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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Shetlands
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Group of islands at the extreme north of Scotland, stretching from Fair Isle in the south to Unst in the north. Lerwick (the capital and site of the midwinter festival of *Up-Helly-Aa) is on Mainland, which also has the important prehistoric site of *Jarlshof. On *Mousa, an uninhabited island off the east coast of Mainland, is the most complete of Scotland's many brochs. The islands have bred the Shetlands *sheepdog (like a miniature collie) and the famous Shetlands pony (the smallest of *ponies, but stronger for its size than any other horse); both sheepdogs and ponies are known informally as shelties. The Shetlands share with the *Orkneys a history of Scandinavian domination from the 8C until being transferred to the crown of Scotland as part of a Danish dowry in the 15C.
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In recent years Sullom Voe, an inlet on the north coast of Mainland, has become Europe's largest oil terminal, receiving both the Brent and Ninian pipelines from the *North Sea oil fields. But it was not in any way linked with the pollution threat to the Shetlands in January 1993. The tanker Braer drifted on to the rocks of Fitful Head, at the southwest tip of Mainland, after an engine failure; it was on its way from Norway to Canada carrying 85,000 tons of oil. A gale-force storm frustrated attempts to stop the ship drifting on to the rocks, and subsequently prevented the pumping of oil from its ruptured tanks. But the same violent winds had the effect of dispersing the relatively light crude oil of the cargo, and the disaster proved less severe than expected.
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