Cunningsburgh

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Cunningsburgh
Aithsetter.jpg
Aithsetter, with Mousa in the distance
Shetland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Cunningsburgh
Location within Shetland
OS grid reference HU430301
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SHETLAND
Postcode district ZE2
Dialling code 01950
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
60°03′14″N1°13′34″W / 60.054°N 1.226°W / 60.054; -1.226

Cunningsburgh, formerly also known as Coningsburgh (Old Norse : Konungsborgr meaning "King's castle"), is a new hamlet and ancient parish in the south of Mainland, Shetland, Scotland. The hamlet is on the coast, nine miles south south west of Lerwick, about halfway between there and Sumburgh Head. The parish was merged with Dunrossness and Sandwick in 1891. It is on the A970 road. [1] There is a primary school, a marina, a community shop, [2] a public hall, a history centre, [3] a touring park, [4] and a United Free Church of Scotland kirk.

Contents

Amongst the settlements in the parish are Aithsetter, Ocraquoy, and Gord.

Cunningsburgh is included in the South Mainland Up Helly Aa fire festival (SMUHA). [5] SMUHA was the first Up Helly Aa event to have elected a female Guizer Jarl, Lesley Simpson, in 2015. [6]

History

There is a prehistoric steatite quarry site in Catpund, Cunningsburgh. [7]

A large sandstone block dated between the 10th and 11th centuries CE was found in a burial ground in Cunningsburgh. [8] Old Norse runic inscriptions on the stone suggest it was erected as a memorial. [8] The runestone is now on display at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Outsider artist, poet and musician Adam Christie was born in Aith, Cunningsburgh in 1869 and became known for his stone sculptures of human heads. [9] At the age of 32 Christie was committed to Sunnyside Psychiatric Hospital, Montrose, and never returned to Shetland. [10] His work has been posthumously exhibited in Montrose and Glasgow. [11] [9] There is a memorial to Christie outside the Cunningsburgh History Group's headquarters. [9] The Cunningsburgh memorial was funded by History Scotland and made by one of Christie's living descendants. [9]

On the 22nd November 1944 a de Havilland Mosquito DZ642 crashed in Royl Field. [3] The Cunningsburgh History Group dedicated a memorial plaque to the crew, which was erected in 2018. [3]

Cunningsburgh Show

The Cunningsburgh Show is an annual agricultural show, held on the second Wednesday of August. [12] First held in 1944 as a livestock show, [13] it is now the largest event of its kind in Shetland, attracting around 4,000 people. [14] Livestock exhibited include cattle, sheep, and poultry, and there are other competitions including baking, jam making, and equestrian events. [14] The 2014 show included over 2,800 individual entries across all categories. [13]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 show was a virtual-only event. [15]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lerwick</span> Human settlement in Scotland

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Aithsetter is a village on the island of Mainland, in Shetland, Scotland. Aithsetter is in the parish of Dunrossness, towards the north end of the district of Cunningsburgh and formerly of that ancient parish. It is nearly 10 miles from Lerwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunrossness</span>

Dunrossness, is the southernmost parish of Shetland, Scotland. Historically the name Dunrossness has usually referred to the area on the Shetland mainland south of Quarff. However, in 2016 there were three separate Shetland Community Councils for a) Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh; b) Sandwick; and c) Dunrossness. The 2011 census defined Dunrossness as including everybody within the British ZE2 postal code, which goes as far north as Gulberwick. It has the best and largest area of fertile farmland of any parish in Shetland. Dunrossness includes the island of Mousa, Levenwick, St Ninian's Isle, Bigton, Scousburgh, the Lochs of Spiggie and Brow, Boddam, Quendale, Virkie, Exnaboe, Grutness, Toab, Ness of Burgi, Clumlie Broch, Scatness, Sumburgh Airport, Sumburgh Head, West Voe, the islands of Lady's Holm, Little Holm, Horse Holm island and Fair Isle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veensgarth</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Veensgarth, is a village in the Tingwall valley west of Lerwick on Mainland in Shetland, Scotland. It includes the Vallafield housing estate. Veensgarth is also within the parish of Tingwall, and is situated at the junction of the A970 and the B9074.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwick, Dunrossness</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Sandwick is an ancient parish in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It was merged in 1891, along with Cunningsburgh, into Dunrossness. It is located 13 miles (21 km) 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, Leebitton, Broonies' Taing, Stove, Swinister and Hoswick; the latter is almost a village in its own right and is often considered distinct from Sandwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarff</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Quarff is a small village on Mainland in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is located on the main A970 road, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Shetland's only town, Lerwick. The village is spread along a classic glacial valley that runs east–west across the island between high hills to north and south, with centres of population at Easter Quarff which is near the main road and the east coast, and Wester Quarff which is 11⁄2 miles (2.4 km) west and faces the Atlantic Ocean. A narrow road runs along the valley between the two.

Olvir Rosta, also known as Aulver Rosta, is a character within the mediaeval Orkneyinga saga, who is purported to have lived during the early 12th century. His Old Norse byname, rósta, means "brawl", "riot". His name, and byname, appear variously in English secondary sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brindister, South Mainland</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Brindister is a village on South Mainland in Shetland, Scotland. Brindister is within the parish of Lerwick, and adjacent to the A970 south of Gulberwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delting Up Helly Aa</span>

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References

  1. ↑ "A970". Sabre. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mackenzies Farm Shop". Shetland.org. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Cunningsburgh History Group | Shetland Heritage Association". www.shetlandheritageassociation.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Cunningsburgh Touring Park". Shetland.org. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "about". www.smuha.org. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "2015". www.smuha.org. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Catpund (924)". Canmore . Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 "National Museums of Scotland - Stone with runic inscription". nms.scran.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Plaque unveiled for genius Christie". The Shetland Times. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ↑ McGeachan, Cheryl (2016). "'The Head Carver': Art Extraordinary and the small spaces of asylum". History of Psychiatry. 28 (1): 58–71. doi:10.1177/0957154X16676693. PMC   5302079 . PMID   27834293 – via Sage Journals.
  11. ↑ Watt, Richard (22 June 2013). "Montrose exhibition celebrates 'outsider art' of Gentle Shetlander Adam Christie". The Courier. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Cunningsburgh Show". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. 1 2 "High standards at 70th Cunningsburgh Show". The Shetland Times. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. 1 2 "The Cunningsburgh Show". Shetland.org. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Cunningsburgh Show goes virtual". The Shetland Times. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

This article incorporates text from - Wilson, Rev. John The Gazetteer of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone

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