8 of Shetland’s best hikes

The Shetland islands are truly magical – and sometimes the best way to appreciate them is to slip on a pair of hiking boots and explore them at a slower pace.

Amazingly, there are 70 miles between the tip of Shetland’s south mainland (a walk to the Ness of Burgi is mentioned below) and Shetland’s most northerly point (at Hermaness Nature Reserve – also on our list), and between these two, there are a number of trails to explore either by yourself or with friends.

Shetland offers a rugged landscape, long sea voes that shine like a new mirror, fascinating wildlife, including gannets, puffins, otters and orca, a stunning array of wildflowers, long peaceful summer days, and over 5,000 years of archaeology.

When you try some of our recommended walks below, make sure you take your camera along, to capture breath-taking views of sea and sky, and the ever-changing light.

1. A walk to the Knab, Lerwick

A favourite walk in Lerwick was one I discovered once when visiting without a car. I decided to explore different areas of the town and eventually, found the Knab and its amazing panoramic view.

The hike begins in the centre of the town at the Market Cross. Follow Commercial Street to Da Lodberries, famous for being Detective Jimmy Perez’s house in the Shetland crime series. From there, stay close to the sea by walking along Twageos Road, and then venture uphill, either taking Grassy Loan or walking through the kirkyard. Finally, you’ll arrive at the Knab.

The Knab is a low cliff, a last finger of land pointing out to sea at the Sooth Mooth of Lerwick harbour, directing sea-going vessels this way and that. It’s a fantastic viewpoint (and seats are provided) to see Bressay, Kirkabister Ness Lighthouse and to watch NorthLink’s M.V. Hjaltland and M.V. Hrossey sailing past. There is also a wartime torpedo tube platform.

I turned this walk into a longer one by taking the path beside the golf course, which descends to a stony shore at the Sletts, and arrived at Lerwick’s hidden beach – the Sands of Sound. On my way back into the town centre, I made sure to stop by Clickimin broch.

2. Hiking to Culswick broch

For this 3-mile walk, you’ll need to travel towards one of Shetland’s quieter villages: Skeld in Da Westside. In fact, all the other walks on our list are in remote areas of Shetland, so taking a car is essential! From Skeld, continue on to Culswick, and park up at the signpost to Culswick Methodist Chapel.

To embark on your walk, follow a farmer’s track up into a hillside dotted with sheep, old field markers and hill lochs. Eventually you’ll spot Culswick broch standing high on a hilltop – it’s easy to see as this circular Iron Age building is made of pink granite. All that will stand in your way from reaching the broch is a small loch – but, handily, there is a causeway in place to cross the water!

After climbing the hill to reach Culswick broch, we think you’ll be very impressed by the 2,000-year-old building – we certainly were when we visited. It is constructed with chunky stones and there’s a distinctive triangular lintel above the door. Culswick broch is 16m in diameter but much of the stonework has fallen into its interior. The surrounding coastline of dramatic cliffs and sea stacks is spectacular – many walkers extend their hike to take in more of this.

On our visit to Culswick broch, the landscape was shrouded in fog, and though rain danced on the broch’s pink stones, it did not diminish the joy of finding such a wonderful place!

3. A walk at Hermaness, Unst

Hermaness is a peninsula at the most northerly point of Unst, which is also Shetland’s most northerly island. A walk here is a terrific day out – and the excursion begins by parking at Burrafirth. After a short tramp uphill, walkers will cross a vast open moorland for 2 miles (across boardwalks some of the way) – it’s a very atmospheric place.

Eventually you will reach the drama of Hermaness cliffs, but these aren’t vertical drops. Instead, the landscape looks like it has been ripped – as if this coastline was savagely bitten away by some giant sea creature!

A head for heights is required – here steep grassy slopes suddenly drop to sheer cliffs and there are jagged rocks offshore. In the air there is a blizzard of birds – Hermaness is home to large breeding colonies of gannets, puffins, guillemots, and great skuas.

One of the most impressive sights at Hermaness is the island of Muckle Flugga – a series of shards rising from the ocean – and the lighthouse built on top. One can only marvel at the audacity needed to construct a building next to these seething waters! One last shard further out, called Out Stack, is the most northerly part of the UK.

4. The Ness of Burgi, South Mainland

This is one of our favourite walks, simply because the trail to the Ness of Burgi is so dramatic. The Ness of Burgi is an Iron Age blockhouse, a low rectangular building thought to have had a defensive purpose. It’s one of just three blockhouses in Shetland.

The Ness of Burgi is located at the very south end of Shetland, near the airport and Sumburgh Head, right at the very end of a premonitory. To reach it, walkers must clamber over a series of jagged rocks. On my visit, in January, the day before Up Helly Aa, I found posts and chain links to hold onto (thankfully!) as I gingerly made my way over to it.

The building itself is very unusual, backed up as far as it can go, right at the cliff edge, like a cornered animal! The Ness of Burgi is 2m high but once stood almost 3m tall and had a roof. It is the same age as Iron Age brochs and shares other similarities – including drystone walling, hollow chambers and bar holes for a wooden door.

We think you’ll love this hike (around 1 ½ miles from the car park and back) to an impressive, but not very well-known Shetland place!

5. Muckle Roe circular

Muckle Roe is an island connected by a bridge to the Shetland mainland, near the village of Brae. It’s known for having coastal scenery to fall in love with, but, as the road around the island only covers 3½ miles of Muckle Roe’s 9-mile circumference, the only way to see much of it is to walk!

The hike begins at Cumle, and we’d recommend following the rough track northwards over the hills – there are some steep climbs along the way. After 3 miles, you’ll arrive at the Hams of Muckle Roe, which is a series of sandy beaches, caves, cliffs, chasms, jagged rocks and sea stacks. As Muckle Roe is largely made of red granite, all of these coastal features are a lovely pink colour.

If you are in the mood for an extra-long walk, it’s possible instead to hike back around the coastline. Along the sea verge you’ll discover attractive beaches, a lighthouse and magnificent views to savour!

6. The Stanes of Stofast

We love the glacial landscape of Lunna Ness, and it’s an area we’d highly recommend exploring – there’s something quite haunting about it.

The walk across Lunna Ness to the Stanes of Stofast combines phenomenal panoramic views with a jaw-dropping destination. This is a massive boulder – weighing 2,000 tonnes – and it was transported here by glacial ice, around 10,000 years ago. Since then, frost has split the house-sized boulder apart.

To hike to the Stanes of Stofast, take the B9071 road though the peninsula. This road stretches along the western edge of Lunna Ness, and the Stanes of Stofast are on the eastern side, so park up at the layby near the signpost, put on some shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty, and head uphill.

Avoid boggy ground if you can, and walk for around 2 miles until you reach the stones, between Fugla Water and the Loch of Stofast. Make sure you bring some friends along for company, and so that they can pose for photos next to the Stanes of Stofast – this will show just how colossal these stones are!

7. A walk to Fethaland, Northmavine

To begin this walk to the most northerly point of mainland Shetland, park at the Isbister road. There’s a farm track to follow that will take you up the middle of the peninsula, or you can take the longer, more scenic coastal route.

Eventually you’ll reach Fethaland, which was a haaf fishing station in the 19th century. Now abandoned, this was once one of the busiest places in Shetland, and fishermen would sail 40 miles out to sea, in small boats called sixereens, before returning home with their silver bounty. These days Fethaland is very peaceful and picturesque.

On the map, the Point of Fethaland is almost an island, stretching away from rest of the mainland with two gravel beaches holding the green areas of land together. When you visit you’ll find groups of buildings that housed summertime workers, and the rocky beaches were where the catch was once dried.

The walk to Fethaland will take a few hours, and there’s plenty to see along the way, including prehistoric buildings, boat nousts, and on the coast, a soapstone quarry. Curious folk, like myself, may enjoy venturing to the end of the Point of Fethaland to see the lighthouse!

8. Ronas Hill and Da Lang Ayre

For the more adventurous walkers who love a hill to climb, we’d recommend travelling to Northmavine to scale Ronas Hill, the tallest in Shetland. The best way to do this is to use the track at neighbouring Collafirth Hill until you reach the telecommunication mast there – this track is also accessible for cars.

From there, hike around 2 miles across to the summit of Ronas Hill, which is littered with pink granite boulders, and rare arctic plants. At 450m high, there are incredible views of Shetland to be had, with faint etchings of distant islands on the horizon.

For another fabulous view, continue to walk northwest for another 2 miles, following the Burn of Monius down to Ketligill Head (you can use the offshore sea stacks to guide your way). At Ketligill Head, there is a rope to hold onto as you make the last steep descent onto Da Lang Ayre.

As the name suggests, Da Lang Ayre is a 1,500m long shingle beach, but what makes it particularly lovely is the pink sand, the turquoise sea, and the offshore seastacks, all backed by massive 240m high cliffs. It takes a while to get there, so we’d definitely recommend packing a picnic (I always love a tuna sandwich!) and taking some friends along for a good chat during this amazing 10-mile round trip.

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