Exploring Fetlar

Known as the ‘Garden of Shetland’ due to its fertile land, Fetlar is the fourth largest of Shetland’s islands and is located South of Unst and East of Yell.

To get there you need to take a ferry from Mainland to Yell and then travel across Yell to the ferry terminal at the north of the island (Gutcher). To get to Fetlar, a second ferry crossing takes you from Yell to to Hamars Ness in Fetlar. It does take some time but it is well worth making the journey. Some of the ferries travel to Unst before heading to Hamars Ness, and it’s worth checking with the crews to ensure you are on the right ferry.

Visit the Getting Around Shetland page for more advice and tips on travelling in the islands.

During our summer visit, the sun shone, and the sea was a calm blue as the ferry docked. We decided to go straight to Tresta Beach to pitch our tent. This must be one of the most beautiful places to camp. Remember that wild camping is permitted in Shetland if you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Campers should also be aware there is a serviced site at Fetlar Hall.

At Tresta, a golden sand beach stretches into the distance, surrounded by fields of wildflowers. Looking inland, a small church stands beside a loch called Papil Water. This placename, which translates from Old Norse to ‘place of priests’ suggests a long history as a sacred site, and it is thought a much older chapel was once located here. Standing between loch, sea and hill, there is a real sense of peace here.

The first place I wanted to explore was Lamb Hoga, the hill directly behind the beach and part of the Fetlar Special Protection Area. It was a landscape familiar to me long before I visited because some iconic Shetland pony photographs were taken here. It’s here that much of the island’s peat is located and crofters needed to cut and dry their peat up in these hills then transport it home for the winter.

Strong, surefooted Shetland ponies were used to carry this peat in straw baskets on their sides called kishies. Peat’s importance in Shetland cannot be overstated as this was the only reliable fuel source for cooking and heating during the long winter months. And so, the old photographs of peat-carrying ponies are more than a record of a point in history, they are a window into a way of life.

As we came down from the hill the sun was beginning to set. Shifting patterns of light and colour reflected on the sea. In the still air, the mist rose from the loch forming spectral shapes.

Some years ago I posted a video of this phenomenon on Twitter and learned that in the Netherlands they call it Wittie Weven, or white women. Folklore across Europe describes such mist as the spirits of wise women, often encountered in holy places at dusk.

As we watched transfixed, the sky began to brighten taking on an otherworldly glow. It took some moments to realise that noctilucent clouds were forming. These night-shining clouds are caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere and are only seen in northern latitudes in the summer months. As the rest of the sky darkened, these clouds shone brighter, forming swirls and patterns in a slow dance of changing light.

The morning dawned bright, and it was time to explore the rest of the island. We started with Vord Hill, which is home to the Haltadans Neolithic stone circle.

This is a ring of 38 stones with two in the centre. Legend has it that these were once trows, small troll-like beings rumoured to live in Shetland’s hills.

The story goes that one night the trows were having such fun dancing to fiddle music that they didn’t notice daylight’s approach and were turned to stone as the sun rose. The stones in the centre are said to be the fiddler and his wife while the surrounding stones are the dancers.This isn’t an easy place to find, maps and written directions can be a little vague about how exactly to get here. Thankfully the walk is beautiful, through wild expanses of grass and wildflowers, watched over by curious bonxies, so we were happy to spend time searching.

The stones are easy to miss because they are small and low to the ground, but the site itself spans 26 feet across with an inner and outer circle as well as the central stones.

If you want to venture further into the hill, and the island’s mythology, then this area also has the remains of a wall said to be built by the Finn folk, magician ‘shapeshifters’ said to have been regular visitors to Shetland. There is also the remains of a three-ringed stone circle called Fiddlers Crus.

Limited time before the ferry home meant we didn’t make it to the wonderful interpretive centre. This is a place where the detailed displays and knowledgeable volunteers mean there is always something new to discover.
However, that day the sunshine called, and I wanted to spend every minute outside, so we made our last stop a visit to the dramatic ruins of Brough Lodge.

This building is entirely different from the types you would normally find in Shetland. It is in Gothic style with a 19^th-century folly built on the remains of an Iron Age broch site and behind this an astronomical tower.

The lodge was once home to the Nicholson family. These island lairds had a reputation for cruelty towards the local population. The last resident was Lady Nicholson and the building has remained empty since she died in the 1980s.

Now awaiting restoration, this place is alive with wildlife. Flowers emerge from walls and grow through floors. Oystercatchers nest in the tower and baby rabbits bound through the rubble, seeming entirely at peace with our presence.

Start planning your trip to Fetlar by first visiting our Area Guide.