Balta Sound

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

Balta Sound, (HP645087), from which the village of Baltasound gets it's name, is an inlet on the east side of the island of Unst. Shetlered to the east by the uninhabited island of Balta, Balta Sound forms a safe anchorage and has in the past been an important fishing port, especially in the great days of the herring fishery in the early 20th century, when as many as 50 Herring Stations were located around the shores of the sound.

The Hecla was purposely beached in the sound in a leaking state on April 12th 1854, the Diana was wrecked at her winter moorings on February 16th 1900, the Apellative sank following a collision on July 13th 1901, as did the Livinstonia on July 10th 1903, the submarine HMS/M E49 was sunk between Huney and Balta while leaving the sound on March 12th 1917, and the Mary Smethurst drove from anchor and wrecked on Skeo Taing on December 17th 1921.