Shetland Location
Location — Some Facts
- Shetland is the most northerly part of the British Isles, 150 km (93 miles) north of the Scottish mainland.
- The capital, Lerwick, is 340km (211 miles) from Aberdeen, and only slightly further than this from Bergen in Norway and Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.
- The 60-degree line of latitude passes through the small island of Mousa and through the south Mainland of Shetland.
Peripheral and Central
On maps of Scotland and Britain, Shetland's position is very often misrepresented: the islands are often omitted altogether, or included only as an inset on a reduced scale. This has contributed to widespread confusion about the islands' whereabouts.
From a British perspective, Shetland is undeniably peripheral, being far to the north of the rest of the country. However, on maps of Europe or the world Shetland's true position and significance become apparent: Shetland lies at the 'crossroads of the North Sea' at the centre of major fishing grounds, oil reserves and trading routes.
A Land of a Hundred Islands
- Shetland is made up of over 100 islands.
- The total land area is 1468 square kilometers (567 square miles).
- Mainland is by far the largest of island at 909 square kilometers (351 square miles).
- The islands lie close together in an elongated group running broadly from north to south.
- The distance from Sumburgh Head, the most southerly tip of Mainland, to the most northerly point of Unst is 113km (70 miles).
- Fair Isle - located 39km (24 miles) south-west of Sumburgh Head - and Foula - 29km (18 miles) west of Walls, are by far the most remote of the islands.
