Walls, Shetland Islands
Encyclopedia
Walls, known locally as Waas, (Old Norse
: Vagar = "Sheltered Bays" (voes) - the Ordnance Survey
added the "ll" as they thought it was a corruption of "walls". Cf Vágar
and Vágur
in the Faroe Islands
), is a settlement on the south side of West Mainland, Shetland Islands
, at the head of Vaila Sound and sheltered even from southerly storms by the islands of Linga and Vaila
.
A little to the east of the centre of the village is the marina, making this a popular base for leisure sailors. The fishing vessels that are still based in Walls tend to use the pier a few hundred yards along the west side of Vaila Sound. This is also the terminus for the ferry service to the island of Foula
, some distance out into the Atlantic from Shetland's Mainland.
Today it is home to the dialect children's writer Iris Sandison, also secretary to the local history group.
Waas has long been famed for its annual Agricultural Show. A short film of 'da Waas Show' in the early 60s, by the late Dr. Albert Hunter, is available at the link below.
", hence the name of the local poet.
A pier was built at Walls in the 18th century, and from 1838, it was a centre for fish curing. Walls itself is a quieter place than once it was. The large houses of Bayhall, now converted into flats, and Voe House are signs of past wealth, as are the three churches visible around the head of the sound. Two are still in use, while the third bears a sign showing its later conversion to a bakery. A pier was built in Walls in the 18th century, and from 1838 the village was a centre for fish curing.
Waas was the childhood home of two fine poets, Vagaland
and Christine de Luca
, and in 1884 was the birthplace of both Peter Fraser (1884-1966), musician and founder member of the Shetland Fiddlers' Society
, and William Moffatt, the author.
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Vagar = "Sheltered Bays" (voes) - the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
added the "ll" as they thought it was a corruption of "walls". Cf Vágar
Vágar
Vágar is one of the 18 islands in the archipelago of the Faroe Islands and the most westerly of the large islands. With a size of 178 km² , it ranks number three, behind Streymoy and Eysturoy....
and Vágur
Vágur
Vágur meaning Bay is a town on the Faroe Islands of Suðuroy, it is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and dates from the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the nearby town of Nes is now a suburb of Vágur...
in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
), is a settlement on the south side of West Mainland, Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, at the head of Vaila Sound and sheltered even from southerly storms by the islands of Linga and Vaila
Vaila
Vaila is an island in Shetland, Scotland, lying south of the Westland peninsula of the Shetland Mainland. It has an area of , and is at its highest point.Vaila is home to an organic sheep farm and is also known for its mountain hares....
.
A little to the east of the centre of the village is the marina, making this a popular base for leisure sailors. The fishing vessels that are still based in Walls tend to use the pier a few hundred yards along the west side of Vaila Sound. This is also the terminus for the ferry service to the island of Foula
Foula
Foula in the Shetland Islands of Scotland is one of Great Britain’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island was the location for the film The Edge of the World...
, some distance out into the Atlantic from Shetland's Mainland.
Today it is home to the dialect children's writer Iris Sandison, also secretary to the local history group.
Waas has long been famed for its annual Agricultural Show. A short film of 'da Waas Show' in the early 60s, by the late Dr. Albert Hunter, is available at the link below.
History
One of its old names is "VagalandVagaland
Vagaland , is arguably the greatest Shetland poet of the 20th century, was born Thomas Alexander Robertson at Westerwick at the southern tip of the parish of Sandsting, his mother’s home. He was the second son of Thomas Robertson of Skeld and his wife Andrina Johnston...
", hence the name of the local poet.
A pier was built at Walls in the 18th century, and from 1838, it was a centre for fish curing. Walls itself is a quieter place than once it was. The large houses of Bayhall, now converted into flats, and Voe House are signs of past wealth, as are the three churches visible around the head of the sound. Two are still in use, while the third bears a sign showing its later conversion to a bakery. A pier was built in Walls in the 18th century, and from 1838 the village was a centre for fish curing.
Waas was the childhood home of two fine poets, Vagaland
Vagaland
Vagaland , is arguably the greatest Shetland poet of the 20th century, was born Thomas Alexander Robertson at Westerwick at the southern tip of the parish of Sandsting, his mother’s home. He was the second son of Thomas Robertson of Skeld and his wife Andrina Johnston...
and Christine de Luca
Christine De Luca
Christine de Luca, née Pearson, is one of the foremost contemporary poets in Scotland. Her work has appeared in journals worldwide and she has read at many literary festivals, both in the UK and abroad. She grew up in Waas in Shetland, the daughter of the headmaster of Happyhansel School, Sandy...
, and in 1884 was the birthplace of both Peter Fraser (1884-1966), musician and founder member of the Shetland Fiddlers' Society
Shetland Fiddlers' Society
The Shetland Fiddlers' Society was formed in 1960 following a concert of massed fiddlers brought together to entertain an organised party of Shetland exiles from the colonies, known as da Hamefarin. At that time there were 40 members and the society was affectionately referred to as 'Da Forty...
, and William Moffatt, the author.