Hillswick
| Hillswick | |
|---|---|
The bay at Hillswick, looking across the bay with the main settlement on the far shore | |
Location within Shetland | |
| OS grid reference | HU280769 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHETLAND |
| Postcode district | ZE2 |
| Dialling code | 01806 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| Hillswick Lighthouse Ura Firth Baa Taing | |
| Coordinates | 60°27′13″N 1°29′47″W / 60.453557°N 1.496517°W |
| Constructed | 1895 (first) |
| Foundation | concrete base |
| Construction | metal skeletal tower |
| Height | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| Shape | quadrangular tower covered by aluminium panels with light on the top |
| Markings | white tower |
| Power source | solar power |
| Operator | Northern Lighthouse Board |
| First lit | n/a (current) |
| Focal height | 34 metres (112 ft) |
| Range | white: 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) red: 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (4) WR 15s. |
Hillswick is a small village in Northmavine, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and lies to the north-north west of Mainland, Shetland, the most northerly group of islands in the United Kingdom. It is situated 35 mi (56 km) from Lerwick.
There is a community shop, a blacksmith, a public hall, a health centre, and a Church of Scotland kirk that is now mainly used for funerals, weddings and christenings. There is a wildlife sanctuary, situated at the historic former Hanseatic trading booth on the seafront, a small private art gallery with occasional public exhibitions, and the St Magnus Bay Hotel which offers accommodation, a bar and restaurant. A large dairy and sheep farm takes up the spectacular peninsula called Hillswick Ness, but there is public access and a signed walking route. There is a modern primary school at nearby Urafirth. A small automatic lighthouse is located 1.5 miles south of Hillswick, at the tip of the Ness.