| Law Ting Holm | |
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| Location | |
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Law Ting Holm
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| Law Ting Holm shown within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | HU416427 |
| Names | |
| Norse name | Lawthing Holm[1] |
| Meaning of name | flat island of the parliament |
| Area and summit | |
| Area | <1 ha [2] |
| Highest elevation | <5 metres (16 ft) |
| Groupings | |
| Island group | Shetland |
| Local Authority | Shetland Islands Council |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all Scottish islands and all inhabited Scottish islands respectively. Population data is from 2001 census. | |
Law Ting Holm is an islet in the freshwater Loch of Tingwall, itself located on Mainland Shetland, Scotland.[2] This islet is now attached to Mainland Shetland by a stone causeway 1.7 metres (6 ft) wide and 42.7 metres (140 ft) long.[1][3] Loch of Tingwall is west of the town of Lerwick and has one additional island - Holme of Setter.
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The islet is the former location of the Shetland Althing,[4][5][6] an assembly held during the Middle Ages.[7] These open-air governmental assemblies met annually in the presence of the jarl and the meetings were open to virtually all free men. At these sessions decisions were made, laws passed and complaints adjudicated.[8] This island parliament is known to have met from 1307 into the 16th century.[9]
As was common with other such meeting places, a mound was made from handfuls of earth from the various local þings represented at the meeting, so that all members could say that they were on their home ground. A small, much eroded mound can still be seen and the remains of a wall were found on the perimeter of the island, suggesting the creation of secluded area for meetings.[1][5] Locations where the deliberations of the assembly could be seen but not easily overheard are typical of þing sites.[10] The stones on which the "Ford" and other officials of the meeting sat, were reportedly removed at some time in the 18th century to improve the grazing potential.[3]
Camps associated with the meetings were set up in the nearby Tingwall valley, and access was originally via "briggi-stanes" - stepping stones.[11]
In April 2010 delegates of the Thing Project (which is supported by the EU's Northern Periphery Programme) explored the possibility of a transnational World Heritage nomination, based on an expansion of Iceland’s existing World Heritage site Þingvellir. Shetland Amenity Trust place names officer, Eileen Brooke Freeman, said: “We can identify many of the assembly sites throughout areas of Scandinavian influence by their common ting, thing, ding and fing place names". Examples quoted include Gulating (Norway), Tinganes (Faroe Islands), Tingwall in both Shetland and in Orkney, Dingwall (Highland) and Tynwald (Isle of Man).[12]
The following month, the Shetland Islands Council sponsored "Move.Shetland" newsletter publicised the Thing initiative, and in addition to Law Thing Holm listed various Shetland "Thing" districts such as Aithsting, Sandsting, Nesting, Lunnasting and Delting.[4]
Tufted Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Common and Black-headed Gull frequent the loch, which is also home to Shetland's only Mute Swans.[13]
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