Weisdale is a bay, hamlet and ancient parish in Shetland. The bay opens near the northern extremity of Scalloway

Scalloway

Scalloway is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, Shetland with a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census...

 Bay, and strikes four and a half miles to the north north east.

The hamlet lies at the bay's head, about twelve miles north west of Lerwick

Lerwick

Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...

.

History

Weisdale was the scene of a series of evictions of crofters in favour of large scale sheep farming in the 19th century. Approximately three hundred and eighteen crofters were evicted from the Weisdale valley in what is described as the clearances. Local author John J. Graham wrote two novels on this theme.

Sites of Interest

• Weisdale Voe - a lovely and long stretch of water containing small isles (Greena
  Greena
  Greena is a small island off the west coast of Mainland, Shetland. It is 10m at its highest point, and is north of Flotta, Shetland. It is in Weisdale Voe.-References:* Venables, Ursula & Llewellyn, Tempestuous Eden, Museum Press, London 1952....
  
  , Flotta
  Flotta
  Flotta is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow. The island is known for its large oil terminal and is linked by Orkney Ferries to Houton on the Orkney Mainland and Lyness and Longhope on Hoy....
  
  , Hoy
  Hoy
  Hoy is an island in Orkney, Scotland. With an area of it is the second largest in the archipelago after the Mainland. It is connected by a causeway called The Ayre to South Walls...
  
  , North Havra
  North Havra
  North Havra is a small island off south west Shetland. It is 30 metres at its highest point.Situated 1/3 mile from the ness-end of South Whiteness, the island possess a lighthouse and a couple of small sheep pens ', as well as a couple dozen sheep, many rabbits and different bird species. North...
  
  , Junk, Hoggs of Hoy and Hildasay
  Hildasay
  Hildasay , also known as Hildisay, is an uninhabited island off the west coast of the Shetland Mainland.-Geography and geology:...
  
  ). The head is a good place to see wading birds.

• Weisdale Valley - a beautiful stretch of land including the Weisdale Mill, Kergord Woods & Kergord House that are detailed below. The remains of some of the houses that were targeted during the clearances in the 19th Century can still be seen in the valley today.

• Weisdale Mill
  Weisdale Mill
  Weisdale Mill is a watermill in the village of Weisdale, Shetland. It is located near the head of Weisdale Voe on the west of the island, a twenty-minute drive from the main town of Lerwick.-History:...
  
   - a restored mill (Shetland's largest corn mill, built in 1855) now serving as a gallery and cafe.

• Kergord Woods - the only substantial woodland in the Shetland Islands, located at Weisdale. Mixed conifer and deciduous trees were planted between 1909–21 and now attracts woodland birds.

• Kergord House - built in 1850, was previously part of the Flemington estate (the house itself was originally called Flemington) and in 1940 the house served as the Headquarters for the Shetland Bus
  Shetland bus
  The Shetland Bus was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Shetland, Scotland, and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the German occupation ended on 8 May 1945. From mid-1942 the official name of the group was "Norwegian Naval Independent Unit"...
  
   operations

• Shetland Jewellery – The workshop premises in Weisdale are open to visitors who can see silver and gold jewellery with Nordic, traditional and wildlife designs being produced by the skilled workers. Teas, coffees and light snacks are available.

Church

There is one church in Weisdale. It is known as the Weisdale Kirk and is part of the Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

. This kirk was built in 1863 and is now surrounded by a beautiful garden which was created by local volunteers with the assistance of the BBC Scotland Beechgrove Garden team. The garden won a Shetland Environmental Award in 2006