Shetland
Shetland [ ʃɛtlənd ], also mod. engl. Shetland Islands or short Shetlands, German often Shetland Islands, are a group of islands belonging to Scotland in the North Atlantic between Norway, Scotland / Orkney and the Faeroes. Some linguists see a connection with the mentioned in the Old Irish texts Inse Cat ( "island" of Catten or chatting), but which is otherwise unidentifiable. Except for the off -lying islands Fair Isle and Foula, they extend over a 80 times 120 km large area between the 59th and 61st parallels, and form the most northerly part of Britain. Of the 1426 km ² area accounts for about two-thirds of the main island of Mainland. Administrative center and largest town of the Shetland is Lerwick on Mainland.
Geography
The main islands are:
- Bressay
- East Burra
- Fetlar
- Mainland
- Mousa
- Muckle Flugga
- Muckle Roe
- Noss
Nearby are the islands of Foula and Fair Isle.
The highest point of Shetland is the Rona's Hill on Mainland with 449 m above sea level. NN.
Climate
In the Shetlands, it is generally very mild and humid (1000 mm of rainfall annually ) as determined by the Gulf Stream. The winter on the islands is usually quite mild, with only occasional frost and rather rare snowfall, the winter months is also the wettest time of year. In summer, temperatures can rise quite up to 15 ° C., and more. However, storms, heavy rain and fog are common and can make the weather even in summer relatively uncomfortable.
Air Table Lerwick
Prehistory
The Shetlands are colonized BC since the 3rd millennium. The inhabitants practiced agriculture and animal husbandry.
In the 2nd millennium BC ( Bronze Age ) with wetter and colder, which is why the inhabitants moved closer to the coast was. Originated in the Iron Age here today open to visitors Broch, round stone towers; Broch of Mousa, for example, the Jarlshof and Clickhimin, but also blockhouses, ring forts, forts Rampart, Earth Houses basement and Wheel Houses or temple as Stanydale shape the image of the archipelago.
History
The Norwegian- Danish Crown Estate on the Shetland Islands, so the country concerned and the obligations of the land rights, came as security for the dowry of the daughter of the Danish King Christian I in 1469 under the control of Scotland, as this King James III. married of Scotland. As a result, Shetland was annexed by the Kingdom of Scotland, but unlike Orkney not immediately integrated into the general imperial administration, but subordinated to the Royal Scottish Privy Council. Since then, the Scottish influence spread to the islands. The Old Norn as commonly used language died out in the 19th century. Nevertheless, there is still mainly on the northernmost island of Unst a few old people who remember the old legends and stories.
During the Second World War, the Shetlands played a role in supporting the Norwegian resistance, and in the escape from occupied Norway. From here, commando raids were conducted and introduced agents. With predominantly Norwegian fishing boats crossing between the Shetlands and the Norwegian coast was accomplished, what was possible only in the winter time. The actions as " Shetland Bus", of which the best known were probably the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz in 1942 and the heavy water plant in Rjukan Norsk Hydro in Norway's Telemark were known.
Geology and morphology
The island group was formed at the beginning of the Paleozoic in the Caledonian orogeny. It is composed of different sedimentary rocks. Shetland's surface is rocky. The archipelago is also called " The old rock", because here is dominated by hard, belonging to the oldest rocks of the earth sediments. Shetland Mainland, Yell and the west of Unst are composed of crystalline schists and gneisses. North Mainland consists mostly of granite. Gabbro and serpentine form the east of Unst and Fetlar. Sandstone found only in the western and Osträndern the archipelago. Ice Age glaciers are responsible for the local relief. The landscape here is similar to that of the Orkneys, while the remaining part of the Shetlands is rough. The bottom layer is thin, boulders, bogs and acidic grasslands, numerous small lakes and ponds are present. The hard rocks Mainlands offered the enormous masses of ice resistance. This was followed by the weak zones in the crust, the folds and fault lines from the period of mountain building or filled with calcium deposits valleys. So the mighty glacial valleys and the long and deep Voes emerged: Bowland, Clousta, Culbinsbourgh, Footabrough, Leiraness, papilloma, Quarf, Scalloway, Scatsta, Setter, Snarraness, sound, and Sullom Tresta. Picturesque forms that characterize the western side coast panorama, created in the interaction of westerly wind and surf that undercut the rocks. By breaking into the to thin blanket of sea caves holes to Gloups developed. Into the land cut crevices extended to so-called Geos. The Geos and Gloups and the rock arch of Dore Holm off the west coast of Esha Ness offer the most impressive sight in the north-west of Mainland. The Catpund -burn with steatite, serpentine and shale layers results in Cunningdburgh about a kilometer to the east into the sea.
Population
Of the approximately 24,000 Shetländern about one third of the island's capital, Lerwick live ( 7500 ). The second largest city is the former capital of Scalloway, with around 1,250 inhabitants.
Language
Economy
The most important industry of the islands is the oil industry, from the oil fields Ninian and Brent in the North Sea between the Shetlands and Norway take a submarine pipeline in the Bay Sullom Voe, on the Europe's largest oil terminal was built. The oil fields but have now passed their peak oil.
In addition, there has always been a strong specializing in salmon fishing and in earlier times also catching herring fishing industry. A more recent branch is the breeding of salmon in farms, which was begun in the 1990s. But also this branch is already in decline, and there are attempts to breed other fish species. Agriculture can be operated at the prevailing climatic and soil conditions almost only as grazing (some potatoes and carrots isolated cultivation). Being held next few sheep also Galloway cattle that are particularly frugal. From time immemorial, the Shetland ponies are regarded as fishermen, a little agriculture, Orcadians as a farmer engaged in a little fishing.
Another economic mainstay applies tourism, which is characterized mainly by private B & B accommodation for individual travelers. Some former fishermen now offer tours to the Cliffs of nature and bird reserves, for example, to the south side of Bressay or the Isle of Noss, at.
Traffic
You can reach the Shetland Islands by ferry or plane.
The main ferry are:
The former ferry connections with the Norröna to Tórshavn ( Faroe Islands ), Bergen ( Norway) and Seydisfjörður ( Iceland ) have been eliminated without replacement since 2007. The Norröna operates from 2009 and on the track Denmark-Faroe Islands - Iceland.
Regular air connections exist between the airfield Sumburgh at the southern tip and all major airports of the United Kingdom such as London (currently only in the summer by the Faroese society Atlantic Airways, which stops over at the route Torshavn London here ), Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as numerous Scottish airports such as Aberdeen, Inverness, Kirkwall, Wick.
The regional air traffic is handled exclusively through the Tingwall Airport (northwest Lerwick ), for the business aviation airport of Scatsta at Sullom Voe Oil Terminal was reactivated and expanded.
Within the archipelago, the connection between the individual islands is maintained mainly by ferries. In addition, some of the islands with bridges to each other are now connected, and there are several bus lines.
Culture, movies, theater, music
Every year on the last Tuesday in January there is a regional societal event, the " Up Helly Aa " festival. A little later in the spring of each year is the Shetland Folk Festival. The play " Fiddle ", is one of the traditional traditions. The traditional customs of the " Shetland Fiddelers " is known in folk music circles throughout Europe for their services. At the same time there is the part of the younger Shetlanders numerous rock bands. Originality have this but most likely, if they build in their own compositions to which only here so -to-find folk music melodies. The islands have a local history museum, the Shetland Museum.
- Jürgen u Ute Schimmelpfennig: " beach pirates on cold coasts: skua, great skua in the Shetland Islands; a film ". BR, Munich 1984. 1 video cassette [ VHS] (43 min).
- Berlin University of the Arts ( ed.): " Islands in the Net: Example Shetland Islands ". 1997th scope: a video cassette.
- Music: Catriona Macdonald & Ian Lowthian - "opus blue", Acoustic Radio, 1993, CM Distribution: Starbeck, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7HY, England.