Mainland, Shetland
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| Mainland, Shetland | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
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| OS grid reference: | HU414553 |
| Names | |
| Gaelic name: | Unknown |
| Norse name: | Megenland |
| Meaning of name: | Old Norse for 'mainland' |
| Area and Summit | |
| Area: | 96,879 ha |
| Area rank (Scottish islands): | 3 |
| Highest elevation: | Ronas Hill 450 m |
| Population | |
| Population (2001): | 17,550 |
| Population rank (inhabited Scottish islands): | 2 out of 97 |
| Main settlement: | Lerwick |
| Groupings | |
| Island Group: | Shetland |
| Local Authority: | Shetland Islands |
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| References: | [1][2][3] |
Mainland is the main island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's ferry and air connections.
It has an area of 374 square miles, making it the third largest Scottish island and the fifth largest of the British Isles after Great Britain, Ireland, Lewis and Harris and Skye.
Mainland can be broadly divided into four sections.
- The long southern peninsula, south of Lerwick, has a mixture of moorland and farmland and contains many important archaeological sites.
- The Central Mainland has more farmland and some woodland plantations.
- The West Mainland
- the North Mainland - in particular the large Northmavine peninsula, connected to Mainland by a narrow isthmus at Mavis Grind - is wild, with much moorland and coastal cliffs. The North Mainland contains Sullom Voe, its oil terminal an important source of employment for the islanders.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
- ^ Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
- ^ Ordnance Survey
- ^ Shorewatch
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