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Northmavine

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"NORTHMAVINE, (or Northmaving), a parish in the Mainland, Shetland Islands, coast of Scotland. It comprises the northern part of Mainland, which is indented with many voes or inlets, affording safe harbours for the fishing-boats, and is surrounded on all sides with small islands, holms, and rocks, as Eagleshay, Lamba, Dorholm, Maiden Skerry, Hamnavoe, Burravoe, &c., but only one of these - Lamba - is inhabited. It is a peninsula united to the parish of Delting by a narrow isthmus about 100 yards broad at high water, called Mavis-grind, but so low that at high spring-tides it is entirely surrounded by water. It extends in length about 16 miles from S. to N., with an extreme breadth of about 8 miles."

From The National Gazetteer of of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Churches

Presbyterian / Unitarian
Northmavine, Church of Scotland
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Description & Travel

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Gazetteers

 

Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis - 1851

DORE-HOLM, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It is situated in the bay of St. Magnus, south of the mainland of the parish, and derives its name from a remarkable arch which passes through its centre, of lofty and capacious dimensions, and admitting boatmen to fish in the waters beneath, being lighted by an opening at the top. The islet is cue of the smallest of the Shetland group.

EAGLESHAY, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It is one of the smallest of the Shetland group, and is situated in St. Magnus' bay, a short distance westward of Islesburgh on the Mainland: there is some good pasturage; and rabbits are very numerous.

GUNISTER, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It is one of the smallest of the Shetland group, and lies about a mile southward of the main land of the parish: there is pasturage for cattle and sheep.

LAMBA, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. This is a small uninhabited isle of the Shetland group, situated on the north-east coast of the Mainland of Shetland, about a mile and a half westward of Bigga island.

MAIDEN-SKERRY, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It consists of a high rock, the upper part of which has never been trodden by man. In the summer season it is occupied by the largest kind of gulls, called the black-backed, which nestle upon it in vast numbers, undisturbed.

NORTHMAVINE, a parish, in the Mainland district, county of Shetland, 30 miles (N. W. by N.) from Lerwick; containing 2504 inhabitants. This is a peninsula of nearly triangular form, joined to the parish of Delting and the great body of the Mainland by the isthmus of Mavine, a neck of land not more than 100 yards wide, and which is almost covered by the sea at spring tides. The parish is thought to take its name from its situation being northward from the isthmus, while some suppose it to have been designated North Main, or Northmavine, from its relative bearing to the rest of the Mainland. It is about sixteen miles in length from north to south, about eight miles in breadth, and is computed to contain 60,000 acres, 6000 of which are under cultivation. The surface of the interior is uneven, rugged, and hilly, and for the most part covered with short coarse grass or heather; while the shores, which are surrounded with islands, holms, and rocks, are lofty and precipitous. They are deeply indented with numerous fissures, forming excellent creeks and bays, and frequented at all seasons of the year by wild geese, ducks, and a variety of other water-fowl. The most spacious and celebrated of these harbours is St. Magnus' Bay, on the west, from which several voes run into the land, affording commodious and safe retreats for shipping in stormy weather. Hillswick voe is most resorted to, on account of its greater security. On the south and east of the bay is Sullom voe, eight miles long; and on the north are Ronan's voe, a narrow channel six miles in length, and Hamna voe; both of them, especially the latter, considered superior harbours. At the back of Hillswick Ness is an immense rock called the Drongs, which rises perpendicularly to the height of 100 feet; and not far distant is the rock of Dorholm, rising to an elevation of about seventy-six feet, and distinguished by an arch, whence it takes its name, and the height of which is fifty-four feet.

STENNESS, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It is a small isle on the north coast of the main land, covering a small bay in the parish, where is a good fishing-station, with drying-houses and other conveniences.

STOURHOLM, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It is a small isle, lying on the north side of the Mainland, in the sound of Yell; and is about a mile in length and half a mile in breadth, and uninhabited.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference HU292815 (Lat/Lon: 60.516026, -1.470127), Northmavine which are provided by: