MAINLAND-ISLE, county and island of Shetland; containing
16,141 inhabitants. This is the largest island of
the district, about sixty miles in length, and in some
places sixteen in breadth, projecting into the sea in many
irregular promontories, and indented by numerous bays
and harbours. The interior or middle part is hilly and
mountainous, and full of bogs and mosses; but the
greater part of the coast is arable, producing chiefly oats
sown in April, and barley about the middle of May.
The hills are mostly covered with heath, and afford pasturage
for cattle and sheep. The island is almost bare
of trees, and hardly any shrubs are to be seen, except
juniper and small roan trees and willows in the more
sheltered valleys. It would, however, appear to have
been formerly covered with wood, as trees of considerable
size are occasionally dug up in the mosses, some of
which are at a great depth beneath the surface; and
it is generally observed that their tops lie towards the
west, as if they had been overthrown by a storm or inundation
from the east. There are appearances of various
kinds of metallic ores: at Sandlodge a coppermine
was wrought for some time; and iron-ore is in
considerable quantity. The island is divided into the
eight parishes of Delting, Dunrossness, Lerwick, Nesting,
Northmavine, Sandsting and Aithsting, Tingwall, and
Walls and Sandness, all of which are described under
their respective heads.