Girlsta

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Girlsta, looking north
Girlsta, looking north
Shetland Settlements
Name: Girlsta
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UK Grid Reference: HU428506
Distance from Lerwick by road: 10 miles
Community Council: Tingwall, Whiteness, & Weisdale
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Wadbister, Girlsta, looking east
Wadbister, Girlsta, looking east

Girlsta (Old Norse : Geirhildastadir = Where Geirhild lives.), 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 daughter 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.
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'sPhoto 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 being made by Shetland Amenity Trust to preserve the kiln and the quarry.

A limestone grinding plant was established at Girlsta around 1944 to supply ground limestone to the agriculture industry. This plant ceased to be operational by around the 1970's.


Businesses

  • Wadbister Offshore Ltd.
  • Wadbister Salmon Ltd.
  • A.J. Hughson, Fencing.

See Also


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