Flag of Shetland

{{Short description|(created 1969, officially adopted 2005)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox flag

| Name = Shetland

| Article =

| Image = Flag of Shetland.svg

| Noborder =

| Nickname =

| Morenicks =

| Use = 100000

| Symbol = {{FIAV|100000}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}

| Proportion = 3:5{{cite web|url=https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/shetland/|access-date=2019-07-07|title=Shetland - The Flag Institute|publisher=The Flag Institute}}

| Adoption = 2005

| Design = Azure, a cross argent in Scandinavian form

| Designer = Roy Grønneberg & Bill Adams

}}

File:Shetland Flag.jpg]]

The flag of Shetland is a white or silver Nordic cross on a blue background. The flag uses the colours of the flag of Scotland, but in the form of the Nordic cross in order to symbolise Shetland's historical and cultural ties with Scandinavia. The official recommended colour of the flag of Scotland is Pantone 300,{{Cite web |title=St Andrew & the Saltire, the Scottish Flag |url=https://www.visitscotland.com/about/uniquely-scottish/st-andrews-the-saltire/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=www.visitscotland.com |language=en}} which implies that this would be appropriate for the Shetland flag too, though the Flag Institute lists the colour as a similar Pantone 286. It was created by Roy Grønneberg and Bill Adams in 1969, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the transfer of the islands from Norway in the Kalmar Union to Scotland and the 500 years before as part of Norway.[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-shetl.html Shetland Islands (United Kingdom)]

The flag is widely used privately by Shetlanders both on land and sea and is now seen as a symbol of the Shetland identity. In 2007 a "Shetland Flag Day" was introduced by the council, who hope the day will be used to "celebrate all things Shetland".[http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/Shetlandtimes/content_details.asp?ContentID=22495 Article from shetlandtoday on Shetland Flag Day] After almost forty years of unofficial use, the flag was formally granted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the heraldic authority of Scotland, on 1 February 2005,[http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/archives/pages/news%20stories/2005/02_2005/shetland%E2%80%99s_flag_now_official.htm Shetland’s flag now official]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} in time for the Island Games in July 2005 in Shetland.[http://www.islandgames.net/content/games/2005.htm IGA – Games Profile 2001] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017013358/http://www.islandgames.net/content/games/2005.htm |date=2007-10-17 }}

The flag is practically identical to the former unofficial national flag of Iceland (the Hvítbláinn) in use by Icelandic nationalist activists from 1897 until 1915, when it was in part abandoned due to its similarity to the Greek jack and the Swedish flag, which critics reasoned would be hard to tell apart at sea, a major issue in a time of war. The white and blue is still used by the Icelandic Youth Association, nationalists and at political events.