About
On a narrow rocky promontory at the south-eastern tip of Scatness, in the far south of Shetland's Mainland, stands an Iron Age blockhouse fort, one of only three confirmed examples of this rare type, all in Shetland. It is a solid drystone block entered by a low covered passage that makes visitors stoop. Inside are two oval corbelled cells on either side of the entrance and the ruin of a third off the passage, like a guard chamber, with door checks and bar holes showing where a door was barred. Cliffs fall away on three sides, and across the neck of the promontory a broad rampart is flanked by two rock-cut ditches. It is thought to be roughly contemporary with the brochs. The walk is part of the pleasure, with views to Sumburgh Head, Fitful Head, Foula and Fair Isle, ending in a scramble over rocks and a causeway with a chain handrail. Park at the end of the road through Scatness and walk about 1 km.
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- Ness of BurgiOpen all year; an unstaffed open site reached on foot, no hours published
Opening times may change at short notice.
Historic Scotland: 'Ness of Burgi is free to visit and is open year-round.' No hours, closures or notices on 21 October 2026.
Historic Scotland calls it 'a fairly difficult walk', recommended only for those comfortable crossing uneven ground and rocks, and advises strong footwear. Reviewers describe a walk of 20 to 25 minutes each way, mostly flat, then a narrow rocky neck crossed with the help of a chain handrail, not suitable for small children; the headland is edged by steep cliffs. Nesting birds can be territorial in summer. No toilets or other facilities.
Photo: The low drystone blockhouse of Ness of Burgi with its central entrance, on a grassy promontory above the sea, with cliffs on the far left. Helen Spencer, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ness_of_Burgi.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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