Quarff
| Quarff | |
|---|---|
 View of Easter Quarff and Quarff church, with Scrae Field in the distance (March 2010) |
|
 Quarff
|
|
| Quarff shown within Shetland | |
| Population | 100 |
| OS grid reference | HU424356 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHETLAND |
| Postcode district | ZE |
| Dialling code | 01950 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Quarff is a small village in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is located on the main A970 road, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Shetland's only town, Lerwick. The village is spread along a classic glacial valley that runs east-west across the island between high hills to north and south, with centres of population at Easter Quarff which is near the main road and the east coast, and Wester Quarff which is 1½ miles west and faces the Atlantic Ocean. A narrow road runs along the valley between the two.
In Old Norse, the word Quarff means "the portage". The village has long been a site where goods and boats could be transported between the east and west coast, avoiding what would otherwise be a sea journey of about 40 miles (64 km) round Sumburgh Head. Sir John Sinclair reported in 1794 that "The people of Quarff are frequently employed in transporting goods from one side of the country to the other, which brings them in considerable sums."
In 1830, when the church was built, the villagers were reported to be mostly sea fishermen, catching cod, ling and herring. They also cultivated small patches of land, growing potatoes and corn.
There is evidence of Stone Age occupation in the area. In 1900 a local crofter excavated a mound on his croft and found a stone slab covering a stone-lined chamber containing a skull and a bowl. Similar chambers were found in the locality.
In recent years the population of Quarff has increased. Twenty-five years ago, Easter Quarff had 12 crofts and 28 houses; by 2004 there were over 70 dwellings. Wester Quarff, however, has remained fairly constant with thirteen dwellings in small clusters.
The Quarff water supply is from the Sandy Loch reservoir at Lerwick. There is currently no mains drainage in Quarff; each property has its own septic tank. The village has mains electricity.
Regular buses between Sumburgh Airport and Lerwick pass through Easter Quarff.
Quarff has a community hall used for youth clubs, play groups, as a venue during the folk festival and for other events.
...
Wikipedia