NORTHMAVINE
At Mavis Grind a narrow isthmus between the Atlantic and the North Sea connects the wild and rocky peninsula of Northmavine to the Shetland Mainland. To the north lies the granite massif of Ronas Hill, Shetland’s highest point. Geology and the power of the sea have created some of Shetland’s most dramatic coastline at Da Drongs stacks, the volcanic cliffs of Eshaness, Da Lang Ayre north of Ronas Voe and the jumble of offlying rocks at Ramna Stacks and Fethaland.
The walk out to Fethaland brings you to the ruins of 19th century fishing bothies where men once launched open, six-oared boats to row and sail to the ‘haaf’ (meaning ‘open sea’) fishing grounds, up to 40 miles offshore. Another ‘haaf station’ is at Stenness, not far from Tangwick Haa where the human and natural history of Northmavine is displayed in a museum run by local volunteers.
There’s always a sheltered beach somewhere in Northmavine, whatever the wind direction. Favourites are at Hillswick, Breiwick, Sand Voe and Ollaberry. For enthusiastic walkers and the more energetic angler, the wilderness of trout lochs and moors north of Ronas Hill makes a wonderful day out. At Uyea you can see the oldest rocks in Shetland, over 2.5 billion years old.
The side roads of Northmavine are well worth exploring by car, to discover magical little corners like Nibon, Heylor and Gluss. Everywhere you’ll find prehistoric remains, from the chambered cairn at Mangaster to the standing stones at Hamnavoe in Eshaness.
WEST MAINLAND
There’s a quirk of Shetland’s summer climate that’s useful to know: if you wake up in Lerwick to find fog and a south-easterly wind, head for the West Mainland, where it will almost certainly be sunny. The reason is that as the wind blows across the central hills the air dries and the fog clears.
Accessible but still quite traditional, the West Mainland offers plenty to see and do. Long sea lochs, or voes, run far into the land and the hills are studded with dozens of freshwater lochs. The hills are lower here and the walking is mostly easy. A celebrated hike with spectacular views is from the Norse watermills at Huxter, in Sandness, past Deepdale and along the coast to Waas. But leave plenty of extra time – the archaeology, scenery and wildlife will almost certainly delay you en route.
All around the coast you’ll find the ruins of 2000-year-old brochs. One of the best examples is at Culswick, a short walk from the end of the road. Inland, there’s the strange and so far unexplained ‘temple’ at Staneydale, the largest Iron Age structure in Shetland. Here and at the Scord of Brouster there are ancient field systems, hinting at a time, perhaps 3,000 years ago, when Shetland’s climate was warmer than it is today and agriculture was thriving.
In prehistoric times much of Shetland was wooded. Some West Mainland place names suggest there were still a few trees 1000 years ago – for example, in Old Norse, Twatt means ‘clearing in the woods’ and Tresta means ‘farmstead with the trees’. At Da Lea in Tresta you can visit one of Britain’s most extraordinary gardens, created in just 30 years from a bare hillside. It shows what can be done, even in the present climate.
SOUTH MAINLAND
Shetland’s South Mainland, the 25-mile-long peninsula between Lerwick and Sumburgh Airport, has the largest concentration of visitor attractions in the islands. Within 10 minutes of stepping off a direct flight from London or Edinburgh, you can be on the cliff top at the RSPB’s Sumburgh Head reserve, watching puffins and fulmars just a few yards away, seals basking on the rocks far below and, if you’re lucky, porpoises and maybe even dolphins or orcas cruising in the tide race out to sea.
Within 10 minutes’ drive from the airport there’s an amazing collection of archaeological sites, spanning over 5,000 years. The most famous is Jarlshof, listed as “one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles” Five layers of settlements have been excavated, each separated from the one beneath by a layer of windblown sand. Nearby, an Iron Age village is still being excavated at Old Scatness. In summer you can join a Living History team here as they recreate daily life in Shetland 2000 years ago.
Jarlshof and Old Scatness both have Iron Age brochs (there are over 100 in Shetland) but the one on the island of Mousa literally, towers above the rest, the best preserved example in the world, built over 2000 years ago at a time of incessant tribal warfare. A ferry runs from Sandlodge Pier to Mousa, which also has a large seal colony, plus arctic terns, arctic skuas and one of Britain’s main storm petrel nesting colonies. These tiny seabirds only come to land at night, when their weird cries echo through the ancient stonework of the broch.
The South Mainland has some superb beaches, notably at West Voe, Levenwick, Scousburgh and Europe’s finest example of a ‘tombolo’ – the beach linking the village of Bigton to St Ninian’s Isle, where the famous treasure was found.
There’s plenty to see indoors as well. Close under the stupendous cliffs of Fitful Head is Quendale Mill, a restored 19th century corn mill, well worth a visit. Over at Boddam, the Shetland Crofthouse Museum recreates the atmosphere of an old ‘but and ben’ crofter’s cottage and at Hoswick there’s a heritage centre with displays on local history, including the former copper mine at Sandlodge.