About
Jarlshof, on a headland above the natural harbour of the West Voe of Sumburgh at the southern tip of mainland Shetland, holds more than 4,000 years of human settlement on a single site, from Neolithic farmers around 2700 BC to the 1600s. Layer upon layer of houses lay sealed under wind-blown sand until storms revealed them in the 1890s. Walk from Bronze Age houses and a smithy of around 800 BC to an Iron Age broch, now 2.4 m high, and four wheelhouses whose roofs rested on radial walls like the spokes of a wheel. Vikings from Norway settled in the 800s, and their longhouse is still clearly visible at the heart of a farm that lasted many generations. Over it all rises the Old House of Sumburgh, built by Earl Patrick Stewart; Walter Scott renamed the place Jarlshof in The Pirate. Visitors praise the audio tour and the knowledgeable staff, and park at the Sumburgh Hotel next door.
Check today’s timesPick a day for times and prices
- Until 24 Dec
- Tue–Sat 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30
- 25 Dec–4 Jan
- Closed
- 5 Jan–31 Mar
- Tue–Sat 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30
Later dates are in the calendar.
Today, Saturday 24 October
- Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement10:00 – 16:00last entry 15:30
Prices, non-members
| Ticket | On the day | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £8.50 | £7.50 |
| Concession | £6.80 | £6.00 |
| Child | £4.00 | £3.50 |
Opening times may change at short notice.
1 April to 30 September daily 9.30am to 5pm; 1 October to 31 March Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, closed Sunday and Monday; lunch closure 12.30pm to 1.30pm; last entry 30 minutes before closing in summer and 1 hour in winter; closed 25 December to 4 January. Historic Scotland's webstore says all visits must be booked in advance to guarantee entry, with an entry slot chosen for your arrival. No works notice on 18 October 2026.
The site is down a steep 8 m ramp and 150 m along a wide grass drive to a level gravel path; paths round the site are gravel and bound stone with level changes and protruding remains, some Iron Age buildings have narrow (50 cm) low entrances, the wheelhouse is down very uneven stone steps without a handrail, and a modern metal spiral stair with a handrail climbs the laird's house. There are no toilets on site; the nearest adapted toilet is at Sumburgh Airport. Visitor centre with finds and a shop; audio guide; no cafe. Dogs on leads in the outdoor areas.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas on a lead; HES's general guidance excludes them from visitor centres and roofed areas, so not the visitor centre and shop. The outdoor settlement, on a lead, with a ticket; whether dogs may enter the wheelhouses or climb the laird's house is not stated.
Photo: Stone-walled Iron Age houses and gravel paths at Jarlshof, with the ruined laird's house on the skyline. PaulT (Gunther Tschuch), CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jarlshof_02.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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