Yell

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Yell (anc. Jalla, Jala; Icel. gelld, gall, `barren '), the second largest of the Shetland Islands, and, except Unst, the most northerly of the group, lies 25 to 40 miles N of Lerwick, under which it has post and telegraph offices of Ulsta (in the SW), Mid Yell (E), and Cullivoe (NE). It is separated, on the W and S W, from Mainland by Yell -Sound, 1 ¾ to 6 miles broad; on the E, from Fetlar by Colgrave Sound, 1 to 4 ½ miles broad; and on the NE, from Unst by Bluemun Sound, 4 ½ furlongs broad at the narrowest. Its utmost length, from N to S, is 17 ¼ miles; its breadth varies between ½ mile and 6 ½ miles; and its area is 81.69 square miles or 52,923 acres. The tides on both sides of the island are very impetuous; and, both in Yell and Bluemull Sounds, where they meet with obstructions, and often run at the rate of 9 or 10 miles, they for continuous hours defy boat navigation, and toss the sea, even during a calm, into foam and tumult. The chief bays which indent the coast are Gloup Voe on the N; Basta Voe, Mid Yell Voe, and Otters Wick on the E; Burra Voe and Hamna Voe on the S; and Whale Firth on the W. All these, and some smaller bays or creeks, form natural harbours, several of which are capacious and sheltered. Mid Yell Voe and Whale Firth are opposite each other, a little N of the centre of the island, and leave between them only a low boggy isthmus ½ mile across, which could be cut into a canal communication. A landing can be effected at almost any point on the E coast; but even in calm weather it can nowhere be effected on the W except in Whale Firth and one smaller creek. The coast, along the E, is generally low and often sandy; but along the W it is to a considerable extent rocky, bold, and even precipitous, rising rapidly in places to over 200 and 300 feet. The surface of the island presents a heavy and cheerless aspect. Two nearly parallel ridges of gneiss rocks, of almost uniform outline, and only from 200 to 600 feet in height, traverse it nearly from end to end, sloping gradually toward the shores, and, in some places, connected by transverse ridges running from E to W. The northern division of the island at no point exceeds 382 feet above sea-level; but S of Whale Firth and Mid Yell Sound rise the South Ward of Reafirth (615 feet), the Kame of Sandwick (531), and the Ward of Otterswick (672). Of sixty-six little fresh-water lochs or lochlets, most of them yielding good troutfishing, the largest are Kettlester Loch, Lumbister Loch, Colvister Loch, and Gossa Water. The rocks are principally gneiss and mica slate, with veins of granite and nodules or masses of quartz and trap; and almost all the soil is a deep moss, occasionally but seldom mixed with clay or sand. Yell is described in Buchanan's History (1582) as ` so uncouth a place that no creature can live therein except such as are born there.' But now there are a number of good sheep farms, with thriving flocks of Cheviot and blackfaced sheep. Eggs, cattle, and ponies are also exported; fishing in the surrounding seas is a leading but perilous employment; and the pursuit and capture of the `caa'in whale' (delphinus deductor) occasionally produces vast excitement. The antiquities are some Picts' houses or circular burghs, and nearly a score of shapeless ruins or faint vestiges of pre-Reformation chapels. The island was anciently distributed into the three parishes of North Yell, Mid Yell, and South Yell. North Yell is now united to Fetlar; whilst Mid and South Yell form one civil parish, which, including the islets of Hascussay and Bigga, has a land area of 35,365 acres. In 1880 this parish was ecclesiastically redivided into Mid Yell and South Yell quoad sacra parish. Both are in the presbytery of Burravoe and the synod of Shetland; and the stipend of the former is £196, of the latter £129. Mid Yell church, with 500 sittings, was built in 1832; and South Yell church, with 384, in 1841. There are also a Free church of Yell and an Episcopal mission church of Burravoe; and six public Schools - Burravoe, East Yell, Mid Yell, Ulsta, West Sandwick, and West Yell - with total accommodation for 296 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 157, and grants amounting to £191, 4s. Valuation of Mid and South Yell (1860) £1434, (1884) £2457, 10s. 9d. Pop. of entire island (1831) 2649, (1861) 2716, (187-1) 2732, (1881) 2529, of whom 1514 were females, whilst 821 were in North Yell, 984 in Mid Yell, and 724 in South Yell.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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