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About Shetland

Shetland is comprised of over 100 individual islands (although only 15 are inhabited) located in the northern sector of the North Sea, at its crossroads with the Atlantic Ocean.

Location

Located on the latitude of 60 degrees north, the Islands are an almost equal distance (around 180 miles) to the north of the Scottish Mainland and west of the Norwegian coastline and only a 100 or so miles south of the Faroe Islands. View our location on Google Maps

Landscape

Dore HolmDore Holm

Shetland has a rugged beauty all of its own. Perhaps the most common observation from the first time visitor relates to our almost total lack of trees, a feature which sets the landscape apart from many of our other near neighbours, while the furthest you can get from the sea on the islands is only three miles.

Another surprise for many is, that although Shetland is hilly, there are no mountains. Our highest hill, Ronas Hill, located at the north of the Shetland mainland is 450m high.

People

The islands total population numbers around 22,000 inhabitants, 7500 of whom live in the capital, Lerwick.

Shetland is an industrious and thriving community where fishing, fish farming, the oil industry, tourism and agriculture (sheep out-number people by a ratio of almost 10-1) all play a cruical role in the local economy.

And then of course there's music...

Find out more

visit.shetland.org - Tourist and visitor information

www.shetland.org - Thinking of relocating to Shetland?

www.shetland.gov.uk - Shetland Islands Council

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk - Website of the Shetland Times, the local weekly newspaper

www.shetland-news.co.uk - Online news magazine

www.shetlopedia.com - Shetland specific online encyclopedia

www.shetlink.com - Shetland's online community

 
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Latest News

Press release:This year's Shetland Schools Music Festival, funded by the Scottish Arts Council Youth Music Initiative, is set to take place from the 8th to 12th March, and will again feature a packed programme of adjudicated music classes, performances, workshops and concerts, together with the Junior and Senior Young Musicians of the Year competition, throughout its five day run.
Shetland Jazz Club is to hold a meeting in Shetland Arts' offices at 7pm in the Toll Clock Centre, Lerwick on Tuesday 16th Feb.
Update - Singing Kettle tickets sold out within 90 minutes!Media release - Shetland Folk Festival latest line upThis year's Shetland Folk Festival, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, sees yet another eclectic and innovative line up of visiting artistes comprised of both first timers and festival favourites from the years gone by.

 

Hom Bru
Cooper's Reels
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Shetland Fiddlers
The Delting Set
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Shoormal
Camera Obscura
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Cullivoe Fiddlers
Da Ferry Reel Set
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Fiddler's Bid
Da Shaalds
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Jenna Reid
Summer Island March
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Fridaray
Unst Boat Song
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Chris Stout
Hillswick
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Jillian Isbister
Desperado
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Jordan Ogg
The Prettiest Birds
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Jukebox tracks are in MP3 format. Click to listen, or right-click to save to your computer.

Feed provided by ZetCast, an online broadcasting network serving the Shetland Islands and beyond.

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