East Burra facts for kids
| Norse name | Barrey |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | east broch island? |
| OS grid reference | HU388339 |
| Coordinates | 60°05′N 1°19′W / 60.08°N 1.31°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Shetland |
| Area | 515 ha |
| Area rank | 73 |
| Highest elevation | 81 m |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Shetland Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 76 |
| Population density | 15 people/km2 |
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East Burra (also known as Barrey in Old Norse) is a small island in Scotland. It's part of the Shetland Islands, specifically one of the Scalloway Islands. This island is connected by a bridge to its neighbour, West Burra.
East Burra covers an area of about 515 hectares. This makes it the twelfth largest island in the Shetland group. It has a smaller population than West Burra. You won't find big towns here. Instead, there are a few small groups of houses called hamlets. You can also see scattered individual croft houses, which are traditional farmhouses.
Exploring East Burra
East Burra is known for its interesting historical sites. These include remains from the Neolithic period, which was a very long time ago. One special type of site is a "burnt mound." These are ancient cooking places. The island also has cool sea caves along its coast.
Historic Buildings and Views
A notable building on the island is the Old Haa of Houss. A "Haa" is an old manor or laird's house. This one is roofless but still stands out. From Houss, you can walk about two kilometres to the cliffs. These cliffs are at the very southern end of the island.
From these cliffs, you can clearly see the island of South Havra. Today, only sheep and seabirds live on South Havra.
Island Connections
East Burra is well-connected to other places. It links to the Shetland Mainland by a series of bridges. These bridges go through West Burra and another island called Trondra. This makes it easy to travel to and from East Burra.
What's in a Name?
The name "Burra" might come from an old word. Some people think it's a shorter version of "Borgarey." This means "island of the broch." A broch is an ancient stone tower. Even though there isn't a broch standing today, a place on West Burra is called Brough. This might support the idea. However, in an old Viking story called the Orkneyinga saga, the island was called "Barrey."
