1817
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- The Ceres, laden with a cargo of wheat, from Archangel, Russia, for London, England or Lisbon, Portugal taken in to Bressay Sound in a sinking condition.Her eventual fate is not recorded.
- The Fidelity, laden with a cargo of timber, from Memel, Prussia (now Klaipėda, Lithuania), for Liverpool, England put in to Brunt Hamarsland, Cat Firth in a sinking condition during or before 1817. The Captain and a crewman were saved, six crewmen and a passenger died from exposure. The vessel was taken to Lerwick, taken ashore, and sold on April 13th 1818.
- An unidentified vessel, registered in Russia and believed to have been operating as a smuggler, wrecked in Vaila Sound, Walls when a sudden easterly gale rose. Two of those aboard were saved.
April
- 4th
Robert Baikie, MP for Shetland and Orkney, died.
June
- 4th/5th
- The vessel Margaret and Ann drove ashore at an unspecified location.
- The vessel St Johannes was beached at an unspecified location.
July
- 21st
Four men from Sandness drowned whilst fishing in St Magnus Bay. They were Laurence Thomson of Collaster, Anthony Gabrielson or Jamieson of Houll, Jerome Moffat of Norby, and Robert Fraser of Windyhill.
August
- Over a period of two months, the French scientist Jean-Baptiste Biot conducted experiments to determine the variation in the length of the second's pendulum at the home of Thomas Edmondston, Buness, Unst.
November
- 5th
The Caroline, a brig laden with a cargo of timber, of and from Copenhagen, Denmark, and for Malaga, Spain wrecked on the Ness of Trebister. All of the crew were lost. - 9th
The Helmsley a wooden hulled brig laden with a cargo of flax and tallow, of Bridlington, England from Archangel, Russia for London, England wrecked at Sand Wick. One crewmember was lost. - 13th
The Belvidera of Copenhagen, Denmark wrecked at Dunrossness. - 15th
- The Christopher, a brig laden with a mixed cargo, of Whitby England, from Riga, Latvia and for Liverpool, England wrecked near Tros Wick, Dunrossness. All of the crew were lost
- The Li La Too Zee, in ballast from Maasluis, The Netherlands for Northern Faeroe wrecked on Fair Isle. Only the mate and one crewman were saved.
- The Camperdown, a full rigged ship laden with a mixed cargo, registered in the United Kingdom, and believed from the Baltic wrecked near Sumburgh Head. All of the crew were lost
December
- 6th
An unidentified or name not recorded Dutch sail sloop, wrecked or foundered on or in the vicinity of Fair Isle. There were only two survivors, the mate and boy.