Scalloway is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, the largest island of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It had a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census. Until 1708 it was the capital of the Shetland Islands .Scalloway is the location of the North Atlantic Fisheries College, which offers courses and supports research programmes in fisheries sciences, aquaculture, marine engineering and coastal management. It is also home to the Centre for Nordic Studies. Nearby are the Scalloway Islands, which derive their name from the town.The village has a swimming pool and a school, Scalloway Junior High School, the secondary department of which was closed in July 2011 by the Shetland Islands Council.HistoryScalloway Castle was built in 1600 by Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney. The remains of the castle are the most notable feature of the village, located near the quay. (The castle is usually locked, but a key can be borrowed from the nearby Scalloway Hotel or from the adjacent Scalloway Museum.)Norwegian boatbuilders from Hordaland, around the Bergen areas of Os and Tysnes, built yoals from about the 16th century. Oselvar, the traditional small wooden boat of Os, were taken apart and then 'flat packed' for shipping to Scalloway. Instead of sending complicated assembly instructions, they sent boatbuilders to rebuild them. Many of these stayed for years in Shetland, and some married there.