Girlsta

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**Shetland Settlements**
Name:	Girlsta

UK Grid Reference:
Distance from Lerwick by road:	10 miles
Community Council:

Girlsta, looking north

Wadbister, Girlsta, looking east

Girlsta (Old Norse : Geirhildastadir = Where Geirhild live.), is a small settlement on the east side of the Shetland Mainland, about 8 miles north of Lerwick, on the west side of Wadbister Voe.

History

The tale says that Girlsta is named after Geirhilda, the daugther of Floki Vilgerdarson, (or Hrafna Floki), a Norwegian who stopped here on his way to Iceland in around year 870. The daughter drowned and was buried on a holm in Girlsta Loch.

Old picture of Girlsta mill, the lime kiln can be seen to the right.
Photo from Shetland Museum and Archives.

Girlsta Mill and the pier in the early 1890's
Photo from Shetland Museum and Archives.

In 1861, Hay & Company, Lerwick, built a commercial water mill at the head of Wadbister Voe. The water source was the the overflow from Girlsta Loch.
Just a short disance from the mill, the same company built a large lime kiln in 1872. The kiln was burning limestone from an adjacent quarry, giving work to many local men.
A pier was also built, serving both the mill and the lime kiln.

The Girlsta Pier was renovated by Tingwall & Girlsta Development Association in 1987, and a slipway was also constructed.
Both the mill and the kiln are still standing, but sadly enough in a rather bad state; the mill is partly roofless, the kiln has a warning sign across the arched opening to the furnace, but plans are beeing made by Shetland Amenity Trust to preserve the kiln and the quarry.