 Burn of Lunklet |  Fethaland |  stones of stofast |  Uyea |  Brindister loop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lunganess |  Cunningham Way |  Uyea |  Giant's Knuckle |  stones of stofast |
 Brindister loop |  Fethaland |  Burn of Lunklet |  Giant's Knuckle |  Uyea |
 Brindister loop |  Lunganess |  stones of stofast |  Burn of Lunklet |  Giant's Knuckle |
 Burn of Lunklet |  Huesbrek Loch |  Brindister loop |  Brindister loop |  stones of stofast |
 Brindister loop |  Cunningham Way |
ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE DOG FRIENDLY!
Hills
NAME: Burn of Lunklet
LOCATION: East Burrafirth
DESCRIPTION: This is one of our most favourite walks to do in Shetland which features some absolutely stunning scenery at the end of it. Its an easy route with no high inclines to climb and the path is well maintained. The walk follows the burn into the surrounding hillside until you reach, what can only be described as, a scene from the Lord of the Rings! A beautiful waterfall clothed in heather.
This is a lovely place to visit and certainly worth the trip out into the countryside. On a nice day, its the perfect place for a pic-nic and a nice little stop off point if you happen to be travelling between the Voe to Aith route.
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NAME: Fethaland
LOCATION: Fethaland (NORTH MAINLAND)
DESCRIPTION: Welcome to the most northerly point on the Shetland mainland! The area of Fethaland provides many great aspects - a touch of wildlife, exhilarating views and best of all, an up close insight into Shetland's past. Getting here can prove to be a bit of a hike although, the route is fairly well marked via a small country road (I'll remind you at this point to keep your dogs on a lead and shut the gates! There are plenty of sheep around this area). You begin the journey past the farm at Isbister, walking several miles north until the road you were following eventually dies away and you find yourself standing in a field. If you continue in the same direction (roughly!) you will eventually come across the rocky beach of Fethaland, framed with little old stone houses once used in the days of the haaf (deep sea) fishing boom. In the background, several stacks can be seen towering out of the sea often clothed in many species of birds and beyond this towards the east are the cliffs of Yell - it really is beautiful. If you fancy a little more hill climbing, continue north/east where you will find a lighthouse overlooking the area. Trust me, the view is worth the effort! The whole walk there and back can take half a day to complete, but it truly is a must if you find yourself up north
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NAME: Huesbrek Loch loop
LOCATION: Between Virkie and Dunrossness
DESCRIPTION: This is a tiny loch hidden away at the side of the south road close to Sumburgh airport! It is clearly marked by a wooden post indicating for people to follow it - but we're not overly sure what signigicance this place holds? Parking is very difficult at the side of the road as there is not much room and the path leading up to the loch itself is very muddy. You can circle around the area and we did get to meet some friendly livestock while we were there! But other than that, there isnt much else although, it has been known to be a location for rare birds sometimes. I swithered over whether or not to put this location onto the site, but thought it would be useful for those of you who, like me, were curious about the marking point. So there you have it - a small loch with some friendly animals near by!
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NAME: Uyea
LOCATION: Northmaiven (NORTH MAINLAND)
DESCRIPTION: Tucked away on the north west side of the mainland, over a distance which is said to be one of Shetland's "most challenging walks", lies the outstanding island of Uyea. This is, by far, one of the most magnificent areas we have ever laid eyes on. Getting here is fairly straight forward - if you know the way! Firstly, follow the road which travels through North Roe - go past the large white church on the right, past the "north haa junction" and then the small single track road you want to go down is the second turn off on your left. You can take your car as far as the gate where i'd recommend parking (dont block the road or the entrance to the field in case a farmer needs to get in and out). And then... you walk! For miles and miles! On your journey, you'll find some brilliant views which stretch out across the Northmaiven landscape and over to the island of Yell on the other side. Be careful, as part of the route can become flooded (its deeper than you think!) and the road you follow becomes quite bumpy, especially towards the end. The path will eventually lead you to an old farm which is where it stops. To get to Uyea, you have to walk over the field towards the west. The sight that greets you at the end of the journey will be well worth the aching legs by this point... Untouched, serene beauty. This location has some of the clearest blue waters in Shetland which is home to LOADS of very curious seals! The staggering red cliffs house a lot of local birds too. Its like a mini tropical paradise which almost looks foreign against the usual rugged seascapes of Shetland. You can actually see out to Fethaland from here which is the mainland's most northerly point. The beach can be accessed via a steep hill but its a challenge to get up and down (please be careful!! don't climb down the rocks). To get home again, you can either go back the route you came or follow the cliffs around which will eventually lead you to the beach at Sandvoe. My tip for this route would be to set off early in the morning as it takes a good part of the day to complete. Take a picnic and plenty of water. Ensure you have good walking shoes on and most importantly, enjoy! This is a wonderful place filled with wildlife and a canvas unspoiled by human contact, unlike anywhere else in the world.
NOTE: wondering where the "viewpoint" sign leads you half way through the walk? Just up a hill... we really didnt find it all that interesting!
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NAME: Lunganess
LOCATION: Tresta (West Mainland)
DESCRIPTION: This is a nice, easy walk which is well marked following a gravely path up the hill. It is advised that you stick to this route as you might otherwise end up in a field with a load of disgruntled looking sheep! Which, might I add, there are a lot of on this route as you will see from the photos. There are lovely views out towards Tresta as you begin your ascent and at the top of the hill you can see across to Semblister on the other side. The path stops at a post with a blue arrow pointing downwards, which confused us a little as we didnt know if this meant "stop" or "continue down the hill". Never the less, curiosity got the better of us and we continued on to find a quiet little stoney beach at the bottom. This was a pleasent stop off point to relax for a bit before tackling the hill again on the way back. A couple of fishing boats passed us while we were there and it seemed a great loaction for finding little shells and sparkly stones in amongst the rock pools. It took us roughly 45 minutes one way on this route.
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NAME: Staney Hill
LOCATION: Lerwick
DESCRIPTION: To get the best views of Lerwick, you have to make the journey up to the top of Staney Hill. This is a fairly easy hill walk which is located in the middle of the Cunningham Way Loop (you may want to combine the two) and from the top you can see right down to Clickimin broch in clear view and across to Bressay. With so much land around you, its heaven for dogs who love to run and chase a toy (just keep in mind there are sheep around here so respect their space!). Also, be sure to put your own stone on the cairn if you make it to the top! Depending on your level of fitness, it can take 20-30 minutes to climb the hill from the bottom at the gate.
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NAME: Stones of Stofast
LOCATION: Lunna Ness (past Vidlin, EAST MAINLAND)
DESCRIPTION: Another one of Shetland's "hidden gems" located in the beautiful area of Lunna Ness on the east side of the mainland. This walk features many things including some of the most spectacular cliff-side views out towards Whalsay and the out Skerries as well as long rolling hills which stretch out for miles. This area is also well known for being popular with Otters and several have been spied playing around the lochs here. What is most peculiar about this location however, is the 2000 tonne glacial erratic (thats a stone which has been picked up and shifted by a glacier) which stands at the top of one of the hills. Almost resembling something deliberately carved and created by giants, these fractured blocks of stone stand out impressively against an already wild and untouched backdrop. It can be a little bit of a hike to get to them, but well worth it to see such a strange rock formation and take in the view at the same time. We took most of a day to undertake the journey but keep in mind we also included a lot of the coastline in our own route.
For more information, look up: http://www.shetland.org/things/outdoor/walking/steens-of-stofast-circular
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NAME: Giant's Knuckle
LOCATION: Brae
DESCRIPTION: This is a location often missed by passers by travelling to the small village of Brae and beyond. But trust me, this hidden gem boasts a wonderfully picturesque walk past waterfalls and rolling hills and is well worth the stop. Parking is available just before (or after if you're heading south past Brae) the 40mph zone heading into the village. From the old concrete bridge, you then follow Burravoe Burn for around half a mile before turning right towards a very odd, out of place looking rock known as "the giant's knuckle". As you'll see from my pictures, it is possible to get to the waterfall near the beginning of the walk but be careful as it is a very steep decent to get to it (and just as much fun to get back up again!). The area around the rock makes for a great stop off point for a picnic with lovely hill views and wildlife surrounding you in every direction (watch out for the bonxies [that’s "great skua" in English] by the way!). Heading back, you can either go back the way you came or loop round and climb to the top of the hill for some great views of Brae before heading back. This is a fairly easy walk but it is made challenging by the lack of path and walking through the thick heather can become tiresome after a while. I'd leave at least a couple of hours to complete and enjoy your time there
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NAME: Cunningham Way
LOCATION: Lerwick
DESCRIPTION: This is a popular location for walkers and a route which can be customised to suit your physical capabilities and time frame. The full loop can last a couple of hours easy at a leasurely pace and is composed of some quite challenging hills (particularly the steep one up Staney Hill road!). However. if you fancy an easier path then I'd recommend avoiding the clickimin area and sticking to the cunningham way road which takes you past the loch. There is another path which leads off from this one also and takes you to a quiet little stoney beach - a great place to throw a ball!
NOTE: the area around Cunningham Way is occupied by a large flock of well kept sheep. Keep your dog on a lead to avoid scaring them and be aware that during the lambing months the area may be closed off.
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NAME: Brindister Loch loop
LOCATION: Brindister (between Gulberwick and Quarff)
DESCRIPTION: Beautiful circular walk leading you around a loch which has a peculular iron age structure in the midde of it (see "https://canmore.org.uk/site/1002/loch-of-brindister" - possible broch?).
It is highly advisable to wear good shoes when undergoing this route, especially during the wetter months! There isnt much of a path left on some parts and hence, you have to make your own judgement as to where is best to place your foot amongst the dense moss (I ended up with a muddy, wet leg several times, but it was January when I last visited!). This is also a fantastic place to meet Shetland ponies! But please, respect their space - if they want to come and talk to you, wonderful! If not, leave them be - Shetlands are notorious for giving a good kick when they feel like it (trust me, it hurts!). Also, dont feed them anything and dont let your dog get too close - I would only allow Fenton near them in my photos because she is exceptionally well behaved and used with farm animals. Remember, one kick could be game over for your pet! Keep them on a lead to stay safe.
Its a fairly easy route with not much hill climbing involved and one that we really enjoyed, even on a frosty January afternoon! It only took us an hour and to be honest we were taking our time. Definately worth a visit and its the perfect place to stretch your legs if you happen to be on the main south road
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