The largest settlement is on Unst (the northernmost island of Shetland) is Baltasound. It used to be a major herring port. Then the island’s population could reach something like 10,000 people. Now the population of the is 600.
That’s Baltasound Hotel, a semi-circle of wooden cabins facing the main building. (Warm, quiet and quite comfortable cabins, they are.)
The “shopping centre”
has a post office
and a general store/grocery shop.
Around the corner and up the road and around the corner is another shop (far left – I think it’s a general merchants) and on the right is a little church.
A little church. It has a peace pole.
There are houses.
Across the main road there’s a Junior High School.
and a football club.
and the leisure centre. (This and a lot of the island’s facilities and infrastructure were built with oil money.)
On Google Maps this is Hillside Free Church (former). Very former.
Part of a group comprising substantial remains of former classical Free Church dated 1843 . . . Hillside Church was last used in 1959, and the roof was removed in the early 1960s.
Buildings at risk
Beyond that, to Baliasta and the remains of an 18th century kirk (on the left).
To the north is Haroldswick, where you’ll find the Boat Haven, the Heritage Centre and Victoria’s rather nice tea rooms. and some other buildings.
