Yell, Shetland
Island of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2011 census it had a usually resident population of 966. It is the second largest island in Shetland after the Mainland with an area of 82 square miles (212 km2),[3][6] and is the third most populous in the archipelago (fifteenth out of the islands in Scotland), after the Mainland and Whalsay.[3]
Old Norse name | Jala |
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Meaning of name | Possibly of Pictish origin or from Old Norse for 'barren' |
Location | |
OS grid reference | HU492935 |
Coordinates | 60.62°N 1.1°W / 60.62; -1.1 |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Shetland |
Area | 21,211 ha (81.9 sq mi) |
Area rank | 11 [1] |
Highest elevation | Hill of Arisdale 210 m (689 ft) |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | Shetland Islands |
Demographics | |
Population | 966[2] |
Population rank | 15 [1] |
Population density | 4.5 people/km2[2][3] |
Largest settlement | Mid Yell |
References | [3][4][5] |
The island's bedrock is largely composed of Moine schist with a north–south grain, which was uplifted during the Caledonian mountain building period.[7] Peat covers two-thirds of the island to an average depth of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet).
Yell has been inhabited since the Neolithic times, and a dozen broch sites have been identified from the pre-Norse period. Norse rule lasted from the 9th to 14th centuries until Scottish control was asserted.[3] The modern economy of the island is based on crofting, fishing, transport and tourism. The island claims to be the "Otter Capital of Britain" and has a diverse bird life including breeding populations of great and Arctic skuas.[8] At times, whales and dolphins also appear off the coast.[9]
Notable buildings on the island include the 17th-century Old Haa of Brough in Burravoe, a merchant's house now converted to a museum and visitor centre.[10] There are various folk tales and modern literary references to island life.