The Shetland Islands is a group of more than 100 islands constituting a county or shire of Scotland. They lie northeast of the Orkney Islands between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Only about a quarter of the islands are inhabited. The principal islands are Mainland, Yell, Unst, Fetlar, Whalsey, Bressay, and East and West Burra.
The largest island is Mainland, comprising about half the total area, with a coastline so irregular that no point of the island is more than three miles distant from the sea. The highest point is on Mainland, where Ronas Hill reaches 1475 feet.
Settled originally by Norsemen, the islands remained under Norse rule until the marriage of James III of Scotland to margaret, princess of Norway.
