Disclosure: This is a collaborative post with Promote Shetland about Unst, Shetland
Unst is otherwise known as the ‘Island above all others’. Quite literally as it’s the most Northerly island in the British Isles! What do you expect to find on Unst, Shetland? Shetland ponies? Of course! A video of an asteroid named Unst or rocket launching platforms? Probably not! But they are all here on this remote island int he furthest North of the United Kingdom.
This little island is bursting with pride for its flora and fauna, the wild skies and beaches. But it’s the little things you will notice. The waves from every local as they drive past on the road, or the chats as you bump into someone on the road. The welcoming nature of the people of Unst is probably its most important feature. I don’t think I’ve felt quite as at home anywhere in the world in such a short time! So what are the best things to do in Unst? Well, I’ve listed my favourite things below. However, if there is anything else you would like to add, please do get in touch!
Table of Contents
Getting To Unst, Shetland
Getting to Unst isn’t difficult as such, but it also takes a little effort! First you need to get to mainland Shetland. Which is either by the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen (car ferry) or via plane into Sumburgh airport. Then it’s a drive up to Toft in the North East of the Shetland mainland. A ferry crossing to Yell, drive up to Gutcher on Yell and then another ferry crossing to Unst. Getting to Unst is honestly much easier than it sounds. The inter island ferries being fairly frequent and crossings are only around 20 minutes.
Wild Skies Trail
The team behind the Unst Wild Skies Trail have clearly put a lot of time and thought into all the stops on the trail. However, during our visit to Unst we were first shown to blanket covered benches in the Viking Longhouse. Offered hot drinks, and then settled down to watch a film. The film is actually a short, tongue-in-cheek story about the asteroid Unst. Featuring lots of people from the island, dressed as ghosts, an asteroid, meteor and Vikings! It’s all about the day the asteroid called Unst came down to the island of Unst. It was clear that they had so much fun making the film and we definitely enjoyed watching it! The short film can be seen on YouTube here ‘An Asteroid Called Unst’.
It turns out that there IS an asteroid in space called Unst! It was named after this beautiful Northerly island by a meteorologist who lives on Unst. So it’s as good as reason as any to create a fun short film!
Unst Sky Trail
After our enjoyable film we headed out to explore some of the stops on the Unst Sky Trail. You can find leaflets at the Unst Heritage Centre with details of how to find the locations. Or use the map on the Wild Skies Shetland website. We did use the online map to find some of the stops, but they weren’t necessarily in the correct place. They are intending to fix this ASAP, but if you can’t find them with the online map, use the leaflet directions instead.
Each sky trail stop has a post with details of a sky related topic. The stops aren’t just about night-time skies, there are also stops that discuss Viking myths, terrible storms and sky-related phrases. Certain stops also have sound posts, or even sound benches! Here you can enjoy stories from local people or even beautifully played fiddle or harp music created especially for the sky trail. There are 13 stops to visit in total. So you may not manage all in one go (some are a little bit of a walk), but it’s worth picking a few to visit! If you can’t visit the island of Unst then you can also visit all the stops online. Each audio and all the information are on the website.
If you have clear skies it’s worth getting out to see the stars in the evening. If you’re really lucky – the Northern Lights. Also known as the Mirrie Dancers in Shetland! But even if you don’t see them it’s possible to head into The Unst Heritage Centre (or the Unst leisure centre in winter) to use their VR headsets. These show the Northern Lights in their full glory!
Beaches in Unst, Shetland Islands
I’m always amazed by the beaches that are in lists of the UK’s best beaches. They always seem to feature very busy beaches, I’m sure they’re ok if there’s nowhere else to visit. However these people are missing out! They are some truly awesome beaches in the islands that don’t get the credit they deserve! Unst certainly has several stunning beaches itself, and often you will have the entire beach to yourself!
South Unst
We were staying in accommodation in Unst, Shetland near Uyeasound. And as it was only a short walk to Easting beach, it was the perfect place for families to stay. The kids loved the beach. A huge wide expanse of white sand, turquoise blue water and gentle waves crashing on the shore. It also has a the remains of a Viking Longhouse above the beach. Plus one of the sky trail stops (a bench with music!) is a short walk around the headland.
Whilst the kids were playing loudly on a rocky section of the beach and I was taking a photo of a seal in the sea, I was amazed at what was suddenly at my feet! Stood on a rock away from the water I heard a noise below and looked down to see an otter sneaking past the rock! Obviously I took some photos, but it was amazing to see the otter so close and running through the lapping waves past my oblivious children. Of course you won’t always see otters on the beach, but definitely keep your eyes open as you never know your luck!
North Unst
Other excellent beaches include Burrafirth beach, just below Hermaness Nature Reserve. A fantastic stretch of sandy beach, with some pretty impressive rocks near the cliffs. They are full of Mica and very sparkly, plus some nice layers in the rocks, making them look quite stripy.
You can also head North in Unst to Norwick and Skaw Beaches. Norwick beach is mostly sandy, but with some nice pebbles in areas (it also has a large parking area). If you like beach combing you should look out for small pebbles of serpentine, a green-black rock that is found around the East coast of Unst. Then there is the most Northerly beach in the UK, and also in Unst, Shetland Islands – Skaw beach. You do need to be mindful of constriction work at Saxa Vord, but you can drive across to Skaw on the single-track road. This is a great place to spot cetaceans and for kids to play in the stream running down the golden sands. Another lovely beach to stop at on Unst.
Wildlife In Shetland, Unst
Unst has a wealth of wildlife all around the island and off its shores. The best time to visit is undoubtably the spring and early summer months, but you can see some wildlife all year round. We had a guided tour with the rather famous Brydon Thomason from Shetland Nature. He’s well known in Shetland as the otter expert and also an amazing wildlife photographer! We visited several areas of the island looking for any cetaceans offshore, long-eared owls in the few patches of woodland on Unst and then…otter spotting.
Otters
Otters are one of my favourite animals, so I was particularly excited when after only a few minutes of staring at a headland Brydon announced he could see a mother and cubs. I used my binoculars to look for them and quickly saw another family on the same headland. A total of 7 otters in just a few minutes! But our luck didn’t stop there, we found a mother and a single cub just on the shoreline nearby.
The kids and I quietly watched them from behind a bank, in awe at their ability to slip effortlessly through the waves. Or the cub crunching noiselessly through a crab its mother had given it. After the otters had disappeared out of sight we headed back to Haroldswick. Another 3 otters were spotted along the shore, giving us a total of 12 otters in just one afternoon. I knew Unst was great for wildlife, but I didn’t expect to see that many in one day!
Sealife
Around the sea you also need to look out for Orcas, Minke whales, porpoises and dolphins. You can’t guarantee where they will be, but I’ve been reliably informed that if you see lots of people crowded looking out at sea, STOP! There’s a good chance they are looking at something interesting and you may get to see them too.
Birdlife
Unst, Shetland Islands, is also amazing for bird life. We visited in February and there’s not as many species around, although we did see some divers. In the Spring time the cliffs and sky will be full to bursting with birds. From gannets and great skuas, to black guillemots and puffins, you’ll be in awe watching the birds! The best place to head for a spot of bird watching on Unst is the Hermaness National Nature Reserve.
Viking Unst Project
Did you know that Unst is thought to be the first footfall of Vikings in the UK? With a concentration of over 60 longhouse remains across the island, this is the highest concentration of Viking longhouse sites anywhere in the world. Three different Norse longhouses were excavated across Unst as part of the project, these are at Belmont, Hamar and Underhoull. There are other Viking longhouses where you can still see the remains, but they have yet to be excavated.
You can visit the excavated longhouses all year round and use the online trails here to find out more information. You can also visit the impressive replica of a Viking longship, Skidbladner at Haroldswick, just off the main road. It was created by local craftsmen using traditional techniques. It’s open all year round to visit and pretend to be Viking! Next to the ship is a reconstructed Viking longhouse, based on the design excavated at Hamar. Again, traditional techniques were used to create the building, although wood poles and birch bark were shipped from Norway, as the Vikings also did.
Hermaness National Nature Reserve
This is the jewel in Unst’s wildife crown, the Hermaness National Nature Reserve is an amazing place to head for bird watchers. The reserve has a small car park with a shelter full of information about what you might see (note the wild skies sign and talking post at the side). Then take the path up from here to visit the cliffs. It’s best said that this isn’t a great walk for windy days, there are steep cliffs and in some places the path is narrow. You will need around 3.5 hours to complete the entire loop, but add extra time as you will want to stop for a while to watch the birds too!
Follow the blue Sailto trail to begin with, as this will take you past the gannet colony. With around 30,000 breeding pairs you will hear and smell them before you see them! It’s also one of the top 6 breeding sites in the UK for gannets. It’s a privilege to watch these beautiful birds dive into the ocean, getting up to speeds of 60 mph before diving into the sea.
Also look out for the puffins burrowing in the turf at the top of the cliffs. They are great fun to watch and having humans nearby actually helps them. The larger seabirds are less likely to divebomb the puffins, stealing their food! Continue along the cliffs following the yellow trail, known as the Muckle Flugga trail. So named as it takes you to a great view point at the top of Hermaness Hill where you can look out to Muckle Flugga lighthouse (the most Northerly lighthouse) and the rocky islands it sits on, Britain’s most Northerly point.
Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve
Another Nature Reserve on Unst, but this time it’s a reserve for wild flora rather than bird life. To find it you just need to turn off at Bobby’s Bus Shelter and follow to the car park. It’s a short walk up the hill, but this time you will want to be looking closely at the ground. The site is best visited in May-July, when the flowers have all emerged, but even then you will need to look past the bleak rocky landscape. The serpentine rocks have been thrown up from deep in the sea during dramatic earth movements millions of years ago. But now weathered on land, they are home to some rather rare plants.
This leaflet from Nature Scotland has great information and photos on what you are looking for, including Edmondston‘s Chickweed (discovered in the 1800’s by a local boy), Norwegian Sandwort and Northern Rock Cress.
Don’t miss the sky trail stop at the bench at the top of the hill – a great place to listen to the beautiful music being played.
Muness Castle
Drive past Uyeasound and up the hill to find Muness Castle at the end of a long road. Once the home of Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie and his family, a famous character from Shetlands history. Not always in a good way either! He is said to have oppressed the local population by taking bribes, increasing taxes illegally and also fathering 24 illegitimate children. He was found guilty by court and ordered to be sent South and not to cross North of the Tay ever again. Yet a few years later he returned to Shetland and built Muness Castle on Unst.
The castle itself is clearly a ruin, but you can explore the cellars where food and drink would have been stored and several of the upper rooms of the house. Perhaps the castle is haunted by ghosts, but we didn’t visit in the evening to find out!
Unst Heritage Centre
Shut in the Winter, but open from 1st May until 30th September, Unst Heritage Centre is an excellent place to visit to find out more about the island and its heritage. This is where you need to head to find out about the history of Unst. It’s a modern museum in the old primary school of the small settlement of Haroldswick, with a good size car park.
Don’t miss another sky stop with audio post beside the geology wall! It has some interesting weather sayings in the local dialect.
Unst Boat Haven
The Unst Boat Haven is in a large shed behind Victoria’s Vintage Tearoom. It’s actually part of the Unst Heritage Centre, just in a different building! At one time there were over quarter of a million crans of herring landed at Baltasound on Unst. With a large number of fishing boats registered on the island and steamers sailing from Baltasound, this was obviously an important part of the fishing scene!
There are 17 boats to see at Boat Haven, most are Shetland built, but also one each from Faroe and Norway, plus a Welsh coracle. Most of the boats are built using the traditional Viking method of clinker built boats. This can be traced back 1700 years! There are also various other fishing related items in the museum.
Victoria’s Vintage Tea Room
Although Victoria’s Vintage Tearooms is not an ‘attraction’ as such on Unst, it certainly deserves a mention. It’s one of the best places to go for lunch (book a table in advance if you are sitting in). There are great views across the sea from here and you can enjoy some delicious soup and sandwiches. Plus they have fantastic cakes!
Attached to the tearoom is also a lovely gift shop where you can buy local crafts and other gifts from around the Shetland Islands.
Shetland Reel At Saxa Vord Distillery
If gin is a favourite drink of yours, then you may want to stop in at Shetland Reel Gin for a guided tour or tasting. At £20 per adult (kids can attend but don’t get to taste the alcohol!) it’s a good price to see the UK’s most Northerly distillery and taste test the gin. There are a variety of different gins to taste, including some special editions and even an Up Helly Aa bottle!
SaxaVord Space Port
SaxaVord space port is still under construction. It’s the first space port of its kind located on such a small island. But this is the perfect place for launching satellites into earth orbit, as there is nothing further North to get in the way of launches. The only issue is that there are a large number of breeding bird colonies very close by to the site. However, SaxaVord staff have state that there will be limits on launches during to bird breeding periods. Once construction is complete the peninsula will be reopened to the public who can once more walk through to the end, where it’s a great point for watching birds and cetaceans.
Rocket launches can also be watched through a ticketing system. There will be a no-go zone around the launch site, but people can be shuttled to a specific rocket launching spectator area across the bay from Saxa Vord. It’s likely this will be quite popular with less than 30 launches a year.
It’s hoped that SaxaVord Space Port will bring more money into the local economy and raising the number of people living on the island. SaxaVord is also an excellent educational resource, local children and adults are able to learn more about space and the process. Locals hope that there will also be the possibility of new jobs created for those ont he islands. Or at least those children who leave the island to go to university are able to return and work there (currently there aren’t enough jobs for the next generation to return to the island themselves).
Up Helly Aa In Shetland, Unst
If there is one thing that truly impressed my children on Unst (aside the otters!) it was seeing Up Helly Aa. The whole community feel with everyone getting together to enjoy the event was amazing! A stunningly clear night with the moon and stars clear in the sky and a procession of torches marching down the Floggie Road toward the beach.
Once the procession reached the bonfire all the flaming torches were thrown into the wooden boat on top of the stacks of wood. The heat it gives off is immense! But as soon as the boats head fell down into the fire everyone left to go to the hall.
In the hall there are skits and songs, dancing and food until the early hours of the morning. Anyone can turn up to the procession and fire festival part, but you do need a ticket for the hall as there is obviously limited space available. It’s easy to see why this tradition was created over 100 years ago! Something fun to break up the long and cold winters.
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