 The Knab |  Ness of Sound |  Ness of Burgi |  Eshaness |  The Knab |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Noness Loop |  Eshaness |  Burra Loop |  Ness of Burgi |  Noness Loop |
 Ness of Sound |  The Knab |  Burra Loop |  Noness Loop |  Eshaness |
 The Knab |  Ness of Burgi |  Burra Loop |  Noness Loop |
Cliffs
ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE DOG FRIENDLY!
NAME: The Knab
LOCATION: Lerwick
DESCRIPTION: This area is a favourtie for many local dog walkers and a great place to allow your pooch off the lead for a good run around with a ball. There are also dedicated bins for your poop bags - so please remember to use them! The knab is a stunning area which has lovely views out to bressay and it is also a good place to watch boats coming in and out of the harbour (we managed to see the swan on one of her trips!). You can divide the walk into three stages, making the route as long or as short as you want.
NOTE: if you choose to do the full walk, only let your dog off the lead in the area that is fenced off! i.e. the golf course area. There are sheer drops down to the sea where your four legged friend could easilly fall when not paying attention.
I reccommend following the path further until you reach Fjara cafe which is a lovely place to stop for a coffee and cake! Or, you could even combine this route with a visit to clickimin broch which is nearby
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NAME: Eshaness
LOCATION: Eshaness (North)
DESCRIPTION: Very popular tourist location - eshaness boasts amazing views across a wild landscape which is home to several species of birds. Many people have probably seen this location on TV, either in the "Shetland" murder series or in the hillarious advert with a moonwalking pony (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekr05T9Iaio - always puts a smile on my face!). Some of Shetland's best photographs have been taken here, particularly during the stormy winter months when the rough seas make a spectacular backdrop. I would recommend visiting Braewick cafe after your visit to the cliffs for a nice cup of tea to warm you up -its normally pretty cold and windy up there!
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NAME: Ness of Sound loop
LOCATION: Lerwick
DESCRIPTION: This is an absolute gem of a location! Hidden at the back of the main town of Lerwick, behind the tall grey buildings and bustling streets, is a location of dramatic and untouched beauty. The area can be reached via two locations - beginning either at the ness of sound beach or at the end of "sea road" (past Tescos!). We chose to start our journey from the beach and from there, followed the coastline out towards the point where we were treated to some spectacular views out towards the island of Bressay. This is also a well known location which is popular for being home to a range of wildlife - particularly birds. Further on in the route, you will then come across a piece of Shetland's involvement in World War two. This area was one of four fortified areas in Lerwick in place during the war and thankfully didn’t see any action during its active time there. Now, it stands as a crumbling site and reminder of times gone by.
The walk will take you around an hour and a bit to complete and is well worth the trip especially if you're a photographer or wildlife enthusiast. If you choose to get closer to the world war battery please tread with caution... the walls are ready to crumble at any given time! The route also takes you past a wonderful cafe called Fjara - I recommend stopping along here on your way back for a rest! Oh, and there's an area outside where you can sit with your dog of course
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NAME: Noness Loop
LOCATION: Sandwick
DESCRIPTION: This is not only a stunning location for a walk, but also a great place for spotting some of the local birds. It takes a couple of hours to complete the loop so leave plenty of time to enjoy and absorb the scenery. As with all the locations in the "cliffs" section, keep your dog on a lead here! There is no barrier between you and the cliffs edge. I should also warn you that this ia a favourite location for the Great Squa (or "Bonxie" in our language) to nest - get too close and they WILL attack you! On a good day you can see right out to sumburgh and it is more than worth the hike to get to the furthest point
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NAME: Burra point loop
LOCATION: Burra (past Bannamin beach)
DESCRIPTION: Absolutely spectacular walk taking you around the cliffs past Bannamin beach. This is quite a tricky route taking you over various kinds of terrain including long, steep hills and sharp jagged rocks (have your best walking boots at the ready!). We took around two and a half hours to complete this but we were taking our time and did have some fun on the beach after it - even on a cold mid February afternoon, we were in need of the cool down! You'll also find a cairn at the top of the highest hill, so remember to place your own stone to mark your stay. This truely is a beautiful place and certinaly a favourite in our list of walks. I'd reccommend taking a pic-nic with you to enjoy on the beach after your trip and make a day of it.
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NAME: Ness of Burgi
LOCATION: Sumburgh (SOUTH MAINLAND)
DESCRIPTION: Welcome to the most southerly point on the mainland (well, almost)! The Ness of Burgi is a location filled with history and picturesque panoramic views - but getting to the end point can certainly be an entertaining challenge! Just make sure you've got your good hiking boots on before you set off on your journey... Getting to your start point is fairly simple - just head towards Sumburgh airport and turn right into the junction marked "scatness" on the bend after the runway. Follow this road right to the end and there you'll find a (albeit, very small) area where you can park your car. Then, head south! There's no marked path so you have to use your instinct on this one, but unless you fancy taking a dip in the sea which lies at either side of you, you cant really go wrong. On your way to the tip, take some time to walk to either side of the stretch of land where you'll find some amazing sights which stretch out for miles on a clear day. On the west side, you'll see way out to Quendale and on the East, you should be able to easily see the lighthouse. We also found an unusual pointed cairn which we, of course, had to add our own stone to. Now, the next bit is where it gets tricky... I hope you enjoy a little bit of rock climbing! To get to the point where the old iron age fort lies, you have to cross a very steep, quite narrow, really rocky and slightly precarious stretch of land. Don't worry though, there's a chain rail to help you! But that's it. If you manage to survive this, your reward will be arguably some the best views of the south of shetland you can get from any point. We could see the island of Fair Isle when we visited and some have said you can see Orkney on a really good day. You also get a nice share of history in the form of a well preserved iron age fort (the Ness of Burgi Fort). Really interesting location which gives you a real life view of early Shetland settlement. So if you fancy a location with a bit of fun, a splash of history and a whole lot of adventure - get your hiking boots on and head towards this point!
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