"A place to spend a golden afternoon, to search, like children, for a pretty stone"
"A place to spend a golden afternoon, to search, like children, for a pretty stone"
South Mainland
The tour will begin in Lerwick with a little potted history of the town before heading down through Shetland’s South Mainland. Characterised by wide sandy bays, this peninsula runs 25-miles south from Lerwick through stunning landscapes and scenery, and the best concentration of archaeological sites for visitors to see and explore.
On the tour we will visit:
On the tour we will visit:
- St Ninian’s Isle beach; a 50-metre long sand tombolo which is breathtakingly beautiful. There will also be the option of a walk to the 12th century Chapel Site where a hoard of 9th century treasure was discovered in the 1950s.
- Crofthouse Museum, a traditional thatched house with a peat fire which is styled as it would have been in the 1870s.
- Jarlshof Prehistoric & Norse Settlement, Europe’s largest multi-period site. This tour will walk visitors through 5,000 years of human history in Shetland with the chance to explore the prehistoric ruins and discover how Shetland’s past people lived, worked and ate.
- Sumburgh Head. During the breeding season, this is one of the best places to see puffins in Shetland, as well as many more of our breeding seabirds.
There are lots of options for a day out in Shetland's South Mainland. Why not build your own adventure and pick from a few of the options below allowing us to tailor the day to suit you?
Mousa guided walk:
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Why not take a trip to the now uninhabited island of Mousa and visit the 2,000 year old remains of an Iron Age broch which can boast to be the best preserved broch in the world. Mousa, a 15-minute boat trip from the mainland, has so much to offer: from the broch, we will explore the ruined remains of a 19th-century township and hear the stories of shipwrecks, tragic love stories and get the chance to spot some of the wildlife. Being an RSPB Nature Reserve, Mousa is among the top places to spot wildlife. And if seal spotting isn't your thing, how about taking the evening tour into the island to view the Storm Petrels returning to their breeding colonies? The broch and surrounding boulder beach is home to 11,000 of these tiny seabirds.
Mousa trips are weather dependant and guests are reminded to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for hiking. |
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St Ninian's Isle guided walk:
A visit to St Ninian's Isle is a must for any visitor. Boasting the UKs longest sand tombolo, and at 50m, it is certainly worth a visit.
From the tombolo you reach the island, which is full of stories of shipwrecks and treasure! Guests will have the chance to see where the famous 9th century St Ninian's Isle treasure was discovered in 1958 and marvel over the geology and birdlife of this island which has been shaped by the Atlantic Ocean.
Appropriate footwear should be worn.
Duration: 3 hours
From the tombolo you reach the island, which is full of stories of shipwrecks and treasure! Guests will have the chance to see where the famous 9th century St Ninian's Isle treasure was discovered in 1958 and marvel over the geology and birdlife of this island which has been shaped by the Atlantic Ocean.
Appropriate footwear should be worn.
Duration: 3 hours
Visitor attractions:
There are a number of fantastic visitor attractions in the South Mainland, including:
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Jarlshof
Walk through 5,000 years of human history at Europe's largest multi-period archaeological site. See how early people lived in Shetland during the neolithic period 5,000 years ago and journey through the ages and into a period of Scottish rule in Shetland which saw the tyrannical Stewart Earls making their mark on the islands! Along the way, visitors will get the opportunity to view a Bronze Age smithy, Early Iron Age houses, a 2,000 year old broch, the remains of four wheelhouses and an impressive Norse settlement and farmstead. I wrote a series of essays and did a virtual tour of Jarlshof which is available on my Patreon site. |
Jarlshof Prehistoric & Norse Site
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Sumburgh Head Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre
At the very southernmost tip of the islands, Sumburgh Head provides a host of treats for the visitor. Explore the history and natural heritage from its geological beginnings to Iron Age settlers, Lighthouse keepers, whales, puffins and much more. Experience the merging of the North Sea and the North Atlantic and observe the colonies of guillemots, fulmars, razorbills, kittiwakes, shags and puffins which take advantage of the rich tidal waters surrounding the head. |
Sumburgh Head
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Quendale Mill
(Open May - September)
This is a restored water mill, built in 1867 by the Grierson family and formed part of the large Quendale Estate. The mill was operational until 1948. The centre also contains local history displays about the surrounding area.
(Open May - September)
This is a restored water mill, built in 1867 by the Grierson family and formed part of the large Quendale Estate. The mill was operational until 1948. The centre also contains local history displays about the surrounding area.
Old Scatness Broch & Iron Age Village
(Open one day per week (Friday) May - September)
Located close to Sumburgh Airport, recent excavations at the site have changed archaeologists understanding of the broch era in Shetland. They have proven that the brochs were built earlier than had previously been believed, as Radiocarbon dating of grain found in the construction layer of the broch dated it to between 400 and 200 BC. Discover more about brochs and the mystery that surrounds them.
(Open one day per week (Friday) May - September)
Located close to Sumburgh Airport, recent excavations at the site have changed archaeologists understanding of the broch era in Shetland. They have proven that the brochs were built earlier than had previously been believed, as Radiocarbon dating of grain found in the construction layer of the broch dated it to between 400 and 200 BC. Discover more about brochs and the mystery that surrounds them.