What is Baltasound?
Q: What is Baltasound?
A: Baltasound is the largest settlement on the island of Unst in Shetland.
Q: Where is Unst located?
A: Unst is the most northerly inhabited island in the United Kingdom.
Q: Where is Baltasound located on the island of Unst?
A: The village lies halfway along the island's east coast on a sheltered bay called Balta Sound.
Q: What is the significance of Baltasound in Shetland's history?
A: Baltasound was formerly the most important herring port in Shetland, and in 1902 its catch exceeded that of the Shetland capital Lerwick.
Q: Who is Thomas Edmondston and what is his connection with Baltasound?
A: Thomas Edmondston was a noted Victorian botanist born at Buness House in Baltasound, where his uncle was the laird.
Q: What scientific studies were undertaken in Baltasound?
A: The French physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot conducted scientific studies at Buness House, and a memorial stone commemorating the studies was erected outside the house by the elder Thomas Edmondston.
Q: What is the unique feature of Baltasound in terms of nature?
A: Baltasound can lay claim to the most northerly "wood" in the British Isles, although it is not very substantial.
