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scotland
kinrossshire
kirkcudbrightshire
lanarkshire
midlothian
morayshire
nairnshire
orkney
peeblesshire
perthshire
renfrewshire
rossshire
roxburghshire
selkirkshire
shetland
stirlingshire
sutherland
westlothian
wigtownshire |
For the most northerly railway in
Britain, go to Thurso. For the "most northerly" of just about
anything else, you need to go to Shetland. The name, sometimes in
the past referred to as Zetland (hence the "ZE" beginning to
postcodes), comes from the Norse name for the islands, Hjaltland.
Shetland was Norse until 8 September
1468, when the islands were mortgaged to Scotland for 8,000 florins
as part of the marriage agreement between the future James III and
Princess Margrethe of Denmark. In 1472 the Scots annexed both
Shetland and Orkney.
Shetlanders are, in many ways, more
Scandinavian than Scottish. They are so obviously of Viking origin
(Bergen in Norway being almost as close to Lerwick as any Scottish
Mainland city), it is hardly surprising that Shetlanders see
themselves as Norse rather than British or even Scottish!
In fact, the Vikings ruled Shetland for
600 years before being gifted to Scotland as part of a dowry in the
late 15th century. But this archipelago is still Norse in character
and very independent. The "Up Helly Aa" Festival every January pays
homage to Shetland?s Viking past and attracts many thousands of
visitors every year to see this truly "Shetland" experience.
Counties
England Wales
Scotland
Kinross-shire,
Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire Midlothian,
Morayshire,
Nairnshire Orkney,
Peeblesshire,
Perthshire
Renfrewshire, Ross-shire,
Roxburghshire
Selkirkshire, Shetland,
Stirlingshire Sutherland,
West Lothian,
Wigtownshire |
