South Havra

South Havra (Scots: Sooth Haevra; Old Norse: Hafrey),[5] formerly Hevera, is an uninhabited island in the Scalloway Islands, Shetland, Scotland.

South Havra
Scots nameSooth Haevra
Old Norse nameHafrey
Meaning of name"Ewe Island"

Aerial view of South Havra
Location
South Havra
South Havra shown within Shetland
OS grid referenceHU360268
Coordinates60.03°N 1.35°W / 60.03; -1.35
Physical geography
Island groupShetland
Area59 hectares (0.23 sq mi)
Area rank183= [1]
Highest elevation42 metres (138 ft)
Administration
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Council areaShetland Islands
Demographics
Population0
References[2][3][4][5]

Geography and geology

South Havra lies south of Burra and west of the southern peninsula of the Mainland.

The island's rock is "epidiotic syenite with undifferentiated schist and gneiss."[3]

The soil is fairly fertile, but the lack of running water meant that, unusually for Shetland, the islanders resorted to building a windmill to grind corn.

Geological features on the island include caves and natural arches.[6]

Little Havra is to its west.

History

Olaf Sinclair, foud (a kind of magistrate) of all Shetland lived here in the 16th century.

The island's ruined windmill is an unusual sight in the Shetland Islands, especially as some have pointed out, that the Dutch were amongst the archipelago's most frequent visitors.[7]

At the censuses of 1871 and 1881 South Havra had a population of 32 and 35, respectively.[8] The island has been uninhabited since 1923.[9] Previously the population was big enough to support a school.[3]

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. 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
  3. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
  4. Get-a-map (Map). 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
  6. Munro, David; Gittings, Bruce (2006). Scotland: an encyclopedia of places & landscapes. Glasgow: Collins. p. 435. ISBN 9780004724669.
  7. "Windmills of Scotland". Windmill World. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
  9. Venables, Ursula Mary; Venables, L.S.V. (1955). Birds and Mammals of Shetland. Oliver and Boyd. p. 79.

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