Hildasay

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Hildasay
Scots nameHildasay
Old Norse nameHildasey
Meaning of namebattle island, or island of Hilda
Location
Shetland UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Hildasay
Hildasay shown within Scotland
OS grid reference HU355403
Coordinates 60°08′N1°22′W / 60.14°N 1.36°W / 60.14; -1.36
Physical geography
Island group Shetland
Area108 ha (267 acres)
Area rank146  [1]
Highest elevation32 m (105 ft)
Administration
Council area Shetland Islands
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Demographics
Population1
Lymphad3.svg
References [2] [3] [4] [5]

Hildasay (Scots : Hildasay; Old Norse : Hildisey) (from the Old Norse masculine name Hildir with ey "island"), [5] also known as Hildisay, is an uninhabited island off the west coast of the Shetland Mainland.

Contents

The pier on Hildasay Hildasaypier.jpg
The pier on Hildasay

Geography and geology

Hildasay has an area of 108 hectares (267 acres), and is 32 metres (105 ft) in elevation at its highest point. It consists of red-green granite (epidotic syenite) that was quarried for many years. [3] [6]

The south coast has two narrow inlets, Cusa Voe and Tangi Voe. "West", the larger of two lochs, has a single islet. A satellite island, Linga lies to the south east. A long line of skerries and holms lies to the north west. [3]

History

Hildasay has been uninhabited since the late nineteenth century, but as late as 1891 had a population of 30. The island's former industries included curing herring and quarrying granite. The remains of a railway line leading from the quarry to the harbour can still be seen. [6]

As of 2020 there was one house on the island, which was temporarily occupied by charity walker Chris Lewis and his dog Jet when movement restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [7]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  2. ↑ 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
  3. 1 2 3 Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN   978-1-84195-454-7.
  4. ↑ Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN   0-901824-25-9
  5. 1 2 E. H. Lind. Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn från Medeltiden. Uppsala: A.-B. Lundequist. 1906-1915. s.n. Hildir, cols. 543-544. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009007424
  6. 1 2 "Hildasay". Gazetteer for Scotland . Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Former paratrooper self-isolating on 'uninhabited' Hildasay". BBC News. BBC. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

60°8′48″N1°21′35″W / 60.14667°N 1.35972°W / 60.14667; -1.35972


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