Gossabrough

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Gossabrough
Gossabrough - geograph.org.uk - 1129080.jpg
Sheep at Gossabrough, with a ruined haa in the background
Shetland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Gossabrough
Location within Shetland
OS grid reference HU525831
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SHETLAND
Postcode district ZE2
Dialling code 01957
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
60°31′44″N1°02′31″W / 60.529°N 1.042°W / 60.529; -1.042 Coordinates: 60°31′44″N1°02′31″W / 60.529°N 1.042°W / 60.529; -1.042

Gossabrough is a coastal hamlet, wick and ness on the southeast side of the island of Yell, Shetland, Scotland. The Wick of Gossabrough lies between the northern extremity of Gossabrough Ness and the Saddle of Swarister. [1] The hamlet is accessed via the B9081 road. The Loch of Hudon lies just to the southwest.

Village Small clustered human settlement smaller than a town

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town, with a population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Though villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighborhoods. Villages are normally permanent, with fixed dwellings; however, transient villages can occur. Further, the dwellings of a village are fairly close to one another, not scattered broadly over the landscape, as a dispersed settlement.

Promontory prominent mass of land that overlooks lower-lying land or a body of water

A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water.

Yell, Shetland island of the Shetlands, Scotland

Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2011 census it had a usually resident population of 966. It is the second largest island in Shetland after the Mainland with an area of 82 square miles (212 km2), and is the third most populous in the archipelago, after the Mainland and Whalsay.

Contents

History

Wick of Gossabrough Wick of Gossabrough, Yell - geograph.org.uk - 809718.jpg
Wick of Gossabrough
Holligarth, Gossabrough Holligarth, Gossabrough - geograph.org.uk - 1058958.jpg
Holligarth, Gossabrough

The remains of rectangular structures found in the area indicate that this was a settlement inhabited by early Norse peoples. [2] There is a ruined broch here. In 1924, the "White Lady", known locally as the "Widden Wife", was shipwrecked in the vicinity. [3]

Broch type of Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure

A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. Brochs belong to the classification "complex atlantic roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s. Their origin is a matter of some controversy.

In the very early part of the 20th century, there were only three or four houses scattered in the hamlet. [4] Now two more houses have been built. A local trading steamer called periodically at Gossabrough. [5]

A native of Gossabrough, John Hughson, a warehouse assistant was involved in a notable court case in Dundee around 1940, under the Firearms Act of 1937. [6] Gossabrough House was the main house of note here, but the old haa is now in a ruined state; [7] it was at one time the seat of Cecil H. Robertson. [8]

Firearms Act is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom. This list includes not only Firearms Acts as such, but legislation of different names governing firearms and also other weapons.

Manor house country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor

A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with manorial tenants and great banquets. The term is today loosely applied to various country houses, frequently dating from the late medieval era, which formerly housed the gentry.

Geography

Gossabrough is a coastal hamlet on the southeast side of the island of Yell in Shetland. Adjoining settlements are Otterswick and Swarister. The nearest airports are Fetlar 4.4 mi away and Out Skerries Airport 12.8 mi away. [9] Gossabrough is connected to Yell by a side road, the B9081. [10] Gossabrough beach is one of the beaches along with others at Hamnavoe, Westsandwick and Breckon, which has earned the award of the “Keep Scotland Beautiful Rural Seaside Award” for Yell. [11] Between Gossabrough Ness and the Quheyin Ness is a bay 0.75 miles (1.21 km) wide and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) deep; the wicks of Gossabrough and Otters are located here. A rock named Wick Skerry lies about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) northeastward of Gossabrough Ness. [5] Upon approaching the southern portion of a ridge named Lamghoga from Gossabrough is the south-western corner of a rock named Ramshorn point. [12]

Otterswick village in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Otterswick on the island of Yell in the Shetland Islands, on the inlet of Otters Wick. It is on the east side of the island. There is also an "Otterswick" on Sanday in the Orkney Islands.

Fetlar One of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland

Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a usually resident population of 61 at the time of the 2011 census. Its main settlement is Houbie on the south coast, home to the Fetlar Interpretive Centre. Fetlar is the fourth-largest island of Shetland and has an area of just over 4,000 hectares (15 sq mi).

Out Skerries archipelago in Shetland, Scotland

The Out Skerries are an archipelago in Shetland, Scotland, lying to the east of the main Shetland Island group. Locally, they are usually called Da Skerries or just Skerries.

Climate

The climate of the island is cold temperate. The average temperature and rainfall for each month of the year are given in the table below. [9]

Climate data for Gossabrough, United Kingdom
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)7
(45)
6
(43)
7
(45)
7
(45)
8
(46)
13
(55)
15
(59)
15
(59)
13
(55)
11
(52)
8
(46)
7
(45)
15
(59)
Average low °C (°F)3
(37)
2
(36)
3
(37)
4
(39)
6
(43)
8
(46)
10
(50)
11
(52)
9
(48)
7
(45)
5
(41)
3
(37)
2
(36)
Average rainfall mm (inches)118.3
(4.66)
92.1
(3.63)
100.1
(3.94)
53.3
(2.10)
41
(1.6)
53.6
(2.11)
41
(1.6)
58.4
(2.30)
80.8
(3.18)
103.7
(4.08)
118.5
(4.67)
124.5
(4.90)
985.3
(38.77)
Source: [9]

Fauna

The Wick of Gossabrough attracts many birds, of note here in particular are the great black-backed gulls. [13] In the first decade of the 20th century, it was documented that herring populations had declined. [14] Anatidae ducks have been reported here and eider duck flocks are common. [15]

Related Research Articles

Firth is a word in the Scots and English languages used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland and even a strait. In the Northern Isles, it more usually refers to a smaller inlet. It is linguistically cognate to fjord which has a more constrained sense in English. Bodies of water named "firths" tend to be more common on the east coast, or in the southwest of the country, although the Firth of Lorn is an exception to this. The Highland coast contains numerous estuaries, straits, and inlets of a similar kind, but not called "firth" ; instead, these are often called sea lochs. Before about 1850, the spelling "Frith" was more common.

Ulsta village in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Ulsta is a village in the south-west of the island of Yell, Shetland, Scotland. North Ness Hall is the local community facility. The car ferry to Toft on Mainland, Shetland leaves from here.

Yell Sound strait running between Yell and Mainland, Shetland

Yell Sound is the strait running between Yell and Mainland, Shetland, Scotland. It is the boundary between the Mainland and the North Isles and it contains many small islands. Sullom Voe, on the shores of which is a substantial oil terminal, is an arm of Yell Sound.

Nesting, Shetland parish in the Shetland Islands, Scotland

Nesting is a parish in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It includes a part of the east Shetland Mainland, measuring about twelve by four miles, along the seaboard from Gletness to Lunna Ness, and also the island of Whalsay and the Out Skerries. The coast is deeply indented by voes and headlands. The arable land comprises only about 1,000 acres (4 km2), the remainder being mostly open moorland. The total area is given as 105.6 km2. This includes the ancient parish of Lunnasting in the North and the island parish of Whalsay to the east, which were added to Nesting in 1891. Before that, the ancient parishes of North Nesting and South Nesting were merged.

Sandwick, Shetland village in Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Sandwick is an ancient parish in the Shetland Islands, Scotland that had been merged in 1891, along with Cunningsburgh, into Dunrossness It is located 13 miles south of Lerwick in the South Mainland. It comprises a number of distinct settlements in very close proximity to each other, each remaining distinct through being separated by agricultural land. These settlements within Sandwick include Old Sandwick, Lebitton, Broonies' Taing, Stove, Swinister and Hoswick - the latter of which is almost a village in its own right and is often considered distinct from Sandwick.

Nista island in Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Nista is a small islet of the Shetland Islands of Scotland, situated roughly 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east off the coast of Whalsay. It lies to the north of Mooa. The Trota Stack lies just off the north side of the islet. The highest point of the islet is 63 feet (19 m).

Mooa Small islet of the Shetland Islands of Scotland

Mooa is a small islet of the Shetland Islands of Scotland, situated roughly 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east off the coast of Whalsay. It lies to the north of Isbister Holm and south of Nista. The highest point of the islet is 63 feet (19 m).

Brough, Shetland village in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Brough is a settlement in western Whalsay in the parish of Nesting in the Shetland islands of Scotland. It lies to the southwest of Challister, northeast of New Park, and north of Tripwell. To the north is Kirk Ness, and Whalsay Parish Church.

Inner Holm of Skaw a small, uninhabited islet off the northern tip of the island of Whalsay, in the Shetland Islands

The Inner Holm of Skaw is a small, uninhabited islet off the northern tip of the island of Whalsay, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, north of the village of Skaw.

Outer Holm of Skaw island in Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

The Outer Holm of Skaw is a small, uninhabited islet, a rock outlier off the northeast coast of the island of Whalsay, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.

Skate of Marrister island in Shetland

The Skate of Marrister is a flat ledge that extends about 300 yards (270 m) from the western shore of Whalsay, in the Shetland islands of Scotland. It is slightly more than 1 mile (1.6 km) north-north-west from Symbister Ness off the village of Marrister, in Linga Sound. At low tide the ledge rises 5 feet (1.5 m) above the water. There is a risk that the strong tide in Whalsay Sound will carry a boat onto the Skate. There is a minor light on the Skate with a nominal range of four miles, flashing green every six seconds.

Rumble, Shetland island in Scotland, United Kingdom

Rumble is a skerry in the Shetland islands of Scotland, situated roughly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east off the coast of Huxter, southeastern Whalsay. It lies 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to southwest of East Linga. The main island, also known as Rumble Holm, is 27 feet (8.2 m) high. Nearby and to the north are the Flaeshans of Rumble, a series of small islets and stacks and Burlastack of Rumble lies to the east. On the northern side of the main island is an inlet, known as the Voe of Rumble. Lobsters and prawns are said to shelter here. It is also mentioned that a ship named Griften of unknown nationality was shipwrecked either here or on the Holm of Sandwick in 1611.

Holm of Sandwick island in Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

The Holm of Sandwick is an islet, located roughly 100 metres (330 ft) off Haa Ness and the southwestern side of Whalsay, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The small groups of islets to the west are called the Flaeshans of Sandwick. To the southwest is Sava Skerry. It is reported that a ship named Griften of unknown nationality was shipwrecked either here or on Rumble Holm in 1611.

Linga Sound, Shetland strait between the islands of Whalsay and West Linga in the Shetland islands of Scotland

Linga Sound is the strait between the islands of Whalsay and West Linga in the Shetland islands of Scotland.

Ness of Burgi fort blockhouse in Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

The Ness of Burgi fort is an iron-age promontory fort on the Ness of Burgi, a narrow finger of land reaching south from the Scat Ness in the far south of the island of Mainland, Shetland in Scotland.

St Magnus Bay bay in Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

St Magnus Bay is a large coastal feature in the north-west of Mainland Shetland, Scotland. Roughly circular in shape with a diameter of about 19 kilometres (12 mi), it is open to the North Atlantic Ocean to the west. The indented coastline to the north, south and east between Esha Ness in the north and the Ness of Melby in the south contains numerous bays, firths and voes and there are several islands around the perimeter. The waters of the bay are up to 165 metres (541 ft) deep and may have been the site of a substantial meteor impact.

References

  1. United States. Hydrographic Office (1950). Sailing directions for the north and east coasts of Scotland: Cape Wrath to Fife Ness and including the Orkney, Shetland and Faeroe Islands. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. p. 331. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  2. Fojut, Noel (August 1994). A guide to prehistoric and Viking Shetland. Shetland Times. p. 106. ISBN   978-0-900662-91-1 . Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  3. Abram, Dave; Dunford, Martin (1 April 1996). Scotland: the rough guide. Rough Guides. p. 507. ISBN   978-1-85828-166-7 . Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  4. The Churchman. George S. Mallory. July 1905. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. 1 2 United States. Hydrographic Office (1915). Publications. pp. 150, 188. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  6. Scottish Law Review and Sheriff Court Reports. W. Hodge & Company. 1956. p. 57. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  7. Fenton, Alexander; Walker, Bruce (1981). The rural architecture of Scotland. John Donald. p. 72. ISBN   978-0-85976-020-1 . Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  8. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1902). Sessional Papers (Public domain ed.). H.M. Stationery Office. pp. 15–. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 "Gossabrough Weather, United Kingdom". Worldweatheronline.com. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  10. "Yell Community Council Area Statement" (pdf). Shetland City Council. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  11. "Area Guide Yell". Scotland Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  12. Tudor, J. R.; Horne, John; Fortescue, William Irvine; Benjamin Nieve Peach; Peter White (1883). The Orkneys and Shetland: their past and present state (Public domain ed.). Edward Stanford. pp. 552–. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  13. Mitchell, William Reginald (1983). Birdwatch around Scotland. R. Hale. p. 109. ISBN   978-0-7090-1248-1 . Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  14. Great Britain. Parliament (1907). The Parliamentary Debates. Reuter's Telegram Co. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  15. "Common Eider (Somateria Mollissima) Sound Effects". BBC, Soundeffects.ch. Retrieved 6 February 2013.