You may not be familiar with the law in Shetland. Firstly, English law is not the same as Scots law. This, by itself causes confusion for visitors. Secondly, the land law in Shetland is based on the old Norse system of udal, or allodial ownership. Land owners in Shetland have absolute ownership of their land. Whereas owners in England and Scotland own their land under the Crown, in Shetland, ownership is under God. At the Boddam Wildlife Sanctuary, we enforce the privilege of our absolute ownership to protect the wildlife.

Registers of Scotland, in their document Udal Law and the Foreshore in Orkney & Shetland point out:

"Because of the implications of udal law, special considerations apply to the mapping of coastal titles in Orkney and Shetland. The legal assumption is that a udal title adjoining the coast will include the foreshore. The Crown has no prior right to the foreshore under udal law".

"Under udal law, the title to the foreshore extends to 'the lowest ebb'. This may fall at a lower point than the mean low water mark of ordinary spring tides (MLWS)."

Green's Encyclopaedia of the Laws of Scotland, Volume XV (702) states:

“All lands in Orkney and Shetland remain udal". 

If you are a visitor, the law in Shetland is not what you are used to and may not be what you expect. Tread carefully.

In February 2025, freedom of information requests to a number of organisations professing to have authority in Shetland revealed that none of them could show any proof that Shetland is part of Scotland. Those organisations include: The Government Legal Department, The Scottish Government, Crown Estates, HMRC, DVLA, The Electoral Commission, Ofgem, the SIC and many others. There has been a giant scam operating in Shetland for many years. Hugh Harrop and his cronies work as part of that scam and its days are over.

The people of The Sovereign Nation of Shetland own their land outright (allodially), not under the king as in Scotland and England. For a full explanation, see Stuart Hill's book Stolen Isles.

According to The Laws of Scotland, sovereignty is the same as allodial ownership - thus making our people sovereign in their own right. The Crown does not own Shetland and therefore has no sovereignty here. You are not in Scotland.

In 2013, The Sovereign Nation of Shetland made an allodial claim to the sea and seabed out to 200 miles, or the median line between us and another State. That claim remains unrebutted by the UK and Scottish governments. Nobody has a higher claim.

The police used to bother us, in the mistaken belief that Shetland is part of Scotland. Since 2024, when the prosecutor declined to prosecute a routine road traffic offence against one of our people, the police seem to be at pains to ignore us. The reason is that if the police bring a case to the court, the prosecutor knows he will be held to his duty to show how Shetland is part of Scotland. Neither he nor anyone else can do that because it never happened - and we now have it in writing. So call the police if you like - and see if they come.

We used to be an easy target for bullying tactics when witnesses could lie about our being abusive and be believed in the court. Those days are over. If you would like to appear on this site, take Hugh Harrop's advice. If you feel brave enough to take us to court, bring it on - make our day.