Celtic Recipes

Mainland, Shetland

Klippenküste bei Eshaness, Mainland, Shetland courtesy of ThoWi via wikimedia commons

This covers an area of about 374 square miles and is the main island in Shetland. The capital is Lerwick which has evidence of settlement going back 3000 years.

Yell

Breakton Beach in Yell Shetland and courtesy of NorthLink Ferries.

This is an island in the north isles of Shetland that is about 82 square miles and second largest of the Shetland isles. A car-ferry service sails from Toft ferry port on northeast Mainland to Ulsta a village on the southwest of Yell. The island has been inhabited since Neolithic times and there are several broch sites and early chapels. One such broch is Burra Ness and the seaward side of the broch wall remains standing at over twelve feet. The site is located on the northeast of Yell south of the A968 at Burra Ness.

Fetlar

Fetlar-Shetland image courtesy NorthLink Ferries

This is an island east from Yell and covers an area of about sixteen square miles. A wall known as the Funzie Girt or Finnigirt Dyke runs across the island from north to south, with the northern section being the most complete and is thought to date from Mesolithic or Neolithic times. The island has been inhabited at least since the Neolithic period and through into Pictish and Norse times until the present day. The ferry to Fetlar goes from Gutcher in Yell to Hamars Ness in Fetlar, sometimes via Unst. Petrol for motor vehicles needs to be obtained before arrival at Fetlar.

Unst, Shetland

Muness Castle image © Copyright Colin Park licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.

This is the third largest island in Shetland covering an area of about 46 square miles and the northern most inhabited one. The island has two nature reserves, Hermaness and Keen of Hamar. The history of Unst goes back to at least Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and into Pictish and Norse times. Ferry services link Belmont in the south of Unst to Gutcher in Yell and Hamars Ness in Fetlar.

North Ronaldsay

Old Beacon North Ronaldsay image courtesy of North Ronaldsay Trust

This is the northern most island in Orkney. There are daily flights to Orkney Mainland and Ferry services from Kirkwall and Papa Westray. The ferry docks at South Bay and the largest settlement is Hollandstoun which is about a mile north of South Bay and also close to the airport. The island was first inhabited about 2000BC.

Papa Westray

Knap of Howar © Copyright Me677 at English Wikipedia and released into the public domain.

Papa Westray

This is a small island of four miles in length and one mile wide. It can be reached by boat from Westray and plane. There are a number of archaeological sites on the island some of which are identifies below:

Westray

Links of Noltland image © Copyright Laura McKenna released into the public domain and courtesy of wikimedia commons

This is reached via ferry to Rapness Ferry Terminal in the south of the island from Mainland or Pierowall Ferry Terminal to Papa Westray in the north. Pierowall is the largest settlement on the island. Westray has had settlements since Neolithic times.

Sanday

Quoyness Chambered Cairn image courtesy of Historical Environment Scotland

Sanday

This is the third largest of the Orkney islands. It can be reached by the Orkney ferries and plane from Mainland. There is evidence of settlement from Neolithic through to Viking times and the present day remains of one of these sites is Quoyness Chambered Cairn.

Stronsay

Sea arch at the Vat of Kirbister, Stronsay image courtesy Visit Stronsay

Stronsay

The island is seven miles long and can be reached by air from Kirkwall or Ferry from Kirkwall with some services via Eday. The island is noted for it's sandy beaches and wildlife. The main settlement is Whitehall on the north and where the ferry docks. The island has been inhabited since Neolithic times and archaeological finds of flint arrowheads suggest the possibility that Stronsay could have been inhabited as early as 10000BC to 8000BC.

Eday

Eday Heritage Centre image courtesy of Eday Heritage Centre Facebook page.

Eday

This is reached via ferry to the village of Backaland towards the south of the island. Eday is in a central location among the northern isles of Orkney.

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