Haroldswick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haroldswick |
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 At Haroldswick beach, the white building is Bordanoost and the grey buildings just right of centre are the houses of Beach Road. |
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 Haroldswick
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| OS grid reference | HP634121 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHETLAND |
| Postcode district | ZE2 |
| Dialling code | 01595 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Haroldswick, also known as Harold's Wick, is a small village located on Unst, one of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Its name comes from the Old Norse language, meaning 'Harald's bay'. This makes sense because Haroldswick is one of the most northerly places where people live in the entire British Isles.
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A Glimpse into History
Haroldswick gets its name from a famous Viking leader, King Harald I Fairhair. People believe this bay was the very first place the Vikings landed when they arrived in the Shetland Islands long ago.
Archaeologists have even found a Viking grave nearby on Setter's Hill. This grave is thought to belong to Harald himself, looking out over the bay where he might have first stepped ashore.
Exploring the Bay
Haroldswick sits at the end of a small bay that curves like a crescent moon. Hills rise up on both sides, with steep cliffs and sometimes rough waters below. These waters are known for good mackerel fishing.
The beach itself is mostly rocky. As you walk along, you'll find huge boulders blocking the way near an old, ruined pier. Along the beach road, there are small cottages. A low wall is their only protection from the strong winds blowing in from the sea.
Unst Boat Haven
At the head of the bay, you can visit the Unst Boat Haven. This is a small museum dedicated to the traditional small boats used in Shetland. It's a great place to learn about the island's maritime history. The museum is open to visitors from May to September.
Wildlife by the Sea
The beach at Haroldswick is a popular spot for wildlife. You'll often see grey seals resting on the shore. Grey herons, tall birds with long legs, also frequently visit the area. The water near the shore is quite shallow for about 6 meters (about 20 feet) before it gets much deeper.
Where is Haroldswick?
Haroldswick is very far north! It's about 615 kilometers (382 miles) north of Inverness, which is the closest city on mainland Scotland. It's even further from London, about 1,310 kilometers (814 miles) away.
Even Lerwick, the capital town of the Shetland Islands, is about 96 kilometers (60 miles) to the south. While Haroldswick is very far north, it's not the absolute northernmost settlement in the UK. That title goes to a tiny place called Norwick-Skaw, which is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) further north on Unst.
Northernmost Church and Post Office
The Methodist Church in Haroldswick holds a special record: it is the northernmost church in all of Britain.
For many years, the Haroldswick Post Office was also the most northerly post office in the UK. Visitors could even get a special postmark to show they had been there! However, this post office closed in 1999. Now, the record for the northernmost post office is held by the one in Baltasound, which is also on the island of Unst.
