Weisdale is a bay, hamlet and ancient parish on

Mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

, Scotland. The bay opens near the northern extremity of

Scalloway Scalloway ( non, Skálavágr, "bay with the large house(s)") is the largest settlement on the west coast of the Mainland, the largest island of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. The village had a population of roughly 900, at the 2011 census. No ...

Bay, and strikes four and a half miles to the north north east. The hamlet lies at the bay's head, about twelve miles north west of

Lerwick Lerwick (; non, Leirvik; nrn, Larvik) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. Centred off the north coast of the Scottish mainland ...

History

Weisdale was the scene of a series of evictions of crofters in favour of large scale sheep farming in the 19th century. Approximately three hundred and eighteen crofters were evicted from the Weisdale valley in what is described as the clearances. Local author John J. Graham wrote two novels on this theme.

Sites of Interest

* Weisdale Voe - a lovely and long stretch of water containing small isles ( Greena,

Flotta Flotta () is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow. The island is known for its large oil terminal and is linked by Orkney Ferries to Houton on the Orkney Mainland, Lyness on Hoy and Longhope on South Walls. The island has ...

Hoy Hoy ( sco, Hoy; from Norse , meaning "high island") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring – the second largest in the archipelago, after Mainland. A natural causeway, ''the Ayre'', links the island to the smaller South Walls; the tw ...

, North Havra, Junk, Hoggs of Hoy and

Hildasay Hildasay ( sco, Hildasay; non, Hildisey) (from the Old Norse masculine name ''Hildir'' with ''ey'' "island"), also known as Hildisay, is an uninhabited island off the west coast of the Shetland Mainland. Geography and geology Hildasay has a ...

). The head is a good place to see wading birds. * Weisdale Valley - a beautiful stretch of land including the Weisdale Mill, Kergord Woods & Kergord House that are detailed below. The remains of some of the houses that were targeted during the clearances in the 19th Century can still be seen in the valley today. *

Weisdale Mill Weisdale Mill is a watermill in the village of Weisdale, Shetland, Scotland. It is located near the head of Weisdale Voe on the west of the island, a twenty-minute drive from the main town of Lerwick. History Weisdale Mill was built in 1855 a ...

- a restored mill (Shetland's largest corn mill, built in 1855) now serving as a gallery and cafe. * Kergord Woods - the only substantial woodland in the Shetland Islands, located at Weisdale. Mixed conifer and deciduous trees were planted between 1909–21 and now attracts woodland birds. * Kergord House - built in 1850, was previously part of the Flemington estate (the house itself was originally called Flemington) and in 1940 the house served as the Headquarters for the

Shetland Bus The Shetland Bus (Norwegian Bokmål: ''Shetlandsbussene'', def. pl.) was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Mainland Shetland in Scotland and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the su ...

operations * Shetland Jewellery – The workshop premises in Weisdale are open to visitors who can see silver and gold jewellery with Nordic, traditional and wildlife designs being produced by the skilled workers. Teas, coffees and light snacks are available.

Church

There is one church in Weisdale. It is known as the Weisdale Kirk and is part of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

. This kirk was built in 1863 and is now surrounded by a beautiful garden which was created by local volunteers with the assistance of the BBC Scotland Beechgrove Garden team. The garden won a Shetland Environmental Award in 2006

References

This article incorporates text from - Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone

External links

Canmore - Weisdale, Parish Church site record
Villages in Mainland, Shetland Parishes of Shetland {{Shetland-geo-stub