The Norn word for an island is øy, so Uyea (pronounced "Øya")[needs IPA] simply means "the isle."

In the twelfth century, Saint Olaf's chapel overlooking Brei Wick was built.

In 1745, two girls from Uyea rowed to the small island of Haaf Gruney to milk some of the cows grazing here.

They were caught in a storm when trying to return, and eventually they found their tiny boat blown to Karmøy in south west Norway.

"[7] The island was the home of Sir Basil Neven-Spence, who was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland from 1935 to 1950.