Vementry facts for kids
| Norse name | Vemunðarey |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Vémunðr's island (personal name) |
| OS grid reference | HU296606 |
| Coordinates | 60°19′46″N 1°27′47″W / 60.3294°N 1.463022°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Shetland |
| Area | 370 hectares (1.43 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 80 |
| Highest elevation | 90 metres (295 ft) Muckle Ward |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Shetland Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Vementry is a small, empty island in Shetland, Scotland. Its old Norse name, "Vemunðarey," means "Vémunðr's island." It sits on the north side of the West Mainland area, just south of another island called Muckle Roe.
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Exploring Vementry's Past
Vementry is special because of its old structures. The island has a very well-preserved chambered cairn. This is a type of ancient stone burial monument.
Ancient Burial Sites
One of the most interesting things on Vementry is a Neolithic (New Stone Age) heel-shaped cairn. This means it's a mound of stones shaped like the heel of a shoe. It's about 10 meters (33 feet) wide and stands over 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. People from thousands of years ago built these cairns.
World War I Gun Positions
Vementry also holds secrets from the First World War. You can find two old gun positions there. These guns were placed to guard the narrow entrance to Busta Voe, which was a safe harbor for navy ships. The guns were on a cliff called Swarbacks Head, about 49 meters (161 feet) above the sea.
These guns were taken from a ship called HMS Gibraltar. Sailors and Royal Marines operated them. The guns were set up on concrete platforms with strong concrete walls around them. These walls protected the gun crews from enemy fire. Each gun platform had two small storage areas for ammunition. Trenches connected these to a main ammunition storage building. There's also a simple stone building used to control the gun's aim. After the war ended, the guns were left behind and never used again.
Vementry: Island and Farm
The name Vementry is used for both the island and a small farm on the nearby Shetland Mainland. Because of this, people sometimes call it the "Isle of Vementry" to avoid confusion.
Getting to the Island
There isn't a regular boat service to the island. However, the shepherd who works at the Vementry farm on the Mainland sometimes takes a short trip across the water. They go to the island to look after the sheep and other animals living there.
The Sounds of Vementry
A narrow stretch of water separates the Isle of Vementry from the Mainland. This water is called a "sound." To the east, it's called Uyea Sound, and to the west, it's Cribba Sound. Cribba Sound is famous for its delicious mussels, which are grown in special farms there.
