Tingwall, Shetland

Tingwall, (Old Norse: Þingvollr = Field of the Thing (assembly)) is a hamlet and parish in Shetland, mostly on Mainland.

The hamlet lies about 4 miles north west of Lerwick. It is at the head of a long narrow bay. Tingwall Airport is here.

Parish

Tingwall parish includes the settlements of Scalloway, Whiteness, Veensgarth and Gott, and the Vallafield housing estate. The centre of the parish was the Tingwall Kirk. It comprehends a section of Mainland, stretching from the Atlantic at Scalloway, to the North Sea at Rova Head and includes the formerly inhabited islands of Hildasay , Langa, Linga, and Oxna. It is so indented by the sea as to contain no point farther than two miels from it. Measured across marine intersections, it has a length of about nineteen miles, and a maximum breadth of ten miles.

The Mainland section is divided into two districts by a hill ridge, and comprises two parallel valleys (nearly at right angles from the ridge). The Tingwall valley extends north from near Scalloway to the south end of Lax Firth. It is diversified by the lochs of Tingwall, Girlsta, Asta, Strom and some others.

History

Lawting Islet in the Loch of Tingwall was the seat of Norse supreme administration over all Shetland.

Many tumuli, and remains of ancient chapels are found in the parish, and many stone axes and flint arrow heads have also been found.

Tingwall is home to the literary brothers Laurence I. Graham and John J. Graham.

External links

* [http://www.scran.ac.uk/stones/sites/tingwall.htm The Murder Stone]

References

* The original article is based on http://shetlopedia.com/Tingwall a GFDL wiki.
* This article also incorporates text from -Wilson, Rev. John "The Gazetteer of Scotland" (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone