Download a Leaflet on Yell from Shetland
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Yell The Old Haa Yell Gateway to the northern isles The Old Haa at Burravoe dates from 1672 and was opened as a museum in 1984. It houses a permanent display of material depicting the history of Yell. Outside there is a monument to the airmen who lost their lives in 1942 in a Catalina crash on the moors of Some Useful Information South Yell. Accommodation: VisitShetland, Lerwick The Old Haa is also home to the Bobby Tulloch Tel: 08701 999440 Collection and has rooms dedicated to photographic Ferry Booking Office: Ulsta Tel: 01957 722259 archives and family history. Neighbourhood The museum includes a tearoom, gallery and craft Information Point: Old Haa, Burravoe, Tel 01957 722339 shop, walled garden and picnic area, and is also a Shops: Cullivoe, Mid Yell, Aywick, Burravoe, Neighbourhood Information Point. and Ulsta Fuel: Cullivoe, Mid Yell, Aywick, Ulsta and Bobby Tulloch West Sandwick Bobby Tulloch was one of Yell’s best-known and Public Toilets: Ulsta and Gutcher (Ferry terminals), loved sons. He was a highly accomplished naturalist, Mid Yell and Cullivoe (Piers) photographer, writer, storyteller, boatman, Places to Eat: Gutcher and Mid Yell musician and artist. Bobby was the RSPB’s Shetland Post Offices: Cullivoe, Gutcher, Camb, Mid Yell, representative for many years and in 1994 was Aywick, Burravoe, and Ulsta awarded an MBE for his efforts on behalf of wildlife Public Telephones: Cullivoe, Gutcher, Sellafirth, Basta, and its conservation. He sadly died in 1996 aged 67. Camb, Burravoe, Hamnavoe, Ulsta and West Sandwick Leisure Centre: Mid Yell Tel: 01957 702222 Churches: Cullivoe, Sellafirth, Mid Yell, Otterswick, Burravoe and Hamnavoe Doctor and Health Centre: Mid Yell Tel: 01957 702127 Police Station: Mid Yell Tel: 01957 702012 Contents copyright protected - please contact shetland Amenity Trust for details. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, the funding partners do not accept responsibility for any errors in this leaflet. Sunrise at Otterswick Welcome to Yell Left: Sundew Right: The Red-throated Diver is locally known as the Yell, the gateway to the Northern Isles, is Rain Gös because its distinctive call heralds the onset of rain Dratsi the second largest island in Shetland. Its Birds Sea Watching (Otter) long and varied coastline and stretches In summer, Yell’s moorlands are alive with breeding Yell is one of the best places in Europe to see of uninhabited moorland have much to birds. Whimbrel, Red-throated Divers, Dunlin and Dratsies (Otters) which is why Hugh Miles chose to offer wildlife enthusiasts, hill walkers and Golden Plover can all be seen from the roadside. The film his award winning documentary film, “On the those who simply want a measure of peace sharp eyed observer may catch a glimpse of Britain’s Track of the Wild Otter” here. Yell and quiet. Yell also serves as a good base to smallest bird of prey the Merlin, as it dashes after is popular with Otters because small birds. Bonxie (Great Skua), Skootie Alan (Arctic explore Fetlar and Unst. of the rich food supplies in the Skua), and Dunter (Eider Duck), also nest on the offshore shallows, a low peaty moorland. The Tirrick (Arctic Tern), harbinger of coastline for excavating holts and summer, can also be seen but please try to avoid abundant freshwater for bathing, From Toft, on the north mainland, it takes only walking near their breeding colonies as they will so as to clean off salt water. fifteen minutes by car ferry to reach Ulsta at the Otter house - once defend new eggs and young most vigorously. Shetland’s Otters tend to spend used as a trap southwest corner of Yell. Six species of gull nest on the island, the commonest a lot of time in the sea so this is an About 1,000 people live being the Herring Gull. Along the coast, Fulmars and important consideration. on the island and you Black Guillemots are common with Puffins, Shags, will find a lifestyle which The map inside indicates some of the best Guillemots and Kittiwakes nesting on the sea cliffs. uniquely blends tradition places to see Otters but remember they are shy creatures and have a keen sense of with a full range of up-to- Flora date facilities. smell so keep down-wind of them! Blanket peat covers much of the island, providing Grey and Common Seals can often be Access Gloup a globally rare but important wildlife habitat. This spotted basking on rocks at low tide. With You are free to walk almost anywhere but please peat is formed from the compression of dead (but luck, the sea-watcher might also spot close gates and keep dogs under strict control. not decomposed) plant remains and forms at the whales and dolphins, such as the Pilot rate of about 1mm a year. In places this peat is over Whale, Killer Whale or Harbour Porpoise. 3 metres in depth (3,000 years). Look carefully for Butterworts Remember to keep an eye out for these 2 special plants, Butterwort and Sundew which flower from May to August and seabirds as you cross on the ferry. can be found on the moorland. Both these plants Ferry arrives at Ulsta supplement their diet with insects, by trapping them on their leaves. Tirrick (Arctic Tern) Selkies (Common Seals) basking at low tide Holm of Gloup Gl Viking o S a up B nd re Site s Vo c o ko f e n Bluemull Sound Gloup West Sandwick looking towards Northmavine Vigon Unst Iron Age Fort Burgi Stack Gloup The West Road Memorial From Ulsta the main road follows the coastline, with Cullivoe fine views across Yell Sound with the Ramna Stacks silhouetted in the far north. The Ness of Sound, just over the hill Belmont from Ulsta, is easily recognised with its Gutcher distinctive double tombolo. In summer Sellafirth Linga the roadside here is bright with wild flowers and many birds nest in the Stuis North fields. The village of West Sandwick has Ern Stack Colvister Cunnister Sandwick Lumbister one of Yell’s best sandy beaches, a fine Basta Burraness Eigg Vo Kirkabister place for a quiet summer picnic. A Whalefirth Sunset at Ness e coastal walk takes you in sight of the of Sound Basta Hamars Ness Iron Age fort at Da Birrier. Volister Da Herra The Middle North-a-Voe Windhouse Hascosay Camb Yell is shaped like a rough rectangle, almost cut in half Da Birrier Iron Age Fort Fetlar by two voes, Whalefirth and Mid Yell. Take the branch road which runs along the west side of Whalefirth to Mid Yell Da Herra. West Vatster As you travel along this road, look across to Volister, Sandwick one of the many small communities left to decay and ruin in the last century, when the laird evicted inhabitants from their crofts to make room for sheep. Yell Aywick There is spectacular coastal Ye l walking north to the Eigg, l Sound Otterswick Ness of Queyon White Wife Ern Stack and Stuis. Main roads Trout fishing Leaving Da Herra, and West Yell Minor roads Birds heading east past the head Track Seals Catalina Crash Site Gossabrough of Whalefirth, the ruin of Ness of Sound Erisdale Ferry routes Whales & dolphins Windhouse stands high on Nature reserve Otters Brother Isle the hill to the left. The lodge Hamnavoe Horse of Burravoe Beach Ponies Uynarey The haunted Windhouse has been developed into a Cliffs Viewpoint Burravoe camping böd. This site has Ladies Hol Historic building Site of interest Ulsta been occupied for over 5,000 years although the oldest Bigga Museum Telephone Cuppister visible remains are of the 2,000 year old broch. Old Haa Toilet Air Windhouse is reputed to be Shetland’s most haunted Broch Leisure Centre house! Information Point Böd Toft Samphrey Scale 0 1 2 3 4 miles It is best to set aside a whole day to explore the north- The East Road west corner of Yell, as there is much to see. Travelling along the road from Mid Yell towards Aywick A most enjoyable day can be spent at the Sands of and Burravoe, be sure to leave plenty of time to Breckon. Sheltered, except from the north, this lovely explore the side roads, and admire the magnificent Mid Yell beach with its extensive area of blown shell sand has views toward, Unst, Fetlar, Whalsay and Skerries. The communities of Mid Yell and North-a-Voe cluster interesting traces of Viking and earlier occupation. Even Bressay and Noss are visible on a clear day. around Mid Yell Voe which is sheltered by the island of Among the abundant wild flowers, look out for the rare At Aywick, there is a shop, post office, play park Hascosay. Mid Yell is the main village on the island and Autumn Gentian. As you travel south from Cullivoe, and charity shop. has many community facilities including a Junior High you will come to Gutcher, the terminal for the ferries to On the shore at Otterswick, you can see School, shop, post office, health centre, play parks, Unst and Fetlar. The Wind Dog Cafe is a cafe- the figurehead known as the White marina and a leisure centre. restaurant that also hosts workshops and sells music, Wife (or Widden Wife) which came books and postcards. The North from the Bohus, a German Take the road to North Sandwick, training ship which was In the far north of the island, the Gloup Memorial from here you can walk down to wrecked on the Ness of commemorates the fifty eight fishermen who were one of Shetland’s best preserved Queyon in 1924.