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Home , Delting, Dore Holm, Fethaland, Heylor, Hillswick, Mavis Grind

The Laird’s room at the Tangwick Haa Museum

Tangwick Haa All aspects of life in Northmavine over the years are Northmavine The wilds of the North well illustrated in the displays at Tangwick Haa Museum at Eshaness. The Haa was built in the late 17th century for the Cheyne family, lairds of the Tangwick Estate and elsewhere in . Some Useful Information Johnnie Notions Accommodation: VisitShetland, , John Williamson of Hamnavoe, known as Tel:01595 693434 Johnnie Notions for his inventive mind, was one of Braewick Caravan Park, Northmavine’s great characters. Though uneducated, Eshaness, Tel 01806 503345 he designed his own inoculation against smallpox, Neighbourhood saving thousands of local people from this 18th Information Point: Tangwick Haa Museum, Eshaness century scourge of Shetland, without losing a single Shops: , patient. Fuel: Ollaberry Public Toilets: Hillswick, Ollaberry, Eshaness Tom Anderson Places to Eat: Hillswick, Eshaness Another famous son of Northmavine was Dr Tom Post Offices: Hillswick, Ollaberry Anderson MBE. A prolific composer of fiddle tunes Public Telephones: , Ollaberry, Leon, and a superb player, he is perhaps best remembered , Hillswick, Urafirth, for his work in teaching young fiddlers and for his role Eshaness in preserving Shetland’s musical heritage. He was Churches: Sullom, Hillswick, North Roe, awarded an honorary doctorate from Stirling Ollaberry University for his efforts in this field. Doctor: Hillswick, Tel: 01806 503277 Police Station: , Tel: 01806 522381

The camping böd which now stands where Johnnie Notions once lived

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Welcome to Inland the vast expanse of moor, peat and loch attract Northmavine many different birds. The fierce Bonxie (Great Skua) and Skootie Alan (Arctic Skua) are widespread in One hundred years ago Eshaness and on . A keen eye could glimpse this part of the isles the quick flash of a Merlin hunting its prey, while the was described as “the mournful call of a Golden Plover is a common sound in summer. largest, wildest and A Grey Seal pup basks in the sun. Sick, injured or abandoned seals and most beautiful parish , gateway to otters are cared for at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, a registered The fire and ice of volcano and in Shetland”– the same Northmavine charity. To see animals in care please ask at The Booth have forged Shetland’s world famous geology. Some of could be said today. Northmavine draws Britain’s oldest rocks, nearly people from near and far to discover its Bird, Beast, Rock and Plant three billion years old, are at outstanding coastline, superb walking Uyea. The volcanic rocks – The wildness and the range of different habitats in black basalts and purple country, rich variety of wildlife, rocks and Northmavine make it a perfect place for watching andesites – that form the cliffs plants, and its fascinating array of historical wildlife, so don’t forget your binoculars. and archaeological remains. at Eshaness contain agates The coast at Eshaness, the Ness of and amethysts. Ollaberry has A unique neolithic quarry Hillswick, and the banks perhaps Britain’s finest example on the Beorgs of Uyea (cliffs) around Ronas Hill are home to produced axeheads, knives Almost an island in its own right, only the narrow of a tear fault, part of a fault line and maces found isthmus at Mavis Grind joins it to the rest of the thousands of seabirds, with many that extends to Inverness and throughout the rest of Shetland. The axeheads, mainland of Shetland. It has often been said that here important breeding colonies including along the Great Glen. numerous colonies of Arctic Tern. thought to be thunderbolts you can stand on the shore of the and throw Wildflowers are abundant sent by the Norse god Thor, a stone into the on the other side, There are many vantage points from were kept in homes to throughout the summer, prevent lightning strikes though you would need a strong arm! which to watch Grey and Common especially in the meadows From Mavis Grind you enter a vast and magical Seals basking in the sun or playing in around Ollaberry, North Roe and on Hillswick Ness. landscape dominated by Shetland’s highest summit, Uyea, home to the sea. The isle of Uyea is a significant Several rare species occur, such as the Oyster Plant, Ronas Hill (450 metres). To the east lies , the Grey Seal pupping ground for Grey Seals. The at Urafirth. Many unusual alpine and Arctic-alpine Shetland’s largest sea inlet, and to the west is quiet and watchful might spy an otter plants grow on Ronas Hill, while cliffs and crevices St. Magnus Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, which has working its way along the shore line, particularly on support some of the last remaining native trees and battered the land into a scene of breath taking beauty. the Hillswick Ness or between Ollaberry and Sullom. shrubs which covered these wind swept isles The coastline throughout Northmavine is remarkable, Looking out to sea you might even catch sight of thousands of years ago before man introduced with magnificent cliffs, extraordinary rock formations, whales, dolphins or porpoises. grazing animals. beautiful, deserted beaches and tranquil, sheltered voes. Inland this hilly country, peppered with trout- filled lochs, provides excellent walking, angling and unrivalled views. Cliff scenery at Eshaness Trailing Azalea, a rare Arctic-alpine which grows on Ronas Hill ös The Red-throated Diver, rare in Britain, is common here. Its eerie call, said to predict wet weather, has earned it the Shetland name Rain G Stunning Scenery Main roads Trout fishing Ramna Northmavine is Minor roads Birds Stacks tremendous walking Track Seals country with Ferry routes Whales & dolphins Nature reserve Otters Fishing unforgettable experiences Lodges Beach Ponies Fethaland to offer everyone from the Cliffs Viewpoint long distance hiker to the Historic building Site of interest Uyea Kame of Museum Telephone Isbister casual stroller. Many of its Isbister Toilet Air most beautiful spots are Fugla Sandvoe Broch Leisure Centre Ness directly accessible by car. Cliff scenery at Fethaland Neolithic Axe Information Point Böd Factory North Roe Muckle Holm

Scale 0 1 2 3 4 miles Lang Clodie

Wick gs

Yell Soun

The spectacular Atlantic coastline from the Ness of Beor Da Hillswick north to Uyea has no comparison elsewhere Yell in Shetland. Here the unrelenting power of the ocean Lang Lochend d has carved an astounding display of cliffs, stacks, Muckle Ossa Pier geos, blowholes, natural arches and caves. Ronas Collafirth Hill Hill Collafirth Eshaness is a superb place from which to Ro Chambered nas savour the cliff scenery. From here an easy walk leads Cairn Vo Lamba you to two particularly impressive e Ollaberry features. Please remember to take Grind o da Navir Johnnie Notions care when walking along this Hamnavoe coastline. Northmavine Hols o Scraada Eshaness The Hols o Scraada (Old Scratch, Urafirth Gluss Loch of Houlland Braewick Isle Eshaness or the Devil) were formed when the Gluss Lighthouse Heads of Bardister Tangwick Hillswick roof caved in at the end of a deep and Stenness Grocken Wildlife Sanctuary Fishing Haa Sullom Voe narrow sea cave stretching more Lodges Dore Ness of Hamar Oil Terminal than one hundred yards in from Holm Drongs Hillswick the coast. e Vo Hols o Scraada Further on stands the Grind o da Sullom Navir (Gate of the Borer), a huge, Nibon vertical sided gateway in the cliffs. Here the sea has Sullom ripped a huge chunk of rock out of the cliff face and hurled it inland. Nearby lies the Loch of Houlland, Mangaster where the ruin of a broch provides an excellent example of Iron Age architecture. Islesburgh The more adventurous will ascend Ronas Hill to Mavis Brae Grind discover the mountainous terrain at its peak, where a fine example of a chambered cairn awaits them. From here, on a clear day, the view is unsurpassed, taking in all of Shetland from to Muckle Flugga. Plenty of time should be reserved to explore the huge red cliffs west of Ronas Hill, Shetland’s Many fine examples of times past can be seen in The Vikings left their mark on a largest beach at Lang Northmavine. Easily accessible are the shore front at nearby soapstone cliff where it Ayre and the many lochs Hillswick where the man-made beach was used for is possible to distinguish the in the area. Up here it is drying fish. Here The Booth, a former Hanseatic trading shapes of urns and bowls wise to be well equipped post, has stayed in business for more than 300 years. where they were carved from with map and compass The beach at Lang Ayre, behind Since the turn of this century it has been overlooked by the cliff face. as mists can appear Ronas Hill, is the largest and the large, wooden pavilion from , displayed at most spectacular in the Isles Fethaland is some distance to Shetland’s crofting suddenly to restrict Glasgow’s Great Exhibition, in 1899, and for many years walk, as are the green pastures after that a hotel. traditions are strong in visibility - be warned, the climate here can be every Northmavine. The old of Uyea where a crofting bit as extreme as the Cairngorm plateau. Also nearby are a set of style haystack is still to community thrived until early be seen in some places Other impressive walks can be enjoyed around the restored cutch kettles this century. The well Ness of Hillswick, between Hillswick and Braewick, (pronounced cootch) preserved buildings are still used by crofters today. around Fethaland, out to Uyea, along past once used in the Crofting continues throughout the parish. Heylor, at Nibon and Mangaster and Gluss Isle and preservation of sails The fishing industry lives on Bardister, near Ollaberry. All offer a wide range of and nets for fishing at Collafirth pier, built in wildlife, rock features and archaeological remains, as boats. 1988 on the site of an old well as beautiful scenery. Further afield on Norwegian station Stenness beach stand and now home to one of A Wealth of History the ruins of fishing Hillswick – The Booth in the Britain’s largest fishing Fishing and crofting have always foreground, overlooked by lodges, reminding us of boats. Smaller inshore been the mainstays of Shetland St. Magnus Hotel with the the “far haaf” open sea church on the right boats work from Hamnavoe life, though much has changed fishing, which and Hillswick as well as since the not so distant past when flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. Men would An inshore fishing boat works Collafirth. around the Drongs off Hillswick the sea was the highway and the set out to sea for days on end in open rowing boats engine unknown. The old way of called sixareens not returning until they were laden The picture of the modern life continued almost unchanged with fish. Shetland economy is completed with salmon farms Sheep as well as cattle in several of Northmavine’s voes and the best view are the mainstays of until World War II announced Fethaland was once Shetland’s busiest haaf fishing of Europe’s largest oil terminal, at Sullom Voe, Shetland’s crofting itself with the first bomb to be station. Sixty sixareens were based here and the ruins industry from Ollaberry. dropped on British soil landing in of twenty lodges still stand, retaining the atmosphere Sullom. The sole casualty was a rabbit, allegedly of the time. Close by, a circular mound is believed to be inspiring the famous wartime song “Run Rabbit Run”. the remains of a 4000 year old homestead.

Sunset at Ronas Voe. Northmavine is one of the best places in Shetland to watch the setting of the midnight sun in the North Fishing boats and lodges at Fethaland 100 years ago

The lies off the coast of Stenness