Kettla Ness

Kettla Ness

Old Norse name	Ketlnes
Meaning of name	Kettle or cauldron island
Kettla Ness seen from the air, including Minn beach
Location
Kettla Ness Kettla Ness shown within Shetland
OS grid reference	HU425815
Coordinates	60°03′N 1°21′W / 60.05°N 1.35°W / 60.05; -1.35
Physical geography
Island group	Scalloway Islands
Area	see West Burra
Highest elevation	48.8 metres (160 ft)
Administration
Council area	Shetland Islands
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Demographics
Population	0[1]
References	[2][3]

Kettla Ness, Kettlaness or just Kettla is a tied island and headland in Shetland.^[4] It is connected by the tombolo Minn beach (Banna Minn), to the south end of West Burra, part of the Scalloway Islands.^[5][6] The headland itself is conspicuous and circa 160 feet high.^[7][8] The island is accessible to walkers via Minn beach and is now uninhabitated.^[7] It is principally used for Sheep farming and pasture.^[6]

The former settlements of Minn,^[9] Gossigarth^[10] and Point of Guide^[11] lie on the north-west part of the island. The ruined village was principally abandoned following the Highland Clearances in the 19th century although some occupation continued into the early 20th century.^[7] There are several other instances of prehistoric activity on the island, primarily at Minn, including several 3rd-1st millennium BC house, cairns, burnt mounds, cists, crop marks and other structures.^{[7][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]} Several of these are located in the Bight of the Sandy Geos, an area on the eastern side of Kettla Ness.^[7][19][20] Iron-age pottery fragments have also been found around Sandy Geos.^[21][22]

On the south side of Kettla Ness is a stream flowing from the Outra Loch. Along the stream there are numerous examples of ruined historic horizontal watermills that extend down to Groot Ness on the south coast.^{[23][24][25][26][27]}

In 1959, a triangulation pillar was erected on the island.

To the west of the island is the wreck of the boat 'Saint Kentigern' which ran aground in November 1979.^[28]

There are four small lochs on the island: Virda Vatn, Loch of Annyeruss, Outra Loch and Croo Loch.

Flora on Kettla Ness includes Armeria maritima which is extensive on the south-west coast opposite the Rod Skerries.^[7]

To the west of Kettla Ness is Fugla Stack, a geological stack landform that consists of vertical columns of rock. There is a wreck, the MV Castor, dating to 1910, beside the stack.^[29]