View source for Hildasay

{{Short description|Island in the Shetland Islands, Scotland}}
{{For|the [[NorthLink Ferries|Northlink]] ferry|MS Hildasay}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Scottish island
|Map=
|coordinates = {{coord|60.14|-1.36|display=inline}}
|location_map=Scotland Shetland
|GridReference=HU355403
|celtic name= 
|scots name=Hildasay
|norse name=Hildasey
|meaning of name= battle island, or island of Hilda
|area= {{convert|108|ha|acre|0|abbr=on}}
|area rank=146
|highest elevation= {{convert|32|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|Population= 1
|population rank=
|main settlement= 
|island group=[[Mainland, Shetland|Shetland]]
|local authority=[[Shetland|Shetland Islands]]
|references=<ref>2001 UK Census per [[List of islands of Scotland]]</ref><ref name=Smith>{{Haswell-Smith}}</ref><ref>Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) ''Orkneyinga Saga''. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). {{ISBN|0-901824-25-9}}</ref><ref name=Lind>E. H. Lind. ''Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn från Medeltiden''. Uppsala: A.-B. Lundequist. 1906-1915. s.n. Hildir, cols. 543-544. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009007424</ref>
}}
'''Hildasay''' ({{langx|sco|Hildasay}}; {{langx|non|Hildisey}}) (from the Old Norse masculine name ''Hildir'' with ''ey'' "island"),<ref name=Lind/> also known as '''Hildisay''', is an uninhabited [[island]] off the west coast of the [[Shetland Mainland]].
 
[[Image:Hildasaypier.jpg|left|thumb|The pier on Hildasay]]

==Geography and geology==
Hildasay has an area of {{convert|108|ha|acre|0}}, and is {{convert|32|m|ft|0}} in elevation at its highest point. It consists of red-green [[granite]] (epidotic [[syenite]]) that was quarried for many years.<ref name=Smith/><ref name=gaz>{{cite web| title=Hildasay| url=http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1399.html | publisher=[[Gazetteer for Scotland]]| access-date=20 April 2020}}</ref>

The south coast has two narrow inlets, Cusa Voe and Tangi Voe. "West", the larger of two lochs, has a single islet. A satellite island, [[Linga, Hildasay|Linga]] lies to the south east. A long line of [[skerry|skerries]] and [[holm (island)|holms]] lies to the north west.<ref name=Smith/>

==History==
Hildasay has been uninhabited since the late nineteenth century, but as late as 1891 had a population of 30. The island's former industries included [[curing (food preservation)|curing]] [[herring]] and [[quarry]]ing [[granite]]. The remains of a [[railway line]] leading from the quarry to the [[harbour]] can still be seen.<ref name=gaz/>

As of 2020 there was one house on the island, which was temporarily occupied by [[charity walk]]er Chris Lewis and his dog Jet when movement restrictions were imposed during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-52344025 |title=Former paratrooper self-isolating on 'uninhabited' Hildasay |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=20 April 2020 |access-date=20 April 2020}}</ref>

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

{{Scalloway Islands}}
{{Shetland}}

{{coord|60|8|48|N|1|21|35|W|display=title|type:isle_region:GB}}

[[Category:Uninhabited islands of Shetland]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Scotland]]
[[Category:Scalloway Islands]]


{{Shetland-geo-stub}}