Baltasound
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name= Baltasound
| label_position=left
| static_image_name= Main gate for Buness, Baltasound - geograph.org.uk - 969689.jpg
| static_image_caption= At the main gate of Buness, Baltasound
| country= Scotland
| population=
| os_grid_reference= HP620089
| coordinates = {{coord|60.759|-0.861|display=inline,title}}
| post_town= SHETLAND
| postcode_area= ZE
| postcode_district= ZE2
| dial_code= 01957
| constituency_westminster= Orkney and Shetland
| civil_parish= Unst
| unitary_scotland= Shetland
| lieutenancy_scotland= Shetland
| constituency_scottish_parliament= Shetland
}}
Baltasound (or Baltasund{{citation needed|reason=This is how it's pronounced in Shetland, but I can't find this spelling in an available English language source. I believe it can be found in the 11th Aug 1900 copy of Shetland News, as per here: https://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/lipper_v1_n1 - but this may well be a typo on behalf of DSL|date=November 2019}}) is the largest settlement on the island of Unst in Shetland, Scotland. It comes from the Old Norse man's name Balti (Baltisund){{citation needed|date=November 2019}}. Unst is the most northerly inhabited island in the United Kingdom. The village lies halfway along the island's east coast on a sheltered bay called Balta Sound.
Baltasound was formerly the most important herring port in Shetland. In 1902 its catch exceeded that of the Shetland capital Lerwick. The herring trade declined rapidly after 1905 but the physical remains of the herring boom remained long after.Hudson, Norman - Souvenir Postcards from Shetland, Shetland Times, 1992
Baltasound was the home of the noted Victorian botanist Thomas Edmondston, who was born at Buness House where his uncle, also called Thomas, was the laird. A memorial stone erected outside the house by the elder Thomas Edmondston commemorates scientific studies undertaken there by the French physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot.{{cite web|title=Unst, Baltasound, Buness, Memorial Stone|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/203253/details/unst+baltasound+buness+memorial+stone/|work=Canmore|access-date=17 June 2015}}
Baltasound can also lay claim to the most northerly "wood" in the British Isles, although it is not very substantial.Blackadder, Jill Slee Shetland (Colin Baxter Island Guides) (2003) Colin Baxter Photography, Strathspey {{ISBN|1-84107-125-0}}
Amenities
File:Bobby's Bus Shelter - geograph.org.uk - 1301955.jpg
{{OSM Location map
| coord ={{coord|60.75|-0.88}}
| zoom = 10| float=left| width = 280 | height = 380
| magnify=1.1
| caption = Map of Unst, northernmost of the North Isles of Shetland
| minimap = file bottom right| mini-file=Shetland Unst locator.svg
| mini-width=62| mini-height=119
| scalemark=70
| label-sizeD=9.5
| label-colorD=dark grey
| mark-sizeD=6| ldyD=0
| label-posD = right
| label-spacingD=0
|mark-coord1={{coord|60.7790|-0.8913}}
|label-size1=13| label-pos1=centre
|mark-size1=0
|label-spacing1=8
|label1=UNST
|mark-coord2={{coord|60.6874|-1.030}}
|label-size2=12| label-pos2=centre
|mark-size2=0
|label-spacing2=1
|label2=YELL| mark-title2=Yell, Shetland
|mark-coord3={{coord|60.7468|-0.7980}}
|label3=BALTA
|mark-size3=0
|label-spacing3=2| mark-title3=Balta
|mark-coord4={{coord|60.6709|-0.9105}}
|label4=UYEA
| mark-size4=0
|label-spacing4=2| mark-title4=Uyea
|mark-coord5={{coord|60.6864|-0.9634}}
|label5=Belmont
|mark-title5=Belmont House, Shetland
|mark-coord6={{coord|60.7580|-0.8647}}
|label6=Baltasound| label-size6=11
|mark-title6=Baltasound
|mark-coord7={{coord|60.8225|-0.8981}}
|label7=Hermaness ^NNR
|label-pos7=center| label-color7=hard green| mark-size7=0
|mark-title7=Hermaness National Nature Reserve
|mark-coord8={{coord|60.85369|-0.88837}}
|label8=Muckle Flugga
|label-pos8=left| mark-size8=0
|mark-title8=Muckle Flugga and Out Stack
|mark-coord9={{coord|60.7877|-0.8326}}
|label9=Haroldswick
|mark-title9=Haroldswick
|mark-coord10={{coord|60.818|-0.7747}}
|label10=Spaceport ^launch pads
|mark-title10=SaxaVord Spaceport
|mark-coord11={{coord|60.8260|-0.8424}}
|label11=Saxa Vord ^Hill| shape-color11=soft green
|label-pos11=top|shape11=triangle| mark-size11=14,8| ldy11=-2
|mark-title11=Saxa Vord
|mark-coord12={{coord|60.689497|-0.849178}}
|label12=Muness ^Castle| shape12=squareD|mark-size12=9| shape-color12=hard grey
|mark-title12=Muness Castle
|mark-coord13={{coord|60.746944|-0.854722}}
|mark-size13=10| mark13=Map icons by Scott de Jonge - airport.svg
|mark-title13=Unst Airport
|mark-coord14={{coord|60.7769|-0.8283}}
|label14=Hagdale| label-pos14=right|mark-size14=5
|mark-title14=Hagdale Chromate Railway
|mark-coord15={{coord|60.671|-0.998}}
|label15=Gutcher| label-pos15=left
|mark-title15=Gutcher
}}
Many of Baltasound's current amenities hold the record for the most northerly in the UK:
- Airport - Unst/Baltasound Airport - Airport code UNT, runway length {{convert|2099|ft}}.,{{cite web|author=Alex Kuksin |url=http://www.airports-worldwide.com/uk/uk_unst.html |title=Baltasound Airport (Unst) |website=Airports-worldwide.com |access-date=2017-01-19}} currently only used by emergency services.
- Leisure centre
- School - Baltasound Junior High School{{cite web|url=http://www.baltasound.shetland.sch.uk |title=Baltasound Junior High School – The UK's Most Northerly School |website=Baltasound.shetland.sch.uk |access-date=2017-01-19}}
- Hotel - The Baltasound Hotel{{cite web|url=http://www.baltasoundhotel.co.uk |title=Home - The Baltasound Hotel, Unst, Shetland |website=Baltasoundhotel.co.uk |access-date=2017-01-19}}
- Post office - Baltasound Post Office is the most northerly post office in the United Kingdom. For many years, this record was held by the post office at Haroldswick until it closed down in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/541257.stm |title=SCOTLAND | Blue day at red post office |publisher=BBC News |date=1999-11-29 |access-date=2017-01-19}}
- The Unst Bus Shelter, known locally as "Bobby's Bus Shelter", is a famous bus shelter and bus stop near the village. It is maintained by the Shetland Islands Council. The bus stop is also the northernmost in the UK.
A 2 foot 6 inch gauge railway was built from the Chromite quarries at Hagdale to Baltasound in 1907 to boost the Chromate industry on the island. Although the railway did not operate a passenger service, it helped the village economically and financially. Like other narrow gauge railways in the Shetland Islands, it did not survive.
Climate
Baltasound is home to the most northerly Met Office weather station in the United Kingdom.{{cite web | publisher = UKMO | url= http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/networks/images/map2.gif | title = Station Map|access-date=2017-01-19}} Similar to fellow Shetland station Lerwick, Baltasound experiences a cool oceanic climate that borders a subpolar climate (Köppen: Cfb and Cfc, respectively), with winters that are mild for the latitude, and short, cool summers. Precipitation is abundant and occurs year-round.
Baltasound holds the record for the highest temperature recorded in the Shetland Islands: {{convert|25.0|C|F}} on 2 July 1958.{{cite web | website=Metoffice.gov.uk | url= http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/regional-climates/ns | title = Northern Scotland: climate|access-date=2017-01-19}} It also possibly holds the record for the lowest Shetland temperature: {{convert|-11.9|C|F}} on 5 February 2001.{{cite web | website=Metoffice.gov.uk | url= http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2001/february | title = February 2001|access-date=2017-01-19}}
During the summer solstice, Baltasound experiences what is known as civil polar day, where the sun sets in the evening and rises the next morning, but between these times it does not get completely dark. During the winter solstice the sun also fails to reach 6° above the horizon, classified as solar twilight.{{cite web|url=https://weatherspark.com/averages/28757/Lerwick-Scotland-United-Kingdom |title=Average Weather For Lerwick, United Kingdom |website=WeatherSpark.com |access-date=2017-01-19}}
{{Weather box
|location = Baltasound
WMO ID: 03002; coordinates {{coord|60.74844|N|0.8555|W|type:landmark_region:GB|name=Baltasound No 2|format=dms}}; elevation: {{convert|15|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}; 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1914–present
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 11.2
|Feb record high C = 12.8
|Mar record high C = 15.0
|Apr record high C = 17.0
|May record high C = 22.3
|Jun record high C = 24.0
|Jul record high C = 25.0
|Aug record high C = 24.4
|Sep record high C = 22.1
|Oct record high C = 17.0
|Nov record high C = 13.5
|Dec record high C = 13.3
|Jan high C = 6.6
|Feb high C = 6.3
|Mar high C = 7.4
|Apr high C = 9.2
|May high C = 11.2
|Jun high C = 13.3
|Jul high C = 15.1
|Aug high C = 15.4
|Sep high C = 13.6
|Oct high C = 10.9
|Nov high C = 8.5
|Dec high C = 7.0
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = 4.4
|Feb mean C = 4.0
|Mar mean C = 4.9
|Apr mean C = 6.6
|May mean C = 8.4
|Jun mean C = 10.8
|Jul mean C = 12.7
|Aug mean C = 13.0
|Sep mean C = 11.4
|Oct mean C = 8.8
|Nov mean C = 6.4
|Dec mean C = 4.7
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = 2.2
|Feb low C = 1.7
|Mar low C = 2.4
|Apr low C = 3.9
|May low C = 5.6
|Jun low C = 8.3
|Jul low C = 10.2
|Aug low C = 10.5
|Sep low C = 9.1
|Oct low C = 6.6
|Nov low C = 4.2
|Dec low C = 2.4
|year low C =
|Jan record low C = -10.4
|Feb record low C = -11.9
|Mar record low C = -8.8
|Apr record low C = -6.7
|May record low C = -2.6
|Jun record low C = 0.0
|Jul record low C = 1.1
|Aug record low C = 0.6
|Sep record low C = -0.8
|Oct record low C = -3.3
|Nov record low C = -6.7
|Dec record low C = -10.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 127.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 100.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 98.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 61.4
|May precipitation mm = 53.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 55.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 65.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 83.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 92.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 116.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 124.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 125.3
|year precipitation mm =
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 21.7
|Feb precipitation days = 19.2
|Mar precipitation days = 19.5
|Apr precipitation days = 14.4
|May precipitation days = 12.8
|Jun precipitation days = 11.2
|Jul precipitation days = 11.6
|Aug precipitation days = 13.6
|Sep precipitation days = 15.7
|Oct precipitation days = 20.1
|Nov precipitation days = 21.2
|Dec precipitation days = 21.9
|year precipitation days =
|source 1 = Met Office{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gfz3se40s |title=Baltasound climate information |publisher=Met Office |date=2022-01-04 |access-date=2022-01-04}}
|date = January 2022
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Baltasound}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070504145723/http://www.unst.org/baltasound.htm Baltasound pictures on official Unst website]
{{North Isles}}
{{Shetland}}
{{Authority control}}