Mavis Grind

Mavis Grind

Mavis Grind is a narrow neck of land of Shetland Mainland with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. By Mavis Grind is the Northmavine peninsula joined to the rest of Mainland. is a few miles from the settlement of Brae.

Mavis Gind is just 35 yards wide at its narrowest point.

The name of the isthmus is from the Old Norse Maefeiðs grind, meaning "the gate to the narrow isthmus").

The main A970 road crosses Mavis Grind to Hillswick in the northwest of Shetland. The road was blasted through under the cliffs in 1851.

Mavis Grind is said to be the only place in the United Kingdom where one can toss a stone across land from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a regular crossing point for European otters, which in Shetland are sea-dwelling and unfortunately often become road casualties.

In the Norse days, Mavis Grind was an important poterage point, at which boats and even ships could be hauled overland from to avoid the long sea crossing around Shetland.