Old Norse: feitiland – fat land, rich pasture
Situated at the most northern tip of the Shetland mainland, Fethaland’s fertile soil has a long history of settlement. There is evidence of an Iron Age prehistoric round house or broch (there is some disagreement on this), the circular wall outlines of a Neolithic house and the ruins of what used to be Shetland’s most active haaf (Shetlandic for deep sea) fishing station, established during the 15th and 16th centuries.
This was the location of our Sunday walk last weekend.
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, and, despite the BBC weather app saying there was going to be dark, heavy cloud all day, the sun shone brightly. There was barely a hint of a breeze.
I’d spent the last two days laying on the couch with a most unpleasant tummy bug, and Sunday morning all was well! I was bouncing with the joys of good health and rearing to go and catch up on my Fitbit
step count.
Packing provisions, bundling up DD and collecting a friend en route, we went to explore Fethaland, a place I’d been recommended to visit on several occasions.
To get to this area you have to drive north past Brae and up past Collafirth and onwards to the end of the road at Isbister. Park your car out of the way of any farm vehicles and gates and head up the driveway towards the houses. The Access Shetland route recommends taking the long way around, heading east and following the coastline north and the farm access road (accessible if you head west around the house) on the way back, but we just took the road both ways as it was easier and we knew where it was going.
It’s a long walk, even on the road, and incredibly hilly. There were quite a few stops to catch our breath. It was well worth it though to have an explore around the area.
One of the many things I love about Shetland are the many different places to explore, places steeped in history, and the fact that there are information boards in the most random of locations! This board covers a bit of the history, archaeology and geology of the area.
I can’t even imagine the hard work that must have gone into making these buildings. Every single one of those stones was collected, transported and laid by hand to create a remarkably straight windproof shelter. I bet it was really cosy inside with the fire going, especially having been out at sea.
At the end of each fishing season the roofs of the lodges would be taken down so they wouldn’t get damaged by the winter storms, and then they would be rebuilt again the following season.
Around 60 sixareen boats, traditional open six oared wooden boats, operated from this station, rowing 40-50 miles out to see to the far haaf to fish, and then returning with their catch which was air dried on the pebbles of the beach.
You can see the ruins of the Iron Age structure in foreground of the photograph above, left. DD spent some time banging rock against rock on the beach and the sound attracted quite a few curious seals who swam in for a look-see.
Below you can see the stone structures called noosts where the sixareen boats would have been stored while not in the water. This is where we ate our picnic lunch.
Afterwards we headed up the hill again to the headland and the lighthouse.
All in all it was a pretty fantastic Sunday walk. Looking over the clifftops by the lighthouse was nausea inducing (especially as the 8 year old wanted a peek too – cue wobbly knees and a death grip on her hand!), and the weather was absolutely perfect for walking. It was cloudy, yes, but it was lovely high cloud that the light bounced around in instead of low dark dreary heavy clouds. Sometimes the sun even came out.
Other highlights of that day included seeing a cattle egret! En route to Isbister we passed a few cars parked on the side of the road. With their binoculars poking out their open windows they were quite clearly twitchers, and my friend said an egret had been spotted in the area. We looked – and there it was! This, according to Nature in Shetland, is the second ever recording of this species on the islands. It’s not the best photo but this was as far as my camera would zoom.
After dropping my friend off at her home DD and I finished the day with a fish supper at Britain’s #1 Fish and Chip Shop – Frankie’s in Brae. A perfect Sunday.
Fitbit Step Count: 25,231 Floors climbed: 152 (I earned a new badge!) Miles: 10.71
To find out more about Fethaland you can visit the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick and take their virtual tour.
JOINING IN WITH A FEW BLOGGING LINKIES
Monday Escapes by My Travel Monkey and Packing My Suitcase
Country Kids from Coombe Mill
Let Kids be Kids
Whatever the Weather Wednesday by Life Unexpected and Monkey and Mouse
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Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake
Amazing, amazing and amazing! This place is stunning, I would loooove to go there one day.
You are right, I can’t even imagine all the work of carrying all those stones to build those buildings, crazy!
Wonderful shots as always!
Thank you for linking up with #MondayEscapes 😀
Wow those sheep look so different to ones I’m used to seeing. They’re so big as well. What an absolutely stunning place to visit and what an incredible history. I’m so glad the forecast wasn’t what they said it would be and you got to enjoy such a beautiful day exploring together. I love the stacked stones too. Plus you can’t go wrong with fish and chips. What a huge portion! Thank you so, so much for sharing this on #whatevertheweather x
What a beautiful place. I love how a sheep seems to be posing for you in one of the photos! Looks like you had a lovely day.
I love a bit of history on a walk and the fishing station looks steeped in it. Fantastic that there are signs dotted around in these places so you can get a bit more of an idea of what was once there. It’s hard to visualise what it could be unless you see a bit more evidence of photos or recreations. It looks like it would have been cosy in those houses compared to the sea. Great spot of the cattle egret too, I didn’t realise they had been found so far North, I wonder if it was blown off course? great post and gorgeous photos of Shetland as always.
Thanks so much for linking up to #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x
What beautiful surroundings, and impressive structures!
#WhatevertheWeather
Stunning! And I think you’d deserve the fish and chips after trekking around there.
Oh how beautiful it is there. What a fabulous place to explore and wonderful you got to spot that bird. Gorgeous photos.
Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids
What a gorgeous part of the world! It looks so remote. We’re amazed at all the little buildings, lots of time and effort went into making those. Popping over from #MondayEscapes and #LetKidsBeKids
What a beautiful place. I have never been to Shetland and have never heard of Fethaland x
Sounds like a wonderful day out and your pictures look stunning!
It still shames me that I live in Scotland and have not visited most of it. Thank you for reminding me what a beautiful country we live in.
Go out and play! It’s right there on your doorstep! 🙂
I HAVE to visit Shetland one day! Never made it when we were in Edinburgh, and now we’re a little too far away, but it is on my must-visit list. Such a beautiful walk, stunning scenery. Your photos are wonderful x #countrykids
It can be a magical place sometimes, our Shetland. I’m glad you liked the post and photos – it can be hard sometimes to photograph the big sky and vast landscape, but I do try 🙂
That looks stunning. I have to visit Shetland next summer. I love the fish and chip shop telling you which boat caught the fish.
OOh do come! Wouldn’t it be great if a bunch of our group all came up – we could hire a place and I could be your tour guide 😀 I love that Frankie’s tells me who caught my fish too. It’s one of the many, many things that makes them awesome.
I was going to write that every time I read one of your posts it makes me more determined to visit Shetland – but then I glanced down the comments and saw an almost identical one from Fiona at Coombe Mill! It’s true though, I love looking at your photos and will definitely visit one day. #mondayescapes
Heehee – my plan is working then! 😀 Do visit some time, it’s a magical place!
How stunning! I love learning all about Scotland through your posts.
Aw thanks Kate 🙂 I think it’s fantastic that this place has so much history – it’s not just a hill walk or a beach walk, something has happened at each location at some point in time, and that information is so accessible. It just makes it even more magical.
Such a lovely area. Great photos!
#MondayEscapes
Thank you – we are quite lucky, I think! 🙂
Lovely! We tried to go up there and see it all but every time we were in Colla Firth or Ollaberry the weather was against us. Our friends in Ollaberry were going to drive us up there to show it us but the mist rolled in….
It’s a shame we missed it because it absolutely looks my cup of tea!
How great to see an egret too, I wonder where it was headed or coming from? We see them in the Cairngorms. I love how you get all these surprise birds who pop in on their way somewhere, so cool!
That pesky summer mist! Next time! I was told by a bird enthusiast once that these rare visitors are lost, and that they’ll most likely die because they’re not in the right place. It’ll be an awful trek back south during the winter gales for this bird if it wants to rejoin its own kind. 🙁
Every time I read a post of yours and see your lovely photos I know I want to visit. If only we weren’t at opposite ends of the country! I love your coastline, there is so much to see and so much history crumbling around you. I’m glad the forecast was wrong and you managed such a lovely walk in the dry. After your 10 miles I think fish and chips were most welcome! Thank you for sharing with me on Country Kids.
You’ll all have to come up for a visit one day, at least just once to see it for yourself. 🙂 I’m so glad my posts inspire people to want to visit the area!
Looks great! #monday escapes
Thanks Tanja 🙂
Such raw beauty, how lovely to explore this place in the sun. I bet it’s not as welcoming in bad weather!! #mondayescapes
We don’t really like leaving the house at all when the weather is bad – sometimes the sky hurts! We have to take advantage of the fine weather when it happens though, especially this time of year when the gales are returning.
Wow! What a lovely and picturesque place this is!! You got some amazing photos too 🙂
Aw thanks Rachel! 🙂
What a beautiful place. I have never heard of Fethaland but I really want to go now.
It’s a rather remote area, so I shouldn’t expect you’ll have heard of it. It does sound like the name of some wild Antarctic film though, doesn’t it?!