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 406
- ^ Jennings, Stephen (9 April 2021). "In Depth – The Fate of the Picts in the Northern Isles". archaeologyshetland. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "On this day 1472: Orkney and Shetland join Scotland". www.scotsman.com. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Shepherd, Mike (2015). Oil Strike North Sea: A first-hand history of North Sea oil. Luath Press.
- ^ "Shetland Place Names | Shetland Heritage". www.shetland-heritage.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
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