INTRODUCTION 



As Edmondston's Introduction has become obsolete, 

 it is thought best to place here a more brief one com- 

 piled as much as possible from his own. 



THE Shetland Isles are a group lying about 

 seventy miles north of Orkney and about one 

 hundred and thirty north of the mainland of 

 Scotland. Taking the islands as a whole, the 

 scenery is somewhat monotonous. There are 

 no woods or shrubberies except one or two 

 small enclosed patches. The hills are uni- 

 versally low; the highest, Ronas Hill, not 

 exceeding fifteen hundred feet, and the re- 

 mainder much below that height. The 

 prevalence of peat and the small proportion 

 of cultivated land give a dull and sombre 

 appearance to the greater part of the 

 country. 



But whatever Shetland lacks in variety 

 of form, she amply compensates in variety 

 of detail. There are fine cliffs and caverns 

 for the sightseer, there are trout lochs and 



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