Mail, Shetland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mail |
|
|---|---|
 Sheep and buildings at Mail, looking north, with the Ward of Bressay in the distance |
|
 Mail
|
|
| OS grid reference | HU430279 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHETLAND |
| Postcode district | ZE2 |
| Dialling code | 01950 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
|
| Scottish Parliament |
|
Mail is a tiny village, called a hamlet, located on Mainland island. This island is part of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Mail is a quiet place with a rich history, especially known for its ancient discoveries.
Contents
Where is Mail?
Mail is found on the south-eastern side of Mainland island. It sits right next to the A970 road. Mail is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Lerwick, the main town in Shetland. You can find it between the villages of Cunningsburgh and Sandwick.
Mail's Location on the Globe
Mail is almost exactly on the 60th parallel north. This is an imaginary line that goes around the Earth. It helps us understand how far north a place is.
Beaches and Bur Ness
Mail has two lovely beaches. They are called the Sands of Mail and the Beach of Mail. A piece of land sticking out into the sea, called Bur Ness, separates these two beaches. The old churchyard of Mail is located on Bur Ness. This area has been important for many interesting archaeological finds.
Mail's Past: A Look at History
Bur Ness was once the home of Mail's chapel. This chapel was part of the Cunningsburgh parish. Now, it is part of the larger Dunrossness area. We do not know much about the chapel itself. However, it was known as the main church for the area a very long time ago. The churchyard is still there today.
Amazing Discoveries: Archaeology at Mail
Many old gravestones have been found in the churchyard. Some of these stones date back to the 7th century. They belonged to the Picts, an ancient people of Scotland.
The Mail Stone
One special find was the Mail Stone, discovered in 1992. It has a carved Pictish figure on it. Other gravestones found here have Norse runes. These are ancient letters used by the Vikings. This shows that Vikings were active in the Mail area. There are also inscriptions in Ogham, another old writing system.
Traces of the Iron Age
Even older discoveries show that people lived here during the Iron Age. This was a time when people started using iron tools. On a small island near Bur Ness, there was once a Broch of Mail. A broch is an ancient stone tower.
What Happened to the Broch?
The broch itself is no longer there. But in 1934, someone visited the site. They found the circular foundation of the tower. Today, you cannot see any traces of it. It has been covered by grass and earth over time.
