Exploring Shetland archaeology: Ness of Burgi

Shetland is recognised worldwide for its archaeological significance. Our incredible Iron Age sites are of particular interest, and some are even being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Mousa Broch, Jarlshof and Old Scatness offer incredible windows into the past and have not only increased understanding of history in Shetland but have been part of reimagining the story of the Iron Age more broadly.

I love these places, spending hours among their ancient stones and imagining what life might have been like. But I also appreciate the magic of some of our lesser-known places.

The Ness of Burgi remains a mystery to archaeologists, offering only hints about its purpose and the people who built it.

Getting to the site is as much of an adventure as visiting it. Starting near Scatness, the path leads toward the sea, passing farmland where sheep graze, bordered by dry-stone walls. Along the way, you'll see a well-preserved kiln –a circular sandstone structure once used to smoke-dry grain grown on the croft.

Soon, you'll come to a beach covered with sea-smoothed, patterned pebbles. Above the high tide line, you'll notice three boat noosts – hollows where boats were once hauled ashore for protection from coastal storms.

I love how history is woven into our landscapes. On this walk to an Iron Age site, you can see traces of lives lived here over thousands of years.

As the walk continues, it becomes more challenging. The Blockhouse at Burgi sits on a narrow promontory with cliffs on three sides. A rugged path, equipped with a handrail at the steepest point, connects it to the mainland. Beyond this section, the land opens out and the path flattens, leading to the site.

Today, the fort’s walls stand at 1.5 metres high, and the structure measures about 23 by 5.5 metres.

The name 'Burgi' comes from Old Norse, meaning 'fort'. Combined with its location and evidence of ditches and ramparts on the landward side, this has most archaeologists agree it was probably a defensive structure. However, all interpretations are complicated by the unique nature of blockhouse structures.

Blockhouses like at Burgi are rare, found only in Shetland, two of these structures are near lochs, with three situated on clifftops. They don’t appear to have been for accessing farmland or sheltered harbours.

Pottery fragments discovered in the 1935 excavation of Burgi, have not been carbon-dated. However, similarities between these finds and pottery found in brochs, along with parallels in building style, suggest these structures were constructed around the same period.

Brochs, tall double-walled stone towers, are much more common in Shetland and across Scotland, with as many as 120 brochs in Shetland alone.

The purposes of brochs are still debated. Some researchers emphasise brochs’ defensive potential, while others believe the towers were more about signalling power and land ownership.

What is clear is that Burgi had a direct line of sight to nearby brochs, including those at Scatness and Jarlshof. It is thought fires were used as beacons to communicate. With ocean views across the ocean, Burgi could have been a valuable lookout point, with fires lit to signal potential danger.

Despite only one excavation taking place nearly a century ago, the Ness of Burgi remains of interest to Historic Environment Scotland. It manages the site and has used modern techniques, such as photography and digital recording, to record the 2,000-year-old structure. Visitors are encouraged to report any changes to ensure they are documented and inform future studies.

It is always a joy to visit places like this, where so many lives were lived, and wonder what might have occurred here two millennia ago. As I turned to leave, the NorthLink ferry passed on her journey to Aberdeen and I thought about how this place must have looked to seafarers at different points in history.

Horse Island, just south of this site, is mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga.

What would Burgi have looked like to those Vikings who had made the long journey here? How much of the fortification would have remained at that time? And what of those who sailed here during the Iron Age and before, how would the Shetland landscape have appeared to them?

Today’s ferry passengers, if they were to glance towards Horse Island and the Ness of Burgi, would see miles of fertile land, the iconic lighthouse at Sumburgh head, and groups of houses nestled by the coast.

Through binoculars, they could spot Burgi's crumbling walls and wonder at the mysteries of this place, now largely lost to history.

Find out more about 5 captivating Shetland archaeological sites you can explore on foot.