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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Lerwick like this:
Lerwick, seaport town, police burgh, par., and capital of the Shetland Islands, on E. coast of Mainland, on Bressay Sound - par., 5653 ac., pop. 4772; police burgh, pop. 3854; town, pop. 4045; P.O., T. O., 3 Banks, 1 newspaper. Lerwick possesses a fine harbour, with easy access both from the N. ...
and S., and has steam communication with Kirkwall, Wick, Aberdeen, and Leith. (For shipping statistics, see Appendix.) On Bressay island, E. side of entrance to Lerwick, is a lighthouse 53 ft. high, with revolving light (Bressay) 105 ft. above high water and seen 16 miles. Many of the inhabitants are employed in the fisheries. New harbour works (pier, esplanade, and wharves) were opened, June 1886.
Lerwick is now part of SHETLAND ISLANDS Council. Click here for graphs and data of how SHETLAND ISLANDS has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Lerwick itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Lerwick, in Shetland Islands and Shetland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17156
Date accessed: 08th April 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Lerwick".
