Scalloway

Coordinates: 60°08′13″N 1°16′52″W / 60.137°N 1.281°W / 60.137; -1.281

Scalloway (Old Norse:Skálavágr – "bay with the large house(s)") is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, Shetland with a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census. Until 1708 it was the capital of the Shetland Islands (now Lerwick, on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland).

Scalloway is the location of the North Atlantic Fisheries College (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands), which offers courses and supports research programmes in fisheries sciences, aquaculture, marine engineering and coastal management. It is also home to the Centre for Nordic Studies. Nearby are the Scalloway Islands, which derive their name from the town.

The village has a swimming pool and a school, Scalloway Junior High School, the secondary department of which was closed in July 2011 by the Shetland Islands Council.

History

Built in 1600 by Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, the remains of Scalloway Castle is the most notable feature of the village. Scalloway Castle is located near the quay (the castle is usually locked, however a key can be borrowed from the nearby Scalloway Hotel or from the adjacent Scalloway Museum).