Baltasound

Infobox UK place
official_name= Baltasound
country= Scotland
population=
os_grid_reference=
latitude= 60.76
longitude= -0.86
post_town= SHETLAND
postcode_area= ZE
postcode_district= ZE2
dial_code= 01957
constituency_westminster= Orkney and Shetland
civil_parish=
unitary_scotland= Shetland
lieutenancy_scotland= Shetland
constituency_scottish_parliament= Shetland

Baltasound is the largest settlement on the island of Unst in Shetland. Unst is the most northerly inhabited island in the United Kingdom. The village lies halfway along the island's east coast on a sheltered bay called Balta Sound.

Baltasound was formerly the most second most important herring port in Shetland, in 1902 its catch exceeded that of the Shetland capital Lerwick. The herring trade declined rapidly after 1905 but the physical remains of the herring boom remained long after. [Hudson, Norman - "Souvenir Postcards from Shetland", Shetland Times, 1992]

Baltasound can also lay claim to the most northerly "wood" in the British Isles, although it is not very substantial. [Blackadder, Jill Slee "Shetland (Colin Baxter Island Guides)" (2003) Colin Baxter Photography, Strathspey ISBN 1-84107-125-0 ]

Amenities

Many of Baltasound's current amenities hold the record for the most northerly in the UK:

*Airport - Baltasound Airport - Airport code UNT, runway length 2099ft. [ [http://www.airports-worldwide.com/uk/uk_unst.html Airports Worldwide] ] , currently only used by emergency services.
*Leisure Centre
*School - Baltasound Junior High School [ [http://www.baltasound.shetland.sch.uk Baltasound Junior High School website] ]
*Hotel - The Baltasound Hotel [ [http://www.baltasound-hotel.shetland.co.uk Baltasound Hotel website] ]
*Brewery - Valhalla Brewery, opened in 1997 [ [http://www.valhallabrewery.co.uk/about.htm Valhalla Brewery website] ]
*Post Office - Baltasound Post Office is now the most northerly post office. For many years this record was held by the post office at Haroldswick until its closure in 1999. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/541257.stm BBC News report on closure of Haroldswick post office] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.unst.org/baltasound.htm Baltasound pictures on official Unst website]