Nesting, Shetland

Loch of Benston

Nesting War Memorial

Nesting is a parish in the east of Mainland, Shetland. It includes not only a part of the Mainland, measuring about twelve miles (19 km) by four, along the seaboard from Gletness to Lunna Ness but also the island of Whalsay and the Out Skerries. The coast is deeply indented by voes and headlands. The arable land comprises only about 1,000 acres (4 km²), the remainder being mostly open moorland.

One of the old parishes of Shetland, the ancient parishes of Lunnasting and Whalsay were merged into it. The parish church, St Ola's Kirk, stands some 10 miles north of Lerwick near the war memorial at Brettabister.

Nesting is generally divided into a north and south district. The population in 1958 was 1549.

Settlements in Nesting include:

• Benston (South Nesting)
• Billister (North Nesting)
• Brettabister
• Catfirth (South Nesting)
• Dury (North Nesting)
• Freester (South Nesting)
• Gletness (South Nesting), including North and South Isles of Gletness
• Kirkabister (North Nesting)
• Laxfirth (North Nesting)
• Skellister (South Nesting)

The main village of Whalsay is Symbister and there are several notable Neolithic sites on the island, including Benie Hoose, the Standing Stones of Yoxie, and the Pettigarths Field Cairns.

James Stout Angus was from Nesting.

References

This article incorporates text from - Wilson, Rev. John The Gazetteer of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone

External links

• Nesting & Lunnasting Community Council