Lerwick

[edit] Lerwick is a name with roots in Old Norse and its local descendant, Norn, which was spoken in Shetland until the mid-19th century. The name "Lerwick" means bay of clay. The corresponding Norwegian name is Leirvik, leir meaning clay and vik meaning "bay" or "inlet". Towns with similar names exist in southwestern Norway (Leirvik, Lervik) and on the Faroe Islands (Leirvík). Evidence of human settlement in the Lerwick area dates back to the Neolithic (4000–2500 BC) and the Bronze Age (2500–800 BC) known from paleoenvironmental records for human activity and the recovery of artefacts, including a stone axe head submerged in Bressay Sound. Iron Age (800 BC – AD 800) settlement is known at the Broch of Clickimin, which was constructed as early as 400 BC. The first settlement to be known as Lerwick was founded in the 17th century as a herring and white fish seaport to trade with the Dutch fishing fleet. This settlement was on the mainland (west) side of Bressay Sound, a natural harbour with south and north entrances between the Shetland mainland and the island of Bressay. Its collection of wooden huts was burned to the ground twice: once in the 17th century by the residents of Scalloway on the western side of Mainland, then the capital of Shetland, who disapproved of the immoral and drunken activities of the assembled fishermen and sailors; again in 1702 by the French fleet. Fort Charlotte was built in the mid 17th century on Lerwick's waterfront, and permanent stone-built buildings began to be erected around the fort and along the shoreline. The principal concentration of buildings was in the "lanes" area: a steep hillside stretching from the shoreline to Hillhead at the top. Lerwick became capital of the Shetland Islands in 1708, taking over the function from Scalloway. The civil parish of Lerwick had been in 1701 created from a small part of the parish of Tingwall, to which Scalloway still belongs. When Lerwick became more prosperous through sea trade and the fishing industry during the 19th century, the town expanded in 1891 to the west of Hillhead, thereby including the former civil parishes of Gulberwick and Quarff, as well as the islands parish of Burra. Lerwick Town Hall was built during this period of expansion. Lerwick war memorial dates from 1923 and was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer. The next period of significant expansion was during the North Sea oil boom of the 1970s when large housing developments were built to the north of Staney Hill (located in Lerwick) and to the south (Nederdale and Sandveien).

[edit] The OS Map of Lerwick from 1902 shows that at that time there were a large number of small piers near and in Lerwick, most of them located in the north of the town. The statistics show that while there were major fluctuations in the quantity of fish caught, Lerwick maintained its position as the main herring port in Shetland, while Balta Sound declined. The steam drifters which came to dominate the Shetland fishery were able to make their way to Lerwick from most of the fishing grounds, and there they benefited from a well-established market for their catch: Fishery statisticsTonnage of vesselsCwt of fish landedVessels by classValue (£] of fish landedFishermenNumber of curing stations Provosts of Lerwick[edit] The Provost of Lerwick was the head of the Lerwick Town Council. Provosts were elected by the council and served not only as the chairman of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire town. They were equivalent in many ways to the institution of mayor. The council was established in 1818 and abolished in 1975, when it merged with the Zetland County Council to become the Shetland Islands Council. Years Name Title Occupation 1818–1823 Arthur Edmondston Senior Bailie Doctor 1823–1827 Charles Ogilvy Snr Senior Bailie Merchant 1827–1829 William Spence Junior BailieActing as Senior Bailie Royal Navy staff-surgeon 1829–1832 William Spence Senior Bailie Royal Navy staff-surgeon 1832–1844 Charles Ogilvy Jr Senior Bailie Merchant 1844–1847 Joseph Leask Junior BailieActing as Senior Bailie Merchant 1847–1856 William Sievwright Snr Senior Bailie Solicitor 1856–1862 Charles Gilbert Duncan Senior Bailie Solicitor, Bank Agent 1862–1865 Joseph Leask Senior Bailie Merchant 1865–1874 Charles Gilbert Duncan Senior Bailie Solicitor, Bank Agent 1874–1876 William Sievwright Jr Senior Bailie Solicitor 1876–1883 Major Thomas Cameron Chief Magistrates Military officer 1883–1890 John Robertson Chief Magistrates Merchant 1890–1895 Charles Robertson Provost/Chief Magistrate Merchant 1895–1904 John Leisk Provost Merchant 1904–1907 James Mouat Goudie Provost Ironworks merchant 1907–1910 Arthur Porteous Provost Chemist 1910–1913 Arthur Laing Provost Pharmacist 1913–1915 Robert Stout Provost Postmaster 1915–1920 Peter Scott Goodlad Provost Shoemaker 1920–1924 Robert D. Ganson Provost Motor dealer 1924–1927 James Laing Provost Stonemason 1927–1930 John T. J. Sinclair Provost Fisheries merchant 1930–1933 William Sinclair Provost Baker 1933–1936 Robert Ollason Provost Stationer 1936–1941 James A. Smith Provost Merchant 1941–1946 Magnus Shearer Provost Wholesale merchant 1946–1950 James Aitken Provost Insurance agent 1950–1953 Robert A. Anderson Provost Oil depot surveyor 1953–1956 George Burgess Provost Wholesale grocer 1956–1959 William Conochie Provost Stationer 1959–1962 Robert Blance Provost Post Office clerk 1962–1965 Harry Gray Provost 1965–1967 Andrew Nicolson Provost Post Office clerk 1967–1971 Eric Gray Provost Draper 1971–1974 William 'Bill' Smith Provost Post Office engineer 1974–1975 James Taylor Provost Merchant

[edit] Lerwick in August 2010 Lerwick has recently transitioned from a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) to a maritime climate (Cfb, yet closely bordering on Cfc), with cool to cold temperatures all year long. The lack of trees is mostly due to man clearing the islands for grazing and agriculture thousands of years ago. Lerwick is a very cloudy town, averaging only 1,158 sunshine hours annually (about 13 percent of a year). February is the coldest month, with high temperatures averaging around 5.8 °C (42.4 °F). In August, the warmest month, average high temperatures are 14.7 °C (58.5 °F). This produces an extremely narrow difference for an area north of the 60th parallel. In average monthly precipitation, October to January are the year's wettest months, with over 130 mm (5.1 in) of precipitation each month; May and June are the driest months, with average monthly precipitation less than 60 mm (2.4 in) each. Snowfall can occur, primarily from December to March, but snow accumulation is rarely heavy and usually short-lived. The exposed North Atlantic location and proximity to autumn and winter storm tracks means high winds are a regular occurrence, alongside high levels of cloudiness and precipitation. Temperatures are likely to be slightly milder in the town centre at sea level, as the weather station is at an elevation of 82 metres (269 ft). Owing to its northerly location, winter months are extremely dark in Lerwick. On the day of the winter solstice it gets only 5 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. In sharp contrast daylight lasts 18 hours and 55 minutes on the day of the summer solstice. As a result, nights never get completely dark for a period of time in summer, with dark blue elements remaining in the sky. The maritime influence tempers the climate effects of these swings in daylight, but in many areas of the world this latitude has hostile winters. Farther north in the world, only the Faroe Islands and a few places in Norway like Kinn have such high January averages as Lerwick and fellow Shetland station at Baltasound – with the warm Atlantic currents preventing ice formation. Only when temperatures in continental areas are record cold does Lerwick experience some cold as was the case in December 2010 during the severe cold wave affecting the British Isles and Europe that covered much of mainland UK in snow. Even so, average highs remained above 3 °C (37 °F) and frosts were light. Mild summers are also rare with the warmest recorded month being July 2006 at an average high of 16 °C (61 °F). Climate data for Lerwick (S. Screen)WMO ID: 03005; coordinates 60°08′20″N 1°11′06″W / 60.13893°N 1.18491°W / 60.13893; -1.18491 (Lerwick (S. Screen)); elevation 82 m (269 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1930–present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 12.8(55.0) 11.7(53.1) 13.3(55.9) 16.1(61.0) 20.7(69.3) 22.2(72.0) 23.4(74.1) 22.1(71.8) 20.7(69.3) 17.2(63.0) 13.9(57.0) 12.6(54.7) 23.4(74.1) Mean maximum °C (°F) 9.1(48.4) 8.9(48.0) 9.9(49.8) 11.9(53.4) 15.1(59.2) 16.2(61.2) 17.8(64.0) 17.8(64.0) 16.1(61.0) 13.4(56.1) 11.1(52.0) 10.2(50.4) 18.8(65.8) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.1(43.0) 5.8(42.4) 6.7(44.1) 8.3(46.9) 10.6(51.1) 12.6(54.7) 14.4(57.9) 14.7(58.5) 13.0(55.4) 10.4(50.7) 8.1(46.6) 6.6(43.9) 9.8(49.6) Daily mean °C (°F) 4.1(39.4) 3.8(38.8) 4.6(40.3) 6.1(43.0) 8.1(46.6) 10.3(50.5) 12.2(54.0) 12.6(54.7) 11.1(52.0) 8.5(47.3) 6.2(43.2) 4.5(40.1) 7.7(45.9) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.2(36.0) 1.8(35.2) 2.4(36.3) 3.8(38.8) 5.6(42.1) 8.1(46.6) 10.1(50.2) 10.5(50.9) 9.1(48.4) 6.6(43.9) 4.3(39.7) 2.5(36.5) 5.3(41.5) Mean minimum °C (°F) −2.3(27.9) −3.2(26.2) −2.6(27.3) −0.7(30.7) 1.1(34.0) 4.3(39.7) 6.8(44.2) 6.8(44.2) 5.0(41.0) 1.8(35.2) −0.5(31.1) −2.7(27.1) −4.3(24.3) Record low °C (°F) −8.9(16.0) −7.4(18.7) −8.3(17.1) −5.7(21.7) −2.2(28.0) −0.6(30.9) 3.5(38.3) 2.8(37.0) −0.6(30.9) −3.3(26.1) −5.7(21.7) −8.2(17.2) −8.9(16.0) Average precipitation mm (inches) 150.4(5.92) 122.7(4.83) 109.2(4.30) 67.8(2.67) 56.9(2.24) 59.8(2.35) 67.7(2.67) 88.6(3.49) 105.8(4.17) 130.6(5.14) 143.2(5.64) 149.7(5.89) 1,252.3(49.30) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 22.0 19.2 19.3 14.7 11.7 11.5 12.1 13.1 16.1 20.3 21.5 22.6 204.1 Average snowy days 10 9 9 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 8 48 Average relative humidity (%) 87 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 90 89 87 87 89 Mean monthly sunshine hours 27.4 57.6 97.7 141.2 191.9 147.7 128.6 132.4 99.5 75.1 38.3 20.6 1,158 Source 1: Met Office NOAA (relative humidity and snow days 1961–1990) Infoclimat Source 2: KNMI ^ Shaetlan pronunciation: [ˈlɛrᵻk] ⓘ LEH-rik, Shaetlan pronunciation: [ˈlɛrwik] ⓘ LER-week or Shaetlan pronunciation: [ˈlɛruk] ⓘ LER-ook; Old Norse: Leirvik; Norn: Larvik ^ Weather station is located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from the Lerwick port centre. Climate data for Lerwick Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average sea temperature °C 9.3 8.8 8.6 8.8 9.9 11.5 13.0 13.4 12.8 11.9 11.4 10.3 10.8 Mean daily daylight hours 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 17.0 19.0 17.0 15.0 13.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 12.4 Average Ultraviolet index 0 1 1 3 4 5 5 4 3 1 0 0 2.4 Source: Weather Atlas

[edit] Lerwick has 6,958 residents, as of 2011. It is 97.0% White (83.3% White Scottish, 8.9% White Other British, 2.6% White Other, 1.4% White Polish, 0.8% White Irish), 2.2% Asian or Asian Scottish or British Asian, and 0.8% other ethnic groups. Lerwick's residents are 2.5% unemployed, 17.3% are part-time employees, and 50.3% are full-time employees.

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

[edit] Main power supply is from Lerwick Power Station located in Gremista.

[edit] Lerwick Town Hall Significant buildings in Lerwick include Fort Charlotte, Lerwick Town Hall, the Böd of Gremista, Shetland Museum and Broch of Clickimin. Because of the historic nature of the area, some scenes from BBC's Shetland were filmed in Lerwick.

[edit] Henry Aitken (1840–1899), mayor in New Zealand Arthur Anderson (1792–1868), businessman and Whig politician Aly Bain (born 1946), fiddler Ian Bairnson (1953–2023), musician Haldane Burgess (1862–1927), historian, poet, novelist, violinist, linguist and socialist Dorothea Primrose Campbell (1793–1863), poet, novelist and teacher Margaret Chalmers (1758–1827), poet Isaac Cowie (1848–1917), Scottish-born Canadian pioneer, fur trader, and politician Robert Cowie (1842–1874), physician and author Arthur Edmondston (1775–1841), physician and writer Alison Fairlie (1917–1993), professor Alexander Fraser (1747–1829), vice-admiral who served in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars PB Fraser (1862–1940), Scottish-born New Zealand Presbyterian minister Ann Garriock (1857–1929), military nursing leader and Principal Matron in the Second Anglo Boer War. H. J. C. Grierson (1866–1960), literary scholar, editor, and literary critic John Henry (1834–1912), Scottish-born Australian politician Norman Lamont, former Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer Peter MacDougall (1898–1955), Scottish World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories Ron Mathewson (1944–2020), jazz double bassist and bass guitarist Robert Stout (1844–1930), New Zealand politician who was the 13th premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand Jock Tait (1886 – 1945), cricketer Beatrice Wishart (born 1956), Member of the Scottish Parliament (2019–2026)

[edit] Lerwick is served by the Tingwall Airport located a few miles away and Sumburgh Airport that is further south and flies all year to some Scotland destinations. NorthLink Ferries operate a daily overnight ferry service between Lerwick and Aberdeen, regularly calling in to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. The Shetland Islands Council operate a ro-ro ferry service to Out Skerries and Bressay from a terminal in the centre of the town. The local bus service is provided by the Regional Transport Partnership (ZetTrans) and operated by a number of different local bus service operators. The town has a bus station, Viking bus station.

[edit] Lerwick's secondary school is Anderson High School. Shetland College, a constituent partner institution of the University of the Highlands and Islands, is also based in the town, offering degree-level education (along with further education courses) to locals who may have difficulty travelling further afield to study.

[edit] The Gilbert Bain Hospital provides secondary care services to all of Shetland. The Montfield Hospital, a few hundred metres away, is an older hospital than the Gilbert Bain, but has become a secondary health care service for the people of Lerwick over time.

[edit] Central playground The town is home to four football teams: Lerwick Spurs, Lerwick Thistle, Lerwick Celtic and Lerwick Rangers. The Clickimin Leisure Complex, opened on 30 March 1985 by Tessa Sanderson, provides sports facilities for the town such as a swimming pool and open court.

[edit] Television signals are received from the Bressay TV transmitter. Local independent radio station SIBC broadcasts daily from a studio in Market Street. BBC Radio Shetland, a BBC Radio Scotland regional opt out, has its studios in Pitt Lane. The Shetland Times, a weekly local newspaper, has its premises in Gremista on the northern outskirts of Lerwick. Millgaet Media Group, a multi-media production company, is based at the North Ness Business Park.

[edit] Lerwick has strong ties with Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway (Lerwick has a friendship agreement with Måløy in Norway).

[edit] Lerwick is the focus of most events in Shetland, including the largest of the annual Up Helly Aa fire festivals which takes place on the last Tuesday of January every year.

[edit] There are several churches in Lerwick, including: Adam Clarke Memorial Methodist Church (a congregation of the Methodist Church of Great Britain). Baptist Church, Clairmont Place. St. Columba's Church – one of three buildings of Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church (part of the Church of Scotland). St. Magnus' Church, Greenfield Place (part of the Scottish Episcopal Church). St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church. In the 19th century there were more churches in Lerwick, including a Free Church on South Hill Head. While there is not currently a Muslim place of worship in Lerwick, there are plans to refurbish the old Lochside Stores building into a mosque.

[edit] Jubilee Park, King Harald St and Southern Lerwick toward Lower Sound Lerwick Harbour View of Lerwick from Bressay Commercial Street Lerwick Town Hall Lerwick from Fort Charlotte

[edit] Notes ^ All of these distances are greater by sea as there are varying amounts of intervening land. References ^ "1901 – Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland (1065) Page 1057". Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2017. ^ "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022. ^ "Visit.Shetland.org". Visit Shetland. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2010. ^ "Sunrise and sunset times for Lerwick (Shetland Islands), June 2022". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved 11 January 2022. ^ "Sunrise and sunset times for Lerwick (Shetland Islands), December 2022". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved 11 January 2022. ^ Sheehan, J.; Hansen, S. S. (2006). The Leirvik 'Bonhústoftin' and the Early Christianity of the Faroe Islands, and beyond. University College Cork (Department of Archaeology). S2CID 56364631. ^ Edwards, Kevin J.; Whittington, Graeme; Robinson, Marie; Richter, Daniela (1 December 2005). "Palaeoenvironments, the archaeological record and cereal pollen detection at Clickimin, Shetland, Scotland". Journal of Archaeological Science. 32 (12): 1741–1756. Bibcode:2005JArSc..32.1741E. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.06.004. ISSN 0305-4403. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020. ^ Linklater, Eric (1971). Orkney and Shetland: An Historical, Geographical, Social and Scenic Survey. Hale. p. 181. ISBN 9780709117544. ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick (Category A Listed Building LB37256)". Retrieved 14 April 2020. ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer ^ "North Stanley Hill Masterplan". Shetland Council. p. 27. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ Ordnahce Survey Six-inch Second Edition (Map). Retrieved 13 April 2026. ^ Coull, James (1996). The Sea Fisheries of Scotland. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers Ltd. p. 209-211. ISBN 085976 410 9. ^ "The Coronation". Shetland Museum & Archives. 4 May 2023. ^ "Root and branch – the story of Shetland's trees". 19 April 2021. ^ "Lerwick climate information". Lerwick climate information. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015. ^ "Lerwick sunrise and sunset – December". Sunrise and Sunset. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2015. ^ "Sunrise and sunset for Lerwick – June". Sunrise and Sunset. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2015. ^ "Met Office Station Data for Lerwick". Met Office. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2015. ^ "Met Office Station Data for Lerwick". Met Office. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2015. ^ "Lerwick (S. Screen) (Shetland Islands) UK climate averages". Met Office. Retrieved 1 January 2022. ^ "Lerwick 1961–1990". NOAA (FTP). Retrieved 30 January 2016. (To view documents see Help:FTP) ^ "Climatologie de l'année à Lerwick" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 21 September 2023. ^ "Manchester ringway extreme values". KNMI. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2016. ^ "Lerwick, Scotland – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2019. ^ Scotland's Census 2011 Archived 20 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, National Records of Scotland, 2011. ^ "Oil and Gas". Lerwick Port Authority. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Lerwick Power Station". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 30 December 2014. ^ "Visitscotland Fort Charlotte, Lerwick Lerwick Fort Welcome". Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Gremista Road, The Bod of Gremista (Category B Listed Building LB37258)". Retrieved 20 March 2019. ^ "New Shetland Museum & Archives". The Wood Awards. Retrieved 23 April 2012. ^ "Clickimin Broch". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 1 September 2013. ^ "Street Closed for Filming Television Crime Series". Shetland Times. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2017. ^ "Sumburgh Airport". Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Accessibility information for the NorthLink Ferries Lerwick Ferry Terminal". NorthLink Ferries. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Routes and destinations". Shetland.gov. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016. ^ "Shetland's Transport Partnership Website". Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2011. ^ "Viking Bus Station, Lerwick". Shetland Museum and Archives. Retrieved 13 June 2021. ^ "The entrepreneur who went from fish curing to smuggling diplomats". The National. 17 February 2019. ^ Johnson, Peter (10 January 2014). "Positive report for Shetland College hailed". Shetland Times. Retrieved 29 June 2014. ^ "Orkney and Shetland". Historic Hospitals. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2020. ^ "Shetland Islands – List of cup winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Clickimin Centre Opens Its Doors". Shetland Times. 5 April 1985. p. 5. ^ "Clickimin Leisure Complex". Clickimin Leisure Complex. Retrieved 13 May 2023. ^ "Full Freeview on the Bressay transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 9 October 2023. ^ "About". The Shetland Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. ^ "Public money handed over to Millgaet Media". Shetland Times. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Norway's Centenary Celebrations". Scottish Parliament. 8 June 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "Lerwick Up Helly Aa". Shetland.org. Retrieved 24 February 2020. ^ "Adam Clarke Memorial Methodist Church, Lerwick". Scotland's Churches Trust. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "About". Lerwick Baptist Church. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019. ^ "Related pages".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) ^ "St Magnus', Lerwick". St Magnus' Episcopal Church, Lerwick, and St Colman's Episcopal Church, Burravoe. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019. ^ "Lerwick RC Parish Church". Catholic Scotland. Retrieved 23 October 2022. ^ "25 inch 1892–1949". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2017. ^ "Plans for mosque". The Shetland Times. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2023.