Með Lögum Skal Land Byggja

A discussion elsewhere has brought up that very interesting point, the Shetland Question.

Shetlanders do not consider themselves Scots. The history of Wallace and Bruce is no part of theirs. Whereas, of course, it is part of the history of the English. By and at the time of the Union, Shetland was another Realm which happened to have the same monarch as Scotland. As also, for over a century by then, was England.

It was quietly decided that the easiest thing to do was to ignore to the situation. But aspects of Scots Law have been found not to apply in Shetland. And then, they struck oil...

Orkney is legally and culturally part of Scotland. But Shetland just isn't. I am told that the main option discussed there is that of becoming a Crown Dependency if the United Kingdom broke up. A fabulously rich one. And where would the Oil Republic of Scotland be then? Nowhere, that's where.