Unst

Infobox Scottish island |


GridReference=HP600091
celtic name=
norse name=Ornyst
meaning of name= Possibly of Pictish origin or Old Norse for 'home of the eagle'
area=120.68 km²
area rank=14
highest elevation= Saxa Vord 284 m
Population=720
population rank=19
main settlement= Baltasound
island group=Shetland
local authority=Shetland Islands
references= [2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland] cite book| author=Haswell-Smith, Hamish| year=2004| title=The Scottish Islands| location=Edinburgh| publisher=Canongate| isbn=1841954543] cite map| url=http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/| title=Get-a-map| publisher=Ordnance Survey] [Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) "Orkneyinga Saga". Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9]

Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Mainland and Yell. It has an area of 120.68 km² (46 square miles).

Unst is largely grassland, with coastal cliffs. Its main village is Baltasound, formerly the second largest herring fishing port after Lerwick and now the location of a brewery, a leisure centre and the island's airport. Other settlements include Uyeasound, home to Greenwell's Booth (a Hanseatic warehouse) and Muness Castle, (built in 1598 and sacked by pirates in 1627); and Haroldswick, location of a boat museum and a heritage centre.

History

The meaning of the name 'Unst' is unknown, but appears to be of pre-Norse origin, like a number of other islands in the Shetland archipelago (eg. Yell and Fetlar). It is therefore presumably a name given by the pre-Scandinavian inhabitants, and perhaps originated among people speaking a dialect of the Pictish language.

Unst is currently in the middle of a project to excavate and display the island's Norse heritage. The [http://www.vikingshetland.com/index.html Viking Unst] scheme is funded until 2010, and has already begun excavation on three longhouses - 30 are known of on the island. The project also runs living history events during the summer. The replica viking ship Skidblander is can currently be seen ashore at Haroldswick.

It was Robert Louis Stevenson's Uncle and Father that were the main design engineers for the lighthouse on Muckle Flugga, just off Hermaness on the north-west of the island. He visited Unst and the island became the basis for the map of Treasure Island Fact|date=August 2007 - a claim also made by Fidra in East Lothian.

On 7 January 2007, Unst was rocked by an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale. This is believed to be one of the most powerful earthquakes in the Norwegian Sea area in the past 10 years. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6242347.stm BBC: Earthquake shakes sea island] ]

Geography and geology

The island lays claims to many "most northerly" UK titles. The tiny settlement of Skaw in the north-east of the island is the northernmost settlement in the UK. The Muckle Flugga lighthouse, just off the far north of Unst, was opened in 1858 and is the most northerly lighthouse in the UK, situated close to Out Stack, the most northerly rock in the UK.

Unst was once the location of several chromate quarries, one of which was served by the now-disused Hagdale Chromate Railway from 1907 to 1937. [Simms, Wilfred F. (1997). The Railways Of Shetland. Wilfred F. Simms. ISBN 0-9528881-3-0.]

Economy and transport

Ferries link Belmont on the island to Gutcher on Yell and Oddsta on Fetlar.

Less well known is an extraordinary bus shelter on the island, known as Bobby's Bus Shelter, furnished by local residents with a sofa, television, computer and other home comforts. [cite web| url=http://www.unstbusshelter.shetland.co.uk|title=Unst Bus Shelter| accessdate=2008-01-08]

Unst is also home to the PURE Wind Hydrogen project. [ [http://www.pure.shetland.co.uk/ PURE hydrogen project] ] (Promoting Unst Renewable Energy), a community-owned clean energy system based on hydrogen production. This project is part of the Unst Partnership, the community's development trust.

At the southern end of Unst, above the islands ferry terminal, stands Belmont House dating from 1775. Being restored by the Belmont Trust, it will be used as a high class holiday house and also become a venue for weddings, meetings, art and community events. Shetland's most outstanding Georgian building and highly important within Scotland, the Belmont restoration project is costing over £1m and should be completed by 2009. [ [http://www.belmontunst.org.uk The Belmont Trust] Retrieved 11 February 2007.]

The usually resident population of Unst and Fetlar in the 2001 census was 806.

axa Vord

The Saxa Vord Royal Air Force radar station closed in 2006 with the loss of more than 100 jobs. [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4177716.stm| publisher=BBC|date=24 August 2005| title='No funds' for closing radar base| accessdate=2008-01-08] However, a phoenix has arisen from the ashes in the form of the new Saxa Vord Resort. April 2007 saw the purchase of RAF Saxa Vord's domestic site, plus the road up to the Mid Site, by Military Asset Management (MAM), a company owned by Highland entrepreneur, Frank Strang.Fact|date=January 2008

Recognising that military bases tend to be situated in remote rural areas and that their closure, (as a result of the "Cold War peace dividend"), can have devastating economic and social consequences for local communities, MAM was established to transform closing bases into self sustaining, profitable enterprises, encouraging and fostering local economic regeneration in the process. Accordingly, Saxa Vord is currently being transformed into a ground-breaking new tourism venture: Britain's first "residential natural and cultural heritage activity centre".

The concept is simple: to attract like-minded people from all over the world to stay at Saxa Vord, where they will enjoy unique insights into some of the North Atlantic's most iconic natural and cultural heritage. The first phase is complete and Saxa Vord currently (2007) offers 20 self catering holiday houses, a 16-bedroom bunkhouse, together with a restaurant and bar. 2008 will see the launch of an 80-bedroom study centre, leisure facilities and a guided walks/evening talks programme.cite web| url=http://www.saxavord.com| title=Saxa Vord Resort| accessdate=2007-11-06]

Local people are being employed whenever possible at Saxa Vord and there is direct local involvement in the business. For example, Sonny Priest manages and supplies the bar at Saxa Vord and is relocating his brewery to the site. [cite web| url=http://www.valhallabrewery.co.uk| title=Valhalla Brewery| accessdate=2007-11-06] Similarly, Shetland's only chocolatier, has moved to new premisses at Saxa Vord. [cite web| url=http://www.foordschocolates.com| title=Foords Chocolates| accessdate=2007-11-06] In both cases the businesses have the space that they need to expand so that they can reach new markets on the British mainland and beyond.

Wildlife

Unst is important for its seabird colonies, including those at Hermaness National Nature Reserve. It is also known for its plant life, including Norwegian sandwort and Shetland Mouse-ear, the latter unique to the island.

Bibliography

* Sandison, Charles - "Unst: My Island Home and its Story", Shetland Times, 1968 [repr. 1975]

References

External links

* [http://www.unst.org/ unst.org]
* [http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/dialects/nis.html Recordings of Unst Scots]