Haroldswick

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Haroldswick Methodist Church

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Haroldswick or Harold's Wick, meaning 'Harolds Bay', is on Unst, Shetland Islands, and is one of the most northerly settlements in the British Isles.

The wick takes its name from the Viking king Haraldr Hárfagri, and is reputed to be the first landing point for the Vikings on the Shetland Islands. A viking grave, attributed to Harold, has been found on the nearby Setter's Hill, overlooking the landing point. There is also evidence of early Christian activity, as the hillside most visible from the sea bears a large chalk cutting of the Christian fish symbol, in a manner reminiscent of white horses found in England. The position of the sign indicates it was, in effect, an early advertisement for a peaceful, Christian landing site.

It is a small bay in a crescent moon shape with a hill on either side, with steep cliffs and rough waters with good mackerel fishing grounds underneath. The beach is rocky until it comes to an old ruin of a pier, then it has huge boulders blocking traveller's way. Lining the beach are little cottages with their only barrier against the winds from the sea being a small wall on the other side of the road. A small maritime museum dedicated to the traditional small boats of Shetland, the Unst Boat Haven, is located at the head of the bay and is open to visitors from May to September. The beach is frequently populated with Grey Seals and Grey Herons. The depth is shallow for about 6 metres, then deepens considerably.

To attain a sense of Haroldswick's remoteness, it is located some 615 km (382 miles) north of the closest UK city, Inverness, in Scotland's Highland region and 1,310 km (814 miles) from London. Even Lerwick, the Shetland's capital and only town, is some 96 km (60 miles) to the south. However, Haroldswick's claim to be the northernmost settlement in the UK is surpassed by the tiny hamlet of Norwick-Skaw, situated 8 km (5 miles) to the north.

You can often find small bottles, cutlery, or pieces of pottery littering the beach as well as sometimes finding large metal bits from boats.

The Methodist Church at Haroldswick is the furthest North in Britain