Symbister
Encyclopedia
Symbister is the largest village on the island of Whalsay
, Shetland. The focus of the village is the harbour, which is home to small fishing boats
as well as large deep sea trawlers. The village is overlooked by the granite mansion Symbister House, built by the Sixth Robert Bruce of Symbister in 1823.
The Pier House, now a museum, was once the centre for the export of dried and salted fish to the Hanseatic League
, an alliance of trading
guild
s that established and maintained a trade monopoly
over much of Northern Europe
between the 13th and 17th centuries. The population in 1991 was 797.
A ferry to Laxo
on the Shetland mainland operates from Symbister.
Whalsay
-Geography:Whalsay, also known as "The Bonnie Isle", is a peat-covered island in the Shetland Islands. It is situated east of the Shetland Mainland and has an area of . The main settlement is Symbister, where the fishing fleet is based. The fleet is composed of both pelagic and demersal vessels...
, Shetland. The focus of the village is the harbour, which is home to small fishing boats
Fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing....
as well as large deep sea trawlers. The village is overlooked by the granite mansion Symbister House, built by the Sixth Robert Bruce of Symbister in 1823.
The Pier House, now a museum, was once the centre for the export of dried and salted fish to the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
, an alliance of trading
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s that established and maintained a trade monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over much of Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
between the 13th and 17th centuries. The population in 1991 was 797.
A ferry to Laxo
Laxo
Laxo is a small settlement at the end of Laxo Voe in Vidlin, Shetland.A ferry from the Mainland to Symbister in Whalsay operates from the nearby Laxo Ferry Terminal and is operated by the Shetland Islands Council....
on the Shetland mainland operates from Symbister.