A mini guide to
Prehistoric and Norse sites, the Mousa broch, puffin cliffs and the St Ninian's Isle tombolo
1 / 2Welcome to the area
The South Mainland runs from Lerwick down to Sumburgh Head, the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland. Jarlshof, near Sumburgh Airport, holds more than 4,000 years of settlement on one site, from Neolithic houses to a 1500s laird's house, and Old Scatness nearby has an Iron Age broch and village.
Off the east coast, the island of Mousa has the tallest and best-preserved Iron Age broch in Scotland, reached by a summer boat from Sandwick. On the west side, St Ninian's Isle is joined to the Mainland by a 500-metre sand tombolo, and Sumburgh Head has a lighthouse, a visitor centre and seabird cliffs.
Highlights
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
More than 4,000 years of settlement on one site: Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse longhouses and a 1500s laird's house.
Directions Website Report a problem with Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement
Lighthouse first lit in 1821 at the southern tip of the Mainland, with a seasonal visitor centre and a nature reserve open all year.
Directions Website Report a problem with Sumburgh Head Lighthouse and Nature Reserve
Iron Age tower about 13 metres tall, thought to date from about 300 BC; Historic Environment Scotland calls it Scotland's tallest Iron Age tower.
Island joined to the Mainland by a 500-metre sand tombolo; a hoard of Pictish silver was found at its chapel site in 1958.
Iron Age broch and village found in 1975 when a road was built near Sumburgh Airport, open in summer with guided tours.
Directions Website Report a problem with Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village
Traditional 19th-century thatched crofthouse in Dunrossness, presented as it would have looked in the 1870s, with box beds and a peat fire.
Directions Website Report a problem with Shetland Crofthouse Museum
Find your way
The map shows South Mainland: Sumburgh, Jarlshof & Mousa and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
The Mousa Boat asks visitors not to leave the trip to their last day, as sailings depend on the weather.
Sumburgh Head asks visitors not to drive to the top unless they need the accessible spaces; free parking is in the lower car park.
The St Ninian's Isle sand bar is above the sea in summer but can be covered at high tide in winter. Check the tide before you cross.
The main road south crosses the Sumburgh Airport runway and closes briefly when aircraft land and take off.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Shetland
Shetland's old capital, the Shetland Bus story, Tingwall's law site and Neolithic Stanydale
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Esha Ness cliffs, Ronas Hill, the islands of Yell and Unst, and Britain's most northerly sights
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Shetland's harbour town: the museum, Fort Charlotte, Clickimin Broch and the ferry to Bressay
Open the mini guide →Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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