Two Wonderful Shetland Walks – The Island of Mousa, Mousa Broch, Banna Minn Beach and Kettla Ness

On my second day on Mainland, Shetland, I took a bus to Sandwick to visit the small island of Mousa, famous for its massive and wonderfully preserved 2300 year old broch. My hip and leg were very sore when I woke, but this was a small outing and the only one planned for the day. The bus let me off at the top of a hill, with a view out to the island of Mousa and to Sandseye pier in the bay below.

There was plenty of time before the sailing to read many of the displays in the small but obviously lovingly-created museum that related many stories about Mousa, the broch, Sandwick, and the local area. There were displays about boats and shipwrecks, flora and fauna, fishing, crofting, and the human history of the area beginning as far back as the Neolithic. One display told the story of Betty Mouat who was the sole passenger on the Packet Boat Columbine, in January of 1886, journeying from her home near Scatness, South Mainland, up to Lerwick to sell her shawls. Enroute, part of the ship’s rigging fell and knocked the captain and mate overboard. The mate was able to pull himself back on the deck, and then he and the third crewman launched a small boat to rescue the skipper. Unfortunately, the skipper had disappeared, and meanwhile the Columbine had sailed out of reach with only Betty Mouat aboard. She landed eight days later in Norway! Betty returned to a hero’s welcome in Edinburgh and Shetland, and lived for another thirty years at her home in Scatness.

After my time in the museum, we boarded the Solan IV and sailed out of the bay with views back to the grand home of the Laird of Sandwick who owns the island of Mousa. We first sailed south of Sandwick to the location of the Hermann, a Danish ship carrying tons of coal, that had crashed against the rocks after seven harrowing days at sea during the Great Gale of 1900. Our Captain related the gripping story, summarized here. The ship had been bound for Norway and was near its shores three days into the gale but could not find safe anchorage. The storm knocked the ship over onto its side, with its masts resting on the sea. The crew managed to cut off two masts in order to partially right the ship. They then lashed themselves to the hull as the gale drove them towards Shetland. Four days later the Herman crashed into the cliffs near Sandwick. One crew member was able to climb the remaining mast and leap onto the jagged rocks of the cliff as the mast swayed close on a wave. He then fastened a rope so that the other six crew members could be saved before the ship sank. The exhausted crew were taken in by Sandwick crofters, and they eventually made their way back to Denmark. It was quite a story!

Next we sailed across the Sound towards the island of Mousa and past its broch for a view from the sea. There is a railing at the top because visitors can actually climb the stone staircase that rises between an inner and outer wall all the way to the top! Mousa is the most complete and best-preserved broch in all of Scotland.

We landed north of the broch where there was a warming house. The entire island is an RSPB preserve and also a Special Protection Area for the U.K.’s second largest breeding colony of Storm Petrels.

Despite my sore leg and hip I hustled to be the first to arrive at the broch. It was an easy fifteen minute walk, with great views back to the bay and, after cresting a small hill, forward to the broch.

It was immense!

Amazingly huge!

And though I am not very tall, this view, taken later, definitely gives an idea of the enormous size of this structure built over two millenia ago.

I was first inside,

and first to climb the narrow staircase, Scotland’s oldest. Part way up there was a view down into the centre of the broch,

and up top there were views of the trail below and across Mousa Sound towards the opposite shore, south of Sandwick, where there are the smaller remains of a broch that may once have been as large as this one.

Wow! So spectacular. I was already thrilled with my boat trip to Mousa and we still had another two hours on the island. Access is limited to a 3.5 kilometre looped trail to protect nesting Storm Petrels, Arctic Terns, and other wildlife, and I was very happy to take my time and really enjoy the walk. I passed meadows with beautiful tufts of cotton grass waving in the wind,

and the trail led around to a lovely little series of bays and beaches.

Seals were hauled out on a distant rocky point, clearly visible in a pair of binoculars loaned to me by a pair of women who had also travelled on the bus.

The shore became rockier and a sign near this dry stone fence reminded walkers that tiny Storm Petrels make their nests in the nooks and crannies of the stones so it was important not to sit or lean on them. The Storm Petrels also nest within the stones of the broch itself, and one can take a sunset boat trip out to Mousa to watch the petrels flying in by the thousands from the sea to land in the broch and on the fences and rocky shores. Approximately 11,000 pairs of Stormy Petrels nest on the island, with around 400 pairs nesting in the broch itself.

We passed by a group of shags,

and I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing swaths of pink sea thrift on beautiful coastal walks.

I took my time, and stopped often to chat with someone or to have a rest. I had wanted to be first to the broch and now I wanted to be the last to arrive back at the warming house. Others passed on ahead,

and I followed slowly, very happy indeed with this wonderful outing on the island of Mousa.

Back in Lerwick, I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and then in the early evening considered going out to celebrate the summer solstice. I really did feel like staying in, but the solstice is a special day so after humming and hawing a bit I resolved to visit the Mareel Centre where it was going to be a “Singer/Songwriter” night, with free admission and drinks available to order. However, on the way to Mareel, I heard wonderful traditional music as I passed the Douglas Arms pub. I entered, found one of the last seats, ordered a cider and stayed to enjoy the really fabulous music played by two fiddlers and an accordionist. They were later joined by a talented young fiddler, and then later again by two other youths. They were all so good! And they were having a lot fun which meant that those listening had fun as well. I raised a glass to the solstice, so glad that I had ventured out into Shetland’s simmer dim to enjoy the evening with others.

The following day I had only one outing planned, a visit to the gorgeous Banna Minn beach (some say the most beautiful in all of Shetland), and then a 7.5 km hike around the Kettla Ness peninsula. Two buses took me south on a scenic ride, over hills, around bays, and across bridges to the tiny community of Papil on West Burra. I had five hours before the return bus to Lerwick so there was plenty of time to do the walk slowly, rest often, and enjoy time on the beach. This was the approach to a magnificent tombolo, with Banna Minn beach on the right and the Kettla Ness peninsula beyond. Wow!

It was a windy, cold, and drizzly morning, and there was not another soul on the beach or anywhere in sight. I headed down to the beach, walked out onto the sand,

and strolled a ways down the beach. Such clear and beautiful water!

I rose up onto the top of the tombolo, and walked along the sandy track towards Kettla Ness.

This was the view looking back. One side of the tombolo is a sand beach and the other is stony.

Rising up onto Kettla Ness, I began my circuit of the peninsula, following a faint path across the turf that curved along and around the edge of the bay,

and then around a point to the west coast of Kettla Ness, with its dramatic views of jagged rocks and the open sea.

My hike would take me to the far point of the narrow peninsula ahead,

but first there was a low cairn-topped hill to climb, with views back to Banna Minn beach,

and then forward and down to a small loch.

The dramatic scenery continued all along this coast and out to the end of the point where I rested for a while out of the wind on the lee side of a cairn. Watching the waves on the sea, crashing against the rocks, was exhilirating!

I continued along around Kettla Ness on its short stretch of south coast, past dark pinnacles of rock in the sea and with terns flying high above.

Then the path swung around to travel on the peninsula’s gentler east coast. These were the first horned sheep that I have encountered in the Northern Isles.

The cliffs here were low, with multiple small coves indenting the shoreline. There was much evidence on the turf of otters regularly feeding along here, and I stopped for a long time in one small cove, hoping for a sighting. I was not lucky,

but this Skua bravely let me approach quite close for a photo before flying away. Soon I began to pass the remains of many old abandoned crofts as I circled slowly back towards the tombolo.

I descended to this beautiful stone beach,

and then rose up for this view of Banna Minn,

and this beautiful view of the bay. The sky was brightening, with bits of blue visible, and the colour of the water was breathtaking!

I walked over the tombolo to a point mid-way along Banna Minn,

and then descended to the sand, here, to stop, rest, enjoy, and have my lunch. My leg and hip were sore, but not terribly so, and I was very happy that I had chosen this walk.

I climbed up the hill, and turned for one last look at this amazing view.

I still had some time before my bus would arrive so I browsed in an artist’s studio in Papil, and then peered into the windows of this thatched cottage that is being restored by the Burra History Group. There were lovely views across the bay to the island of East Burra which has its own small peninsula, Houss Ness, that one can also walk around.

My first bus took me to Scalloway and I briefly considered exploring the town, but these Shetland ponies were a wonderful reason to stay exactly where I was.

They all came to say hello and by the time I had petted four noses my next bus was minutes away. Shetland ponies, in Shetland, was certainly a great way to end my day’s outing. 🙂