Lerwick

Lerwick is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. As Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. It is the northernmost major settlement within the United Kingdom.

Located 123 miles (200 km) off the north coast of the Scottish mainland and on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland, Lerwick lies 211 miles (340 km) north-by-northeast of Aberdeen; 222 miles (357 km) west of the similarly sheltered port of Bergen in Norway; and 228 miles (367 km) south east of Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands.

One of the UK's coastal weather stations is situated in Lerwick, and the local climate experiences small seasonal variation due to the maritime influence. Because it is located further north than Saint Petersburg and three of the four mainland Nordic capitals, and on the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska, Lerwick has very long summer nights with only twilight and short winter days with less than six hours of complete daylight.

History

Lerwick's name comes from Old Norse and Norn, meaning bay of clay. Similar town names exist in Norway and the Faroe Islands. People have lived in the area since the Neolithic and Bronze Age, with evidence found in artefacts and ancient structures like the Broch of Clickimin from the Iron Age.

The first settlement called Lerwick was founded in the 17th century as a seaport for trading herring and white fish with Dutch fishermen. Over time, stone buildings replaced wooden huts, and Lerwick became the capital of the Shetland Islands in 1708. The town grew during the 19th century with sea trade and fishing, and later expanded again during the North Sea oil boom in the 1970s.

Climate

Lerwick has a cool climate with temperatures that stay mild throughout the year. It is often cloudy, receiving only about 1,158 sunshine hours each year. February is the coldest month, with average highs around 5.8 °C, while August is the warmest, with averages around 14.7 °C. The town experiences more rain from October to January and less in May and June. Snow may fall from December to March but does not usually accumulate much. Strong winds are common due to Lerwick's location near the North Atlantic.

Because Lerwick is very far north, it has very short winter days and long summer days. In winter, the town gets only about 5 hours and 49 minutes of daylight, while in summer, daylight can last nearly 19 hours. Despite these extreme changes in daylight, the sea helps keep the climate from becoming too harsh.

Demography

Lerwick is home to 6,958 residents, according to data from 2011. The majority of people in Lerwick identify as White, with most being White Scottish. A small number of residents belong to Asian or other ethnic groups. In terms of work, a little over half of the residents work full-time, while about one-fifth have part-time jobs.

Industry and economy

Lerwick is a busy fishing and ferry port. The harbour also services vessels supporting the offshore oil industry.

Power supply

Lerwick gets its main power from the Lerwick Power Station in Gremista. This power station helps keep the town’s lights on and everything running smoothly.

Notable buildings

Lerwick has several important buildings, such as Fort Charlotte, Lerwick Town Hall, the Böd of Gremista, Shetland Museum, and the Broch of Clickimin. Because Lerwick is a historic place, some scenes for the BBC’s Shetland were filmed there.

Transportation

Lerwick is connected by Tingwall Airport, a short distance away, and Sumburgh Airport, which offers year-round flights to some places in Scotland.

Ferry services are also important for transportation. NorthLink Ferries run a daily overnight ferry between Lerwick and Aberdeen, often stopping at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. The Shetland Islands Council provides a car ferry service, called a ro-ro ferry, to nearby islands like Out Skerries and Bressay from a terminal in the town center. Local bus travel is managed by the Regional Transport Partnership, known as ZetTrans, with several bus companies operating routes across the town, including a central Viking bus station.

Schools and education

Lerwick has one main secondary school called Anderson High School. The town is also home to Shetland College, which is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. This college offers degree programs and other courses for students who live far from larger universities.

Hospitals and healthcare

The Gilbert Bain Hospital offers important health services to everyone in Shetland. Nearby, the Montfield Hospital is an older hospital that now also helps with health care for the people of Lerwick.

Sport

Lerwick has four football teams: Lerwick Spurs, Lerwick Thistle, Lerwick Celtic, and Lerwick Rangers. The Clickimin Leisure Complex, which opened on 30 March 1985, offers sports facilities like a swimming pool and an open court for the town's residents to use.

Media

Television signals in Lerwick come from the Bressay TV transmitter. There is a local independent radio station called SIBC that broadcasts every day from a studio on Market Street. Another radio station, BBC Radio Shetland, is part of BBC Radio Scotland and has its studios in Pitt Lane. The area also has a weekly newspaper named The Shetland Times, located in Gremista just outside Lerwick. There is a media company called Millgaet Media Group based at the North Ness Business Park.

Culture

Lerwick has close connections with Scandinavian countries, especially Norway. The town even has a friendship agreement with a place called Måløy in Norway. This shows how the people of Lerwick and Norway share similar traditions and interests.

Events

Lerwick hosts many important events for the Shetland area. The most famous is the Up Helly Aa fire festival, which happens on the last Tuesday of January every year. This celebration brings together people to enjoy music, dancing, and special fireworks.

Places of worship

Lerwick has several churches, including the Adam Clarke Memorial Methodist Church, Baptist Church on Clairmont Place, St. Columba's Church (one of three buildings of Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church), St. Magnus' Church on Greenfield Place, and St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church. In the 19th century, Lerwick also had a Free Church on South Hill Head.

Although Lerwick does not currently have a Muslim place of worship, there are plans to turn the old Lochside Stores building into a mosque.

Notes and references

This section contains notes and references used in the article about Lerwick. It includes sources and additional information that support the facts presented. For more details, readers can check the references listed here.