Profile: Shetland - It’s a place full of contrasts, and long summer days

THE Shetland Islands, the most northerly part of the British Isles, are inhabited by about 22,000 people and an abundance of wildlife, including 54,000 gannets and 200,000 puffins.

The islands number more than 100 in total, of which only 15 are inhabited.

Although they sit as far north as Helsinki, Alaska and Leningrad, the islands are warmed by the northernmost edge of the Gulf stream and enjoy a climate closer to western mainland Britain than their more northerly neighbours.

The islands are famous for their long summer days, when the sun can sit above the horizon for almost 19 hours.

Shetland has attracted marauding warriors for thousands of years, and it retains a distinctly Norse character.

It also a place known for its many contrasts – rugged hills and flower-strewn meadows; large new houses and traditional crofts; ultra-modern ships and small boats.

Shetland’s education system is held in high regard and there is a strong emphasis on small class sizes.

Traditionally, a Shetlander is described as a “fisherman with a croft”.

Even now, both fishing and agriculture continue to play a very important role in the economy.

Shetland is also famous for its knitwear. For more than 500 years, the fine, soft wool of Shetland sheep has been knitted into warm garments.

But in the early 1970s, a whole new industry arrived in Shetland – oil.

The construction phase brought prosperity and employment to the islands, with the building of the Sullom Voe oil terminal.

Tourism is also becoming an increasingly important industry, bringing in more than £10 million per year, with the island’s striking scenery, intriguing heritage and abundance of wildlife drawing visitors from the rest of the UK and further afield.

And there’s a lot to attract them – the islands boast 138 sandy beaches, 1,697 miles of coastline, 6,080 archaeological sites and 639 miles of good roads.