Mainland, Shetland
| Norse name | Megenland |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Old Norse for 'mainland' |
| Location | |
 | |
| OS grid reference | HU414553 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Shetland |
| Area | 96,879 hectares (374 sq mi)[1] |
| Area rank | 3 [2] |
| Highest elevation | Ronas Hill 450 metres (1,476 ft) |
| Political geography | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Shetland Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 18,765[3] |
| Population rank | 2 [2] |
| Population density | 19.41 people/km2[1] |
| Largest settlement | Lerwick |
 | |
| References | [4][5] |
The cliffs of Eshaness, North Mainland
The 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 (970 km2), making it the third largest Scottish island and the fifth largest of the British Isles after Great Britain, Ireland, Lewis and Harris and Skye.
The 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, whose oil terminal is an important source of employment for the islanders.
This island is the second most populous of the Scottish islands, and had 18,765 residents in 2011[3] compared to 17,550 in 2001.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 406
- 1 2 Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands >20ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- 1 2 National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013) (pdf) Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part Two). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland’s inhabited islands". Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- ↑ Ordnance Survey
- ↑ Shorewatch
- ↑ General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shetland Mainland. |
Coordinates: 60°19′N 1°16′W / 60.317°N 1.267°W
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