1703
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- Sir James Douglas, MP for Orkney and Shetland, was born.
- About 400 Dutch herring busses were "burnt and destroyed" by a "French fleet of 6 ships of war" after the French had attacked the Dutch convoy fleet of 4 ships and sunk the vessel of the Dutch admiral off Fair Isle (OSA).
- In this year, John Brand writes :-
"Those who commonly frequent this Country and trade with the Inhabitants are Hamburghers, who... in several places set up Booths or Shops, where they sell Liquors, as Beer, Brandie, &c and wheat-Bread, they also sell several sorts of Creme-ware, as Linen, Muslin &c. And these merchants seek nothing better in exchange for their Commodities, than to truck with the Countrey for their Fishes."
January
- The Island, classified as a "ship", laden with a cargo of timber, of Copenhagen, Denmark. Having previously lost her rudder at a location and on a date unknown, had become unmanagable and had been adandoned by her crew on a date unknown, near either Faroe or Fair Isle (the available records are in dispute), drove ashore derelict at Roda Geo, North Roe.
