Orkney and ShetlandHeddle, John George Flett Moodie
History
Orkney and Shetland
Heddle, John George Flett Moodie
Orkney (Scotland) -- Description and travel; Shetland (Scotland) -- Description and travel
The highest in the Mainland is Ronas Hill, Northmavine, a great mass of
red granite, rising to a height of 1475 feet, forming the culminating
point of the North Roe tableland, and having the hilly ridge of the
Björgs on its eastern side. A long range of hills extends through the
parish of Delting, from Firth Ness to Olnafirth; and from the south
side of that inlet it extends southward to Russa Ness on the west side
of Weisdale Voe. This is the loftiest range, and the southern ridge
forms a complete barrier between the east and west side of that part
of the Mainland. The highest hill in this chain is Scallafield, 921
feet. Other two parallel ridges lie east of this, the one from the
east side of Weisdale Voe to Dales Voe in Delting; and the other from
near Scalloway in a north-east direction to Collafirth. There are
breaks in these hilly ridges, notably where the county road crosses
over near Sandwater, and again between Olnafirth on the west and Dury
Voe on the east. The other range worthy of note extends from the Wart
of Scousburgh in Dunrossness, with intervening breaks, to the east of
Scalloway, where it divides into two ridges, and stretches onward to
the east and west sides of Dales Voe. Fitful Head in the south, 928
feet; Sandness Hill in the west, 817 feet; the Sneug in Foula, 1372
feet; the Wart of Bressay, 742 feet; and the Noup of Noss, 592 feet,
are conspicuous land-marks round the coast. The island of Yell is
hilly, with parallel ridges running north-east and south-west—highest
point, the Ward of Otterswick. A range of hills extends along the west
side of Unst—highest point, Vallafield, 708 feet. In the extreme north
is Hermaness, 657 feet; while on the opposite side of Burrafirth is the
still higher hill of Saxa Vord, 934 feet.
In the larger islands the land is generally lower on the east side than
on the west; and in many cases the hills are steeper on the west than
on the east. Most of the smaller islands are low-lying and grassy,
forming excellent pasture ground for sheep.
There are many fresh-water lochs in the islands, the largest being
Girlsta Loch in Tingwall, Loch of Cliff in Unst, and Spiggie in
Dunrossness. They are nearly all well stocked with trout, which makes
Shetland attractive to anglers. Shetland has no streams large enough to
be called rivers; but it has burns in plenty, rippling brooks in summer
and brawling torrents of brown peaty water in winter, when the soil is
sodden with rain or snow.
5. Geology and Soil
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