Skaw, Unst

Skaw is a settlement in the Scottish archipelago of Shetland, located on the island of Unst. It is located north of Haroldswick on a peninsula in the northeast corner of the island, and is the most northerly settlement in the United Kingdom.[1] It is currently inhabited by a single inhabitant whose business is sheep farming.

Skaw
The beach of Skaw
Skaw is located in Shetland
Skaw
Skaw
Location within Shetland
OS grid referenceHP657163
• Edinburgh348 mi (560 km)
• London644 mi (1,036 km)
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSHETLAND
Postcode districtZE2
Dialling code01806
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Etymology

Skaw is derived from the Old Norse "Skagi" meaning a cape, headland, promontory or peninsula.[2][3]

Geography

The burn of Skaw flows from the uplands to the west through the constellation of small crofts that make up Skaw, and then east into the Wick of Skaw, a bay of the North Sea. A sheltered sandy beach lines the coast of the Wick of Skaw. The unclassified road (Holsens Road) from the B9087 to Skaw is the most northerly road in the UK road network, and the northernmost road in the world to use left-hand traffic.

Wick of Scaw

History

Walter Sutherland (died c. 1850), a former inhabitant of the northernmost cottage in Britain, was reportedly the last native speaker of the Norn language.

During World War II, the Royal Air Force built a Chain Home radar station at Skaw. The radar station was built in 1941 and closed in 1947. It was part of the defences of the RAF Sullom Voe flying boat base.

A combined Coastal Defence U-boat and Chain Home Low station was also built during the Second World War at Saxa Vord; after the war this became a ROTOR radar station. RAF Saxa Vord continued as a radar station after the end of the ROTOR programme.

The settlement is near the proposed Shetland Space Centre.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Overview of Skaw". Scottish Places. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  2. Jakobsen, Jakob (1993). The Place-Names of Shetland (reprint of 1897 ed.). Orkney. p. 96. ISBN 978-1112000461.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. Stewart, John (1987). Shetland Place-names. Lerwick. p. 246.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. "Proposed Development, Rev. E". Shetland Space Centre. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
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