Shetland (from Middle Scots Ȝetland; Scottish Gaelic: Sealtainn) is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland, off the northeast coast. The islands lie some 80 km (50 mi) to the northeast of Orkney and 280 km (170 mi) southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total area is 1,468 km2 (567 sq mi) and the population totalled 22,210 in 2009. Comprising the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament, Shetland is also one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the islands' administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick.
Oil and gas was first landed at Sullom Voe in 1978, and it has subsequently become one of the largest terminals in Europe. Taxes from the oil have increased public sector spending on social welfare, art, sport, environmental measures and financial development. Three quarters of the islands work force is employed in the service sector and Shetland Islands Council alone accounted for 27.9% of output in 2003.
Fishing remains central to the islands' economy today, with the total catch being 75,767 tonnes (74,570 LT; 83,519 ST) in 2009, valued at over £73.2 million. In addition Mackerel, which makes up more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value, there are significant landings of Haddock, Cod, Herring, Whiting, Monkfish and shellfish. Farming is mostly concerned with the raising of Shetland sheep, known for their unusually fine wool. Crops raised include oats and barley; however, the cold, windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants.
Scatsta Airport (IATA: SCS, ICAO: EGPM), is a commercial airport on Shetland in Scotland located 24 miles (39 km) north-northwest of Lerwick and 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Sullom Voe Terminal.
Scatsta Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P777) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (BP Exploration Operating Company Limited).
After World War II Scatsta aerodrome lay dormant except for the landing of a US Coastguard Hercules on 24 May 1969, in connection with the LORAN navigation station which had been established at the north west end of runway 13/31.
It was abandoned after World War II, but reinstated as a civilian airport in 1978 to support the Shetland oil industry, and the Sullom Voe oil terminal in particular. It is the fifth largest airport in Scotland, ranked by international passengers. This classification may be on the basis of helicopter flights to and from oil rigs in the Norwegian and/ or Faroes sectors of the North Atlantic/ North Sea oil region, or some classification of flights to foreign-registered (though UK-crewed and serviced) oil rigs as being "foreign" destinations. The only fixed wing route operating regularly from Scatsta is the 7 or 8 times daily shuttle to and from Aberdeen to ferry offshore crew to Scatsta for onward travel via helicopter to oil rigs and mainland worker at the Sullom Voe Terminal working either a 2 week on/off shift or 10 days on 4 days off rota.
