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Shetland - Exam
Contributed by: Long
  • 1. Which language is predominantly spoken in Shetland?
A) French
B) Russian
C) Italian
D) English
  • 2. What is the capital of the Shetland Islands?
A) Lerwick
B) Stornoway
C) Inverness
D) Kirkwall
  • 3. Which bird species is commonly found in Shetland?
A) Flamingo
B) Peacock
C) Parrot
D) Puffin
  • 4. Which industry is important to the economy of Shetland?
A) Mining
B) Agriculture
C) Fishing
D) Tourism
  • 5. Which body of water surrounds the Shetland Islands?
A) Mediterranean Sea
B) North Sea
C) Arctic Ocean
D) Baltic Sea
  • 6. Which Scottish clan has historical ties to Shetland?
A) MacDonald
B) Campbell
C) Sinclair
D) Murray
  • 7. What is the traditional Shetland knitwear named after the islands?
A) Intarsia
B) Fair Isle
C) Cable
D) Argyle
  • 8. What type of sheep breed is native to Shetland?
A) Suffolk Sheep
B) Shetland Sheep
C) Dorper Sheep
D) Merino Sheep
  • 9. Which famous author has written a novel titled 'Raven Black' set in Shetland?
A) Ann Cleeves
B) Stephen King
C) J.K. Rowling
D) Agatha Christie
  • 10. What is the most populous island in Shetland?
A) Fetlar
B) Mainland
C) Yell
D) Unst
  • 11. When is Up Helly Aa, a fire festival, celebrated in Shetland?
A) March
B) October
C) July
D) January
  • 12. Which Vikings were known to have settled in Shetland?
A) Finnish
B) Swedish
C) Danish
D) Norse
  • 13. Where are the Shetland Islands located in relation to Orkney?
A) About 110 miles to the northeast
B) About 140 miles to the northeast
C) About 50 miles to the northwest
D) About 50 miles to the northeast
  • 14. What type of climate does Shetland have?
A) Oceanic climate
B) Desert climate
C) Mediterranean climate
D) Continental climate
  • 15. When did Norse settlement in Shetland begin?
A) Late 8th and 9th centuries
B) 12th century
C) 10th century
D) 11th century
  • 16. What was the reason for Shetland being pledged by King Christian I of Denmark and Norway?
A) To pay off a war debt
B) To establish a trade agreement
C) As security for the unpaid dowry of his daughter Margaret
D) As a gift to Scotland
  • 17. Which year did the Scottish Parliament issue an act of annexation for Shetland?
A) 1472
B) 1500
C) 1469
D) 1468
  • 18. What is the motto of Shetland?
A) Land of the free
B) Unity in diversity
C) Með lögum skal land byggja
D) Strength through unity
  • 19. What is the traditional fiddle style associated with Shetland?
A) A weak musical tradition
B) A strong musical tradition
C) A classical musical style
D) A modern musical style
  • 20. What is the significance of the phrase 'Með lögum skal land byggja'?
A) It appears on the Council's coat of arms
B) It is a modern slogan
C) It is a tourist slogan
D) It is a famous battle cry
  • 21. How many inhabited islands are there in Shetland?
A) 20
B) 10
C) 16
D) 25
  • 22. What is the area of the largest island in Shetland?
A) 1000 sq mi (2590 km2)
B) 373 sq mi (967 km2)
C) 200 sq mi (518 km2)
D) 500 sq mi (1296 km2)
  • 23. What is the population of Shetland as of 2024?
A) 50,000
B) 30,000
C) 23,190
D) 15,000
  • 24. What is the geographical significance of Shetland's location?
A) It marks the westernmost region of the United Kingdom
B) It marks the southernmost region of the United Kingdom
C) It marks the easternmost region of the United Kingdom
D) It marks the northernmost region of the United Kingdom
  • 25. What is the significance of the discovery of North Sea oil for Shetland?
A) Led to a decline in Shetland's economy
B) Caused environmental degradation
C) Significantly boosted Shetland's economy, employment and public-sector revenues
D) Had no significant impact
  • 26. Which ancient Celtic tribe might the first syllable of 'Shetland' be derived from?
A) Pictish
B) Haemodae
C) Cat
D) Caledones
  • 27. Which Roman author referred to the Shetland islands as 'Haemodae' in AD 43?
A) Tacitus
B) Pomponius Mela
C) Pliny the Elder
D) Julius Caesar
  • 28. What name did Pliny the Elder use for the Shetland islands in AD 77?
A) Acmodae
B) Thule
C) Haemodae
D) Insi Catt
  • 29. Which Roman historian mentioned 'Thule' in his report 'Agricola' in AD 98?
A) Cicero
B) Pliny the Elder
C) Tacitus
D) Pomponius Mela
  • 30. What is the early Irish name for Shetland referring to the tribe called Cat?
A) Insi Catt
B) Insi Hjalt
C) Insi Thule
D) Insi Acmodae
  • 31. Which Pictish people might have influenced the name 'Shetland'?
A) Cat
B) Acmodae
C) Haemodae
D) Caledones
  • 32. What is the oldest known version of the modern name 'Shetland'?
A) Zetland
B) Acmodae
C) Hjaltland
D) Hetland
  • 33. What does 'Hetland' possibly represent according to a hypothesis?
A) Thule
B) Hiltland
C) Haemodae
D) Catland
  • 34. By what year were the islands being referred to as 'Hetland'?
A) 1431
B) AD 43
C) AD 77
D) 1190
  • 35. What was Shetland called in the 16th century?
A) Hjaltland
B) Hetland
C) Acmodae
D) Zetland
  • 36. What language was gradually replaced by the Shetland dialect of Scots?
A) Norn
B) Greek
C) Old English
D) Latin
  • 37. What is the Middle Scots letter that almost matches the original Norn sound /hj/?
A) Z
B) C
C) Yogh
D) H
  • 38. What letter was often used to replace 'yogh' when its use was discontinued?
A) H
B) C
C) Z
D) Y
  • 39. Some island names in Shetland may be derived from which of the following languages?
A) Latin
B) Greek
C) Old English
D) Pictish
  • 40. Which of the following is a possible pre-Celtic derivation for some Shetland island names?
A) Latin
B) Norse
C) False
D) True
  • 41. Which island is known for the Broch of Mousa?
A) Mousa
B) Noss
C) St Ninian's Isle
D) Out Stack
  • 42. What geological feature is distinctive in Unst and Fetlar?
A) Granite
B) Old Red Sandstone
C) Limestone
D) Ophiolite
  • 43. What significant event around 6100 BC affected Shetland?
A) A tsunami caused by the Storegga Slide
B) A meteor impact
C) An earthquake
D) A volcanic eruption
  • 44. What is the highest point in Shetland?
A) St Ninian's Hill
B) Yell Hill
C) Unst Hill
D) Ronas Hill
  • 45. Which island was the capital of Shetland until 1708?
A) Lerwick
B) Scalloway
C) Unst
D) Bressay
  • 46. What is the total area covered by Shetland's national scenic area designation?
A) 60,000 ha
B) 30,000 ha
C) 41,833 ha
D) 50,000 ha
  • 47. Which island is the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom located on?
A) Muness
B) Unst
C) Yell
D) Mainland
  • 48. What is the most northerly settlement in the British Isles?
A) Scalloway
B) Skaw
C) Lerwick
D) Unst
  • 49. Which island is 17 miles west of Walls?
A) Mousa
B) Noss
C) Foula
D) Fair Isle
  • 50. What is the population of Scalloway?
A) About 22,920 people
B) Fewer than 1,000 people
C) About 10,000 people
D) About 6,958 people
  • 51. Which island is the northernmost point of the British Isles?
A) Noss
B) Out Stack
C) Mousa
D) Foula
  • 52. What is the population of Lerwick?
A) 22,920
B) 1,000
C) 10,000
D) 6,958
  • 53. Which island is known for the Stanes of Stofast?
A) Noss
B) Foula
C) Lunnasting
D) Mousa
  • 54. What is the average high temperature in Shetland during July and August?
A) Near 18 °C (64 °F)
B) Near 20 °C (68 °F)
C) Near 10 °C (50 °F)
D) Near 14 °C (57 °F)
  • 55. What causes snow to generally fall in Shetland?
A) Blizzards
B) Steady snowfall
C) Light snow showers
D) Cumulonimbus or towering cumulus showers
  • 56. What is the term used locally in Shetland for almost perpetual daylight in summer?
A) Polar day
B) Eternal light
C) Simmer dim
D) Midnight sun
  • 57. How many hours of bright sunshine does Shetland average annually?
A) 900 hours
B) 1110 hours
C) 800 hours
D) 1500 hours
  • 58. Which of the following is not one of the three settlements with a population over 500 in Shetland?
A) Lerwick
B) Baltasound
C) Brae
D) Scalloway
  • 59. How many 'Tier 1' settlements are identified by the Shetland Islands Council?
A) Three
B) Eight
C) Ten
D) Five
  • 60. What are 'Shetland knives'?
A) Pottery shards found at Jarlshof
B) Bronze weapons used in the Iron Age
C) Stone tools made from felsite from Northmavine
D) Norse artifacts from the Viking Age
  • 61. What unique style of chambered cairn is found in Shetland?
A) Round barrows
B) Heel-shaped cairns
C) Long barrows
D) Bell barrows
  • 62. Who annexed the Northern Isles in 875?
A) Norwegian king Harald Hårfagre
B) Viking leader Sigurd the Mighty
C) King Bridei I of the Picts
D) Earl Rognvald Eysteinsson
  • 63. In what year did King Sverre Sigurdsson place Shetland under direct Norwegian rule?
A) 875
B) 892
C) 1195
D) 1098
  • 64. Who received the Earldom of Orkney from King Harald Hårfagre?
A) Sigurd the Mighty
B) Harald Maddadsson
C) Rognvald Eysteinsson
D) King Olaf I Tryggvason
  • 65. What was the main settlement at Jarlshof from?
A) The Iron Age
B) The Neolithic
C) The Bronze Age
D) The Viking Age
  • 66. What did the jarls owe allegiance to for their territory on mainland Britain?
A) The Viking leaders
B) The Norwegian crown
C) The Scottish crown
D) The Pictish leaders
  • 67. What was the name of the rebellion against King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway?
A) The Eyjarskeggjar rebellion
B) The Shetland uprising
C) The Norse rebellion
D) The Pictish rebellion
  • 68. Which Scottish monarch began the process of taking control of the islands surrounding Scotland?
A) Alexander III
B) James III
C) Robert Stewart
D) Alexander II
  • 69. Who was the last Norse jarl of Orkney and Shetland?
A) Jon Haraldsson
B) Haakon IV Haakonsson
C) Patrick Stewart
D) William Sinclair
  • 70. In what year were Orkney and Shetland pledged as security against the payment of a dowry?
A) 1266
B) 1470
C) 1469
D) 1380
  • 71. Who was the Scottish king betrothed to Christian I's daughter Margaret?
A) James V
B) James III
C) James II
D) James IV
  • 72. Which league did Shetlanders sell their goods through from the early 15th century?
A) The Scottish League
B) The British League
C) The Norse League
D) The Hanseatic League
  • 73. In which year did Charles I grant Orkney and Shetland to William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton?
A) 1609
B) 1766
C) 1472
D) 1643
  • 74. During which conflict did 3,000 Shetlanders serve in the Royal Navy?
A) The Napoleonic Wars
B) World War I
C) World War II
D) The Crimean War
  • 75. What was the population of Shetland at its peak in 1861?
A) 17,814
B) 25,000
C) 31,670
D) 40,000
  • 76. What percentage of Shetland was owned by just 32 people by the late 19th century?
A) 30%
B) 70%
C) 90%
D) 50%
  • 77. Which act emancipated crofters from the rule of landlords in Shetland?
A) The Shetland Autonomy Act
B) The Home Rule Act
C) The Act of Union 1707
D) The Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886
  • 78. In what year did herring production peak in Shetland?
A) 1920
B) 1915
C) 1905
D) 1880
  • 79. Which military unit was stationed at Swarbacks Minn during World War I?
A) The Gordon Highlanders
B) The 10th Cruiser Squadron
C) The Royal Navy
D) The Shetland Bus
  • 80. How many trips did the Shetland Bus make across the sea during World War II?
A) 50 trips
B) Over 200 trips
C) 300 trips
D) 100 trips
  • 81. Who was the most highly decorated allied naval officer of World War II from Shetland?
A) James Gordon
B) Leif Larsen
C) William Gladstone
D) John Smith
  • 82. What was the population of Shetland in 1961?
A) 31,670
B) 20,000
C) 25,000
D) 17,814
  • 83. What was the purpose of the Shetland Bus during World War II?
A) Fishing
B) Transporting oil
C) Tourism
D) Conducting covert operations
  • 84. Which of the following is NOT a main revenue producer in Shetland?
A) Agriculture
B) Aquaculture
C) Renewable energy
D) Mining
  • 85. Which country's company planned to launch spacecraft from the SaxaVord Spaceport?
A) United Kingdom
B) Norway
C) Germany
D) United States
  • 86. What type of energy is emphasized in Shetland's transition from oil?
A) Natural gas energy
B) Coal energy
C) Nuclear energy
D) Clean renewable energy
  • 87. What fish makes up more than half of Shetland's catch by weight and value?
A) Atlantic mackerel
B) Haddock
C) Herring
D) Cod
  • 88. What is the annual worth of the salmon harvested in Shetland?
A) £200 million
B) £150 million
C) £170 million
D) £180 million
  • 89. What is the total catch weight in Shetland for the year 2009?
A) 75,767 tonnes
B) 80,000 tonnes
C) 65,000 tonnes
D) 70,000 tonnes
  • 90. Which industry is Shetland less reliant on compared to many Scottish islands?
A) Fishing
B) Agriculture
C) Petroleum
D) Tourism
  • 91. What type of power is planned for use in spacecraft launches from the SaxaVord Spaceport?
A) Solar
B) Hydrogen
C) Electric
D) Nuclear
  • 92. Which of the following is a significant landing in Shetland's fishing industry?
A) Monkfish
B) Sardines
C) Tuna
D) Salmon
  • 93. In which year did oil and gas first land at Sullom Voe?
A) 1980
B) 1978
C) 1975
D) 1985
  • 94. What percentage of Shetland's workforce is employed in the service sector?
A) Half
B) One-third
C) Three-quarters
D) Two-thirds
  • 95. What was the primary opposition to the Viking Wind Farm project?
A) Noise pollution
B) Anticipated visual impact
C) Environmental damage
D) Cost
  • 96. When was Shetland connected to the mainland National Grid via a 600 MW HVDC link?
A) August 2024
B) December 2022
C) June 2023
D) January 2020
  • 97. What is the Shetland sheep known for?
A) Unusually fine wool
B) Large size
C) Fast growth
D) High meat yield
  • 98. What is the Fair Isle design known for?
A) Knitwear
B) Painting
C) Weaving
D) Pottery
  • 99. Which transmitter provides television signals in Shetland?
A) Lerwick TV Station
B) Bressay TV transmitter
C) Shetland Radio Transmitter
D) Sumburgh TV Facility
  • 100. Which radio station is a commercial service in Shetland?
A) Shetland FM
B) Shetland Radio
C) SIBC
D) Shetland Sound
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