The New Student's Reference Work/Shetland

Shet′land, a group of islands north of Scotland, forming one of its counties. They number more than 100, 29 being inhabited.. There are no trees and only one sixth of the soil is cultivated, but the cliff-scenery is fine and the coast so broken that no spot is more than three miles from the sea. Fisheries form the leading industry. The little, shaggy, Shetland ponies are well-known. Shetland, the Ultima Thule of the ancients, belonged to Scandinavia until 1468, and Norse was spoken in Foula in 1774. Area 550 square miles; population 28,166; chief town, Lerwick. See The Pirate by Scott and Orkneys and Shetland by Tudor.