Coordinates: 60°20′13″N 1°01′16″W / 60.337°N 1.021°W / 60.337; -1.021
Sandwick is a hamlet, often considered part of the main village of Symbister along with adjacent Harlsdale, in the parish of Nesting in southwestern Whalsay in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. It is located to the south of the main centre of Symbister; Clate lies just to the south. The Holm of Sandwick lies off the coast. The British military established a radar camp in the vicinity during wartime and tanks and sheds built by the military were still in use in 1986. A Catalina bomber crashed in the vicinity in the early part of World War II. The Loch of Sandwick lies to the west of the village. There are burnt mounds in the lake area and caves along the coast here.
Whalsay (Old Norse: Hvalsey or Hvals-øy, meaning 'Whale Island') is the sixth largest of the Shetland islands in Scotland.
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 7.6 square miles (20 km2). The main settlement is Symbister, where the fishing fleet is based. The fleet is composed of both pelagic and demersal vessels. Other main settlements include Clate, Isbister, Sandwick, Saltness, Huxter, Challister, Marrister, North Park and furthest north is Skaw.
The island is fertile and fairly densely populated, with crofting taking second place to fishing as the main local industries.
Ferries sail from Symbister to Laxo and Vidlin on the Shetland Mainland. When normal service is in operation two ferries run a tandem service between Symbister and Laxo. Departure times from the two terminals are normally around every 35 minutes according to a timetable, with the crossing taking approximately 30 minutes. The two ferries currently in service are the Hendra and the Linga. The Vidlin terminal is used when the weather causes the crossing to Laxo to become too rough. The journey between Symbister and Laxo takes around 30 minutes, but can take slightly longer depending on the weather and tides.