Hascosay

Hascosay (Scots: Hascosay; Old Norse "Hafskotsey"[5]) is a small island lying between Yell and Fetlar in the Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Hascosay
Scots nameHascosay
Old Norse nameHafskotsey
Location
Hascosay
Hascosay shown within Shetland
OS grid referenceHU556930
Coordinates60.61667°N 00.98333°W / 60.61667; -00.98333
Physical geography
Island groupShetland
Area275 hectares (1.06 sq mi)
Area rank90= [1]
Highest elevation30 metres (98 ft)
Administration
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Council areaShetland Islands
Demographics
Population0
References[2][3][4][5]

Geography and geology

The island's rock is coarse micaceous gneiss.[3]

The island has several pools, but the fresh water in them is frequently contaminated by salt spray.

The area of Hascosay is just over one square mile.

History

The population of the island was 42 in 1841, but had shrunk to thirteen within a decade. In 1871, the population numbered 4, and in 1881, the island was uninhabited.[6] The laird, Arthur Nicholson, who had bought it had "cleared" parts of Fetlar, and it is possible that the islanders removed themselves in anticipation of a possible future forcible eviction by this landowner.[3]

Wildlife
House on Hascosay, with the hills of Fetlar beyond

The island is designated as a Special Area of Conservation on account of its largely undisturbed blanket bog habitat. It is also home to a population of otters.

References
  1. Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  2. National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  3. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
  4. Ordnance Survey
  5. Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9

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