All Places in Shetland Islands

The Broch of Mousa is a preserved prehistoric building on the island of Mousa in the Shetland Islands. Thought to have been constructed around 100 BC, the broch or round tower is one of the finest examples of its kind in Shetland. Today, the site is managed by Historic Scotland. Access to the island of Mousa is via ferry from mainland Shetland www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

The Shetland Museum and Archives charts the story of Shetland’s culture and heritage. The museum enjoys a waterfront location in the Hay’s Dock area of Lerwick, 10 minutes walk from the town centre. Explore the history of the Shetland Islands in this fascinating museum, from the earliest geological remains to the present day. In the Archive Collections you can also discover all manner of material relating to Shetland life and the Heritage Hub is on hand to lend you any assistance tracking down any aspect of Shetland’s past. On site there is café and gift shop. The museum is open to visitors throughout the year, for more information go to www.shetland-museum.org.uk

Brekon Sands beach is a white sandy beach protected by a rock headland on the North of Yell. The beach is backed by grass covered sand dunes. Some nice walks around the headland.

Sumburgh Head is a rocky headland at the southern point of the Shetland mainland in northern Scotland. The cliffs at Sumburgh are home to large colonies of birds, protected as an RSPB Nature Reserve. During the summer months, witness the spectacle of thousands of breeding birds. Sumburgh Head is also a fantastic place to watch for whales and dolphins. See the RSPB site for more information on the reserve www.rspb.org.uk

Grutness beach is a south-east facing beach close to Sumburgh Airport and the ferry terminal for Fair Isle. The beach is a pebble beach with some large rocks and some sand. These large rocks are very smooth as they have been smashed by the heavy winds and seas you can get here. You need to be very careful of the sea conditions on this beach. Grutness is part of a stretch of coast that is a great location for seeing whales, including orcas. If you are lucky you may see them close at hand as they search for seals that are closer to the shoreline. Parking and toilets by the ferry.

Esha Ness is a peninsula to the northwest of St Magnus Bay on the island of Mainland, Shetland. Esha Ness has a sea cave that is potentially the largest natural chamber in Britain.

Fort Charlotte is an artillery fort in central Lerwick on the Shetland Islands. With bastions on each corner, this five-sided fort is the third structure on the same site; the first built between 1652-3, the second put up under Charles II’s orders in 1665 to hold off an advancing Dutch fleet and the third was erected in 1781 after the second incarnation was burnt down. The fort is named after the wife of George III. Since the 18th century, Fort Charlotte has been used as a garrison during the Napoleonic Wars, a naval base, a town jail, a courthouse and a coastguard station. Today the fort is managed by Historic Scotland and is base for the territorial army in Scotland. Climb up to the battlements and get a fantastic view of Lerwick Harbour and Bressay Sound.