Central ’s Westshore Public art on New Street Mainland

Out at Port Arthur the marina and Scalloway Boating Club offer a safe haven and a warm welcome for visiting boats and their crews. Next to the boating club is the NAFC Marine Centre, the Centre offers training in nautical studies and Central Mainland The heart of research facilities for scientific and technological projects relating to the fishing and aquaculture industries. It also houses an excellent fish restaurant. Traditional boats drawn up on shore recall Shetland’s Some Useful Information fishing past. In Norse times Scalloway (‘the bay of the Accommodation: VisitShetland hall’) may have been the home of an important landowner Tel: 08701 999440 or official. Airport (inter-island): Tingwall Tel: (01595) 840246 Scalloway’s other attractions include a heated 17-metre Neighbourhood Scalloway Post Office indoor swimming pool, the youth centre, a hotel, guest Information Point Shetland Jewellry, houses, cafes, pubs, shops and playing fields. Shops: Hamnavoe; Scalloway; Throughout the village are a number of works of public Whiteness; Weisdale art including sculptures done in granite and Petrol: Burra; Weisdale flower tubs recycled from tractor wheels and tyres. Public toilets: Hamnavoe; Meal Beach; Scalloway Pubs and places to eat: Scalloway; Tingwall; Whiteness; Weisdale Post Offices: Hamnavoe; Weisdale; Scalloway Public telephones: Scalloway; Burra; Tingwall; Whiteness; Weisdale Museums and The NAFC Marine Centre overlooks the entrance to Scalloway Harbour Heritage Centres Scalloway, Burra Swimming pool: Scalloway Tel: (01595) 880745 Churches: Burra; Scalloway; Whiteness; Weisdale; Girlsta; Tingwall Doctor and Health Centre: Scalloway Tel: (01595) 880219 Police Station: Scalloway Tel: (01595) 880222

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Welcome to the Central Mainland Shetland’s Central Mainland contains the village of Scalloway, the islands of Burra and , and the parishes of Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale. Central Shetland is a landscape of intricate The museum’s stained-glass window depicting the fishing industry contrasts: layers of limestone make slashes of The stunning view from the Scord above Scalloway green between brown hills of harder rock; long The memorial to those who died serving in the narrow voes, gouged out by glaciers, run miles “Shetland Bus” into the land; storm-battered offlying islands shelter peaceful anchorages. It’s great walking Scalloway Museum and fishing country, with scenery, wild flowers Overlooking the fine new harbour is Earl Patrick A short walk along New Street (past a curious and birdlife of amazing richness and variety. Stewart’s Scalloway Castle, stone plaque depicting a theory of tidal motion) is built by forced labour in the Scalloway Museum, opposite the Burn Beach. 1599. It was carefully There’s a fascinating display on the wartime exploits positioned to control the safe of ’s ‘Shetland Bus’ heroes, who made the anchorage and the fertile village their secret base in the Second World War. Scalloway farmlands to the north. The Further west on Main Street is a memorial erected The busy fishing port of Scalloway, castle is a grand example of to the men who lost their lives in this dangerous Shetland’s capital in the 17th century, a Scottish fortified house. operation. Further still is the Prince Olav Slipway, is the heart of Central Shetland. This But it was occupied for less built by the Norwegians to repair the boats damaged picturesque, and surprisingly leafy, than a century, and is now by storms and enemy action during raids on their village is shielded from Atlantic gales roofless. Beneath the grand Nazi-occupied homeland. Across the street, by the rugged isles of Trondra and banqueting hall are large Norway House was their barracks. Burra and its sheltered harbour has kitchens and a guard-room The Museum houses memorabilia from all periods long been a place of refuge for ships where 17th century witches, of Scalloway’s past – particularly the history of fishing on Shetland’s wild Atlantic coast. condemned to hang on in the district. To the north lies Tingwall’s fertile nearby Gallows Hill, waited The West end of Across the road from the Museum stands the Muckle Main Street with valley and the headlands of to hear their fate. The castle The stark ruins of Scalloway Norway House in Whiteness and Weisdale. is under the care of Historic Castle dominate the seaward Haa, once the dwelling place of Scalloway’s most the foreground and is open to approaches to the village important families and now converted into flats. the public. Hitra – one of three submarine chasers donated by the US Tingwall Loch: a promontory on the north shore, government to replace the traditional Norwegian boats formerly an islet, was once home to Shetland’s parliament towards the latter years of the “Shetland Bus” operation

The busy fishermen’s quay at Blacksness is extensively used by both the local fishing fleet and the salmon farming industry Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale In June and July the rich meadows of the Tingwall Valley, on the B9074 north of Scalloway, are one of the best places to see Shetland’s native wild flowers, Sandwater including several species of orchids. Kergord Tree A picturesque golf course lies between the Loch of Asta Plantations and Tingwall Loch – both fine trout lochs and also home Gallery to Shetland’s first resident Mute Swans. Other birds Kirk Weisdale Loch of include Tufted Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, and Girlsta Stromfirth Common and Black-headed Gulls. Girlsta Sound Loch of At the north end of Tingwall Loch lies the site of Hellister Wadbister Voe

Shetland’s ancient parliament. Delegates met at the m e

Lawting Holm to make laws and decide the rights and of Stro wrongs of cases. Nearby is Tingwall Kirk, the ‘mother Loch Central Laxfirth church’ of Shetland, and its ancient graveyard. Weisdale Vo Mainland Whiteness Past the Lawting Holm and the Tingwall Kirk, near the Wormadale oe junction with the main A971 road to the west, there is a e V Vo Nesbister

pub restaurant, and the Tingwall Public Hall, noted Tingwall Dales e ness

for its Sunday teas and social functions. Kirk Strom Lawting One of the most spectacular views in Dale Main roads Trout fishing Tingwall Golf North Loch Shetland is from Wormadale, on the Havra Whiteness Vo Minor roads Birds Golf boundary between Tingwall and Brig o Fitch Ferry routes Seals Loch of Whiteness. Beyond the small isles lying Asta Nature reserve Whales & dolphins Beach Otters in Whiteness Voe you can see as far as Hild asay Gallows Hill Cliffs Ponies , 25 miles to the west. You can also Langa Scalloway Port Historic building Viewpoint see the Böd of Nesbister, a 19th century Arthur East Voe merchant’s store, now converted to Museum Site of interest camping accommodation. Papa Toilet Telephone Scale 0 1 2 3 4 Trondra miles Böd of Nesbister Burland North of the Loch of Strom, with its Hamnavoe Fuglaness Scalloway detail small ruined castle, is the parish of Weisdale. Beside Meal e Beach ra B Scalloway ill M the small Loch of Hellister, Shetland Jewellery, a Swimming Pool Neighbourhood Information Point, welcome visitors ille R Ingav oad

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a Bridge End o R to view craft workers and silversmiths on the job. d East Craigpark Road

Meadowfiel Berry Lov ers

Lane R

West Burra oad John Clunies Ross, who became ‘king’ of the Cocos- Burra Papil Houll Road Houss New Road

Duncansclate East Sho Keeling Islands, was born in a particularly beautiful Hillside Road Main Stre Bannaminn et Ladysmith Road t

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e re r t S area at Sound. From the main road on the hill above, e l t s a Shetland Bus C at the Scord of Weisdale, there’s another magnificent Houss Memorial Norway Kettlaness Ness Prince Olav House Scalloway Slipway view over south-west Shetland. The head of Weisdale Museum Scalloway Voe is a good place to see wading birds, while a couple Castle of hundred yards up the B9075 road is the beautifully Scalloway Boating Club Port and Marina Blacksness restored Weisdale Mill, housing the Bonhoga Gallery, Havra Arthur Pier and café, run by Shetland Arts. There is a small NAFC Marine Centre community garden beside the Weisdale Kirk.

Burra and Trondra At Duncansclate there’s The B9074 road south from Scalloway goes through a fine example of an old East Voe, before crossing the first of three bridges croft house with a linking the Shetland Mainland to the beautiful isles thatched roof. It has been of Trondra, and . restored recently by the local history group. A At Burland on Trondra the footpath from the car Shetland Croft Trail is a park leads down to the wonderful place for children to Restored croft house at Atlantic storm beach of see old Shetland breeds of Duncansclate, Burra Bannaminn and on to livestock, and to learn about Homesteads at Sound — birthplace of John Clunies Ross Kettlaness – a wild headland with seals and colonies of crofting history and traditional Arctic Skuas and Arctic Terns. Please keep to the edge crafts such as boatbuilding. The The largest area of trees in Shetland surrounds the of the nesting grounds: if you disturb these birds they’ll Burra Bridge leads to the pretty farm of Kergord, higher up the valley of Weisdale. There mob you and may draw blood! are no crofts here – the tenants were evicted in the mid- fishing village of Hamnavoe, Domestic Shetland geese On an islet next to the bridge 19th century to make way for sheep farms. The Kergord with lovely coastal walking out have differing male and between East and West Burra plantations, now being managed and extended, attract to the lighthouse on Fuglaness. female plumage is the Outdoor Centre, a former Chaffinches, Rooks and other woodland birds rare school now used as a hostel for elsewhere in the islands. The secluded farmhouse Meal Beach is one of kayaking, walking and nature of Flemington was the wartime Special Operations Shetland’s finest beaches study holidays. The short turf Executive’s HQ for the Shetland Bus operation (see and a favourite picnic on Burra’s rocky hills and overleaf). From Kergord the road winds through the spot (with convenient shores makes perfect hiking The bridge between hills past peat banks to Sandwater, another good East and West Burra car park). country. A walk up to the reservoir trout loch with extensive reedbeds. At the south end of West on East Burra gives one of the best Turning right onto the main takes you past Burra the roofless kirk of panoramas of the islands. one of Shetland’s biggest, deepest lochs, the Loch The Fuglaness light marks the St Laurence at Papil is Beyond the hamlet of Houss lies Houss Ness, a of Girlsta – famous for its Arctic Char and, tradition entrance to Hamnavoe harbour famous for three early promontory with more good walking, rock scenery, says, named after a Norse girl called Geirhildr: she and the southern approach to Christian carved stones seabirds and seals. And, wherever you walk or drive is supposed to have drowned here 1200 years ago. the port of Scalloway found in the graveyard. in Burra, there’s always that mysterious and dramatic Following the A970 south through Tingwall and over the Two of the original stones and a replica of the Papil silhouette of the isle of Foula, out on the Atlantic Windy Grind, visitors will find a welcome on Shetland’s stone are on show at the Shetland Museum and horizon. main golf course, at Dale, just north of the Brig o Fitch Archives in Lerwick. junction which takes you back to Scalloway.

Bannaminn leading to Kettlaness

Weisdale Voe and the south-west coast of Shetland – viewed from the Scord of Weisdale