Mainland, Shetland

Mainland, Shetland
Norse name Megenland
Meaning of name Old Norse for 'mainland'
Location
OS grid reference HU414553
Physical geography
Island group Shetland
Area 96,879 hectares (374 sq mi)[1]
Area rank 3[2]
Highest elevation Ronas Hill 450 metres (1,476 ft)
Administration
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Scotland
Council area Shetland Islands
Demographics
Population 18,765[3]
Population rank 2[2]
Pop. density 19.41 people/km2[1]
Largest settlement Lerwick
References [4][5]
The cliffs of Eshaness, North Mainland

The Mainland is the main island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's ferry and air connections.

It has an area of 374 square miles (970 km2), making it the third largest Scottish island and the fifth largest of the British Isles after Great Britain, Ireland, Lewis and Harris and Skye.

The mainland can be broadly divided into four sections.

This island is the second most populous of the Scottish islands, and had 18,765 residents in 2011[3] compared to 17,550 in 2001.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 406
  2. 1 2 Area and population ranks: there are c.300 islands over 20ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  3. 1 2 National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013) (pdf) Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part Two). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland’s inhabited islands". Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  4. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
  5. Ordnance Survey
  6. Shorewatch
  7. General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
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Coordinates: 60°19′N 1°16′W / 60.317°N 1.267°W / 60.317; -1.267

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