Baltasound facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Baltasound |
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 At the main gate of Buness, Baltasound |
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 Baltasound
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| OS grid reference | HP620089 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHETLAND |
| Postcode district | ZE2 |
| Dialling code | 01957 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Baltasound is the biggest village on Unst island in Shetland, Scotland. Its name comes from an old Norse name, Balti. Unst is the most northerly island in the United Kingdom where people live. The village sits on the east coast of the island, in a calm bay called Balta Sound.
Long ago, Baltasound was a very important port for catching herring fish in Shetland. In 1902, it caught more fish than Lerwick, which is the capital of Shetland! But after 1905, the herring fishing slowed down a lot. Even so, you could still see signs of the busy fishing times for many years.
Baltasound was also home to a famous plant expert named Thomas Edmondston. He was born at Buness House. His uncle, also named Thomas, owned the land there. A special stone outside the house remembers the science studies done by a French scientist, Jean-Baptiste Biot, at that very spot.
Did you know Baltasound also has the most northerly "wood" in the British Isles? It's not a huge forest, but it's still pretty cool!
Amazing Baltasound: UK's Northernmost Records
Baltasound is famous for having many things that are the most northerly in the UK. It's like a record-breaking village!
- Airport: Unst/Baltasound Airport is the UK's most northerly airport. It has a runway over 2,000 feet long! Today, it's mostly used for emergencies.
- Leisure Centre: You can find the most northerly leisure centre here.
- School: Baltasound Junior High School holds the record for the most northerly school.
- Hotel: The Baltasound Hotel is the UK's most northerly hotel.
- Post Office: The Baltasound Post Office is the most northerly post office in the United Kingdom. This record used to belong to a post office in Haroldswick, but it closed in 1999.
- Bus Shelter: The Unst Bus Shelter, often called "Bobby's Bus Shelter," is a famous bus stop near the village. It's looked after by the local council. This bus stop is also the northernmost in the UK!
A small railway was built in 1907. It went from the Chromite quarries at Hagdale to Baltasound. This railway helped move materials for the chromate industry on the island. Even though it didn't carry passengers, it was important for the village's economy. Like other small railways in Shetland, it didn't last forever.
Baltasound's Unique Weather
Baltasound is home to the most northerly weather station in the United Kingdom. The weather here is cool and often wet, like a typical ocean climate. Winters are mild for how far north it is, and summers are short and cool. Rain falls throughout the year.
Baltasound holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in the Shetland Islands! It reached 25.0°C (77.0°F) on July 2, 1958. It might also hold the record for the lowest temperature in Shetland, which was -11.9°C (10.6°F) on February 5, 2001.
During the summer, Baltasound experiences something called "civil polar day." This means the sun sets in the evening and rises the next morning, but it never gets completely dark in between! It stays light enough to see. In winter, the sun doesn't get very high in the sky, so it's a bit like a long twilight.
