SANDSTING-AND-AITHSTING, a parish, in the
county of Shetland, 12 miles (W. N. W.) from Lerwick;
containing, with the islands of Little Papa and
Vementry, 2478 inhabitants. This parish lies in about
the middle of the Mainland, and is bounded on the
south and south-west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the
north by the Minn, or Swarbach's Minn, a large arm of
the sea by which it is separated from the island of
Mnckle Roe. It is about ten miles in length and eight
in breadth, comprising large tracts of pasture and peatmoss;
777 merks of land under cultivation, which are
liable to public burthens; and a very considerable ex-
tent of land, also under cultivation, taken from the pasture
or common, and paying no public burthens. The
shore of that part washed by the ocean is bold and
rugged, and marked by several curious natural caves,
frequented by seals and wild-fowl; and the land in every
part, both on the north and south, is intersected with
voes, forming numerous well-secured natural harbours.
Of these. Grilling, Olla, and j4ir.<i of Seliroe are the principal,
affording excellent anchorage for vessels of heavy
burthen. On the south of the parish are the two voes
of Skeld; and at a little distance, in the same direction,
are the entrances to Selivoe and Sandvoe. Seliroe is
remarkable for the unruffled tranquillity of its waters,
and the firmness of its anchorage, consisting of a strong,
blue, tenacious clay; but Sandvoe, being much exposed,
and having a very loose bottom, is considered an insecure
and dangerous station. In addition to these, are
Sandsound roe, which extends upwards of five miles inland;
West Burriijirtli, on the north of Aithsting; and
Brindister voe; all of them, with the exception of Burrafirth,
commodious harbours having good anchorage.
Of the several others, Aith's voe is the chief, an inland
harbour of great extent, and affording tolerable accommodation
for shipping. Among the various islands and
holms belonging to the parish, the smaller of which are
used only for grazing a few cows or sheep in summer
time, Vementry and Little Papa, both of which are inhabited,
hold the most conspicuous place. The former is
of considerable size, covered partly with heather and
partly with verdant sward, and depastured by about 400
sheep, chiefly of the white-faced breed, with numerous
black-cattle. Little Papa, which is of smaller size, and
its pasture of inferior quality, is also grazed by several
head of black-cattle, and by about 200 sheep, which are
a cross of the white and black faced kinds.
The surface of the interior, of which no part is distant
more than a mite from the sea, is chiefly marked by
a succession of knolls or inconsiderable elevations, there
being no remarkable hills, nor any lengthened tract of
low ground. These eminences are covered with heather,
interspersed with green patches; and there are numerous
lochs in the parish, not fewer indeed than 140,
some of them large, and containing a stock of fine trout.
The land under cultivation is in general contiguous to
the shore. In some places the soil is sandy, in some
clayey, and in others a light brown earth; but its prominent
character is that of moss, which runs very deep,
and affords the inhabitants a never-failing supply of
excellent fuel: in the moss are often found embedded, at
a great depth, fragments of birch and other wood. The
ordinary crops are bear, oats, and potatoes; the last
occupy about one fourth of the ground under tillage.
Cabbages, turnips, and carrots thrive well, especially
carrots; and in the horticultural department, gooseberries
and currants, strawberries, rhubarb, mint, and
all kinds of culinary vegetables and herbs, arrive at perfection.
The farms are generally of about three or four
acres only, and are under spade husbandry, not more
than two or three ploughs being in use; the harrows
are entirely of wood, of the most simple construction,
and drawn over the ground by a man or woman by
means of ropes. The land, as in most Shetland parishes
where agriculture is in a rude state, consists of in-field
and out-field, and is, as it is called, run-rig, being but
scantily protected in any part by fences. The tenants'
cottages are of the meanest possible description; but
the inmates appear to be reconciled to them by use.
Large numbers of sheep are reared, mostly of the native
breed, but now frequently crossed with the black and
the white faced: black-cattle and ponies are numerous;
and there is a small, bristly, yet excellent breed of pigs,
one or two of which are generally kept by each family.
In the parish are about fifty mills turned by water, and
an almost unlimited number of hand-mills.
The rocks comprehend gneiss, limestone, blue and red
granite, also felspar, and several other varieties; and at
a small distance from Tresta, a layer of porcelain earth
of a whitish hue is found. Near Innersand, chromate
of iron was quarried some years since; but the profit
not being sufficient, the operations were afterwards discontinued.
There are a few trees which thrive well in
favoured situations, such as the alder-tree and mountainash;
and the holms in some of the fresh-water lochs
exhibit good specimens of hazel, brier, honeysuckle, and
willow; but the excessive moisture of the climate, together
with the sea-spray, the long-continued rains and
storms, and the depredations of the cattle when pressed
for forage, forbid the hope of any thing like a regular
plantation in the locality. There are three good mansions;
Sand House, built in 1754; Garder House, built
about 1760; and Reawick, a plain structure of recent
date. Fishing here, as in the rest of the islands, engages
much attention. The taking of ling commences in May
or June; that of cod, which is carried on in sloops of
from twenty to forty tons' burthen, begins about the
same time, and early herring-fishing has been prosecuted
some years, commencing in June. Formerly the herringfishing
succeeded the taking of cod and ling. Besides
these three kinds of fish, tusk and other varieties are
taken: in most of the firths, haddock, whiting, flounder,
halibut, skate, and mackerel are plentiful, with sillocks
and piltocks; also shell-fish of every description. A
fair is held annually at Whitsuntide, and another at
Martinmas, for cattle and horses; the fish cured in the
parish is sent mostly to Spain, and the remainder to
Leith, Liverpool, and to Ireland.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the presbytery of
OInafirth, synod of Shetland, and in the patronage of
the Earl of Zetland. The minister's stipend is £158, of
which upwards of a fourth is received from the exchequer;
with a manse, built in 1817, which is in a very
dilapidated state, and a glebe valued at £9 per annum.
The church was built in 1780, and reseated in 18'24, and
contains sittings for 437 persons. Aithsting church
was accidentally burnt down in February 184'2. There
is a meeting-house for Independents, and another for
Wesleyans. The parochial school, the premises for
which were built in 1803, at the cost of £105, affords
instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and bookkeeping;
the master has a salary of £'26, with a dwelling,
and the fees. There are also two schools supported by
the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, who
grant the teachers salaries of £15 each; and an Assembly's
school, the master of which has a salary of £'21.
An institution called "the Shetland Fishermen's Fund"
was established in 1810, for the relief of aged and decayed
fishermen, and the widows of fishermen; it is
managed by twelve directors, and has been of much
benefit to the parish among the objects for whom the
charity was designed. The district contains numerous
barrows or tumuli, supposed places of sepulture of the
aucieut Scandinavians; and several forts built on high
ground for watch-towers and other purposes. There
are also five burying-places, at one of which, at Sand, a
mile distant from Kirk-holm, is still the chancel of a
church which tradition reports to have been constructed
out of gratitude for the kindness of the inhabitants, by
the crew of one of the ships of the Spanish Armada that
was wrecked here in 1588. The sufferers had at first
taken refuge and fortified themselves in Kirk-holm; and
remains of their works are yet visible on the isle.