Burra and Quarff

"QUARFF, an island and quoad sacra parish, with Burra and Noss Island, Shetland Isles, coast of Scotland, 4 miles S.W. of Lerwick on Mainland. The populated part of the island consists of a valley, extending two miles in length by half a mile broad, and flanked on each side by lofty hills. This parish is in the presbytery of Lerwick, and in the patronage of the crown. The minister has a stipend of £120. The parish church was erected in 1828, this parish having previously formed part of Bressay. There is an Established church in Burra. There are besides a Free Church preaching station, and places of worship for the Independents, Wesleyans, and Baptists."

From The National Gazetteer of of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

"QUARFF, an ancient quoad civilia parish and a modern quoad sacra parish in the S of Shetland. The ancient quoad civilia parish, forming a narrow part of the mainland, 6 miles SSW of Lerwick, extends 1¾ mile from sea to sea, between the East and West Voes of Quarff. It chiefly consists of an inhabited valley 1¾ mile long and ½ mile broad, with pastoral hill flanks; and, together with the ancient quoad civilia parish of Burra, is united to Bressay.

The modern quoad sacra parish comprises the ancient parishes of Quarff and Burra; was constituted by the General Assembly in 1833, and reconstituted by the Court of Teinds prior to 1856; and is in the presbytery of Lerwick and synod of Shetland. Its church is a Government one, and contains 360 sittings. Pop. of q. s. parish (1871) 952, (1881) 918.

From Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1882-4

"BURRA, an island, an ancient parish, and a quoad sacra parish in the S of Shetland. The island lies about 3¼ miles W of the nearest part of the mainland, and 10½ miles SW of Lerwick, under which it has a post office; measures about 6 miles in length from NNE to SSW, and from ½ mile to 1¾ mile in breadth; has an irregular outline and a rocky coast; and consists, in a general view, of a hill ridge.

The ancient parish, comprising Burra, House, Hevera, and Papa islands, is united to the parishes of Bressay and Quarff. House island, sometimes called East Burra, extends parallel to most of Burra, at nearly mid-distance between it and the mainland; approaches Burra so near at one point as to communicate with it by a rude timber bridge; measures about 5 miles in length, and nearly 1 mile in mean breadth; and consists mostly of a hill ridge, but terminates on the S in a long, narrow, grassy peninsula. Hevera and Papa will be separately noticed. The quoad sacra parish (stipend, £120), in the presbytery of Lerwick and synod of Shetland, comprises, since 1833, the ancient parishes of Burra and Quarff. Pop. (1861) 890, (1871) 952, (1881) 918, of whom about 425 belong to Burra island. See Bressay."

From Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1882-4