Fethaland Explained

Official Name:Fethaland
Label Position:left
Country:Scotland
Static Image Name:File:Ruins at Fethaland (geograph 2075065).jpg
Static Image Caption:Ruined fisherman's böds, Fethaland.
Os Grid Reference:HU373939
Coordinates:60.63°N -1.32°W
Post Town:SHETLAND
Postcode Area:ZE
Postcode District:ZE2
Dial Code:01806
Constituency Westminster:Orkney and Shetland
Civil Parish:Northmavine
Unitary Scotland:Shetland
Lieutenancy Scotland:Shetland
Constituency Scottish Parliament:Shetland
Edinburgh Distance Mi:330
Edinburgh Distance Km:531
Edinburgh Direction:SSW
London Distance Mi:632
London Distance Km:1017
Language:Shetland Dialect
London Direction:S
Embedded:
Qid:Q28453675
Embed:yes

Fethaland or Fedeland (pronounced as /ˈfeɪdələnd/) is an abandoned settlement at the extreme north end of Mainland, Shetland. It was the site of the largest Haaf fishing station in Shetland.

Etymology

The name Fethaland derives from Old Norse and means rich pasture (literally "fat land"). There is a tradition that the name comes from the Picts who supposedly were forcibly removed from Fethaland, which was their last refuge. Upon being forced out to sea, they called out, "Fae da land, fae da land" (from the land), however this story is most likely apocryphal considering the shout is well-formed modern Shetland Dialect, which wouldn't have been spoken by the picts.

Geography and geology

Fethaland, along with the more of the north tip of Mainland including Uyea is one part of the Shetland National Scenic Area. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Fishing station

Oil lamps made from common whelk shells, (known locally as "buckies") were used by haaf fishermen in their böds. An example of one from Fethaland was collected by ethnographer Dr Arthur Mitchell and is kept in the Shetland Museum. Commenting on the lamp, Mitchell proposed,

...every one will admit that the lamp is elegant and pretty. Nothing, however, but the fact that it is easily obtained leads the deep-sea fisherman at his station on Fetheland Point to employ a shell for a [lamp]. His doing so does not prove the existence in him of a sense of the beautiful, nor, on the other hand, does his coarsely made sinker prove the reverse.

On 10 October 1994 the Fethaland fishing station was designated as a scheduled monument.

Due to the risk of erosion damaging the site a survey of the fishing station including the use of laser scanning took place in August 2010.

Sources

External links

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fethaland".

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