Walk: Hermaness – apex of these isles

📌 Burrafirth, Isle of Unst, Shetland Isles
★★★★★

One of Scotland’s most remarkable landscapes lies at its northernmost point: Herma Ness at the tip of Unst – the most northerly inhabited Shetland Isle. The west side of this wild and spectacular peninsula has remarkable sea cliffs and stacks, inhabited by over 100,000 seabirds. A recently-improved boardwalk path makes short work of the moorland tramp across the neck of the peninsula from the car park, abruptly ending at the cliff edge with (during breeding season) 60,000 gannets to the left and almost as many puffins to the right. Contorted clifftops allow (with care) superb viewing opportunities of the noisy, smelly gannetry, and a little patience may reward you with close-up shots of the ever popular Tammie Norrie (try to avoid blocking access to burrows from the seaward side). Our circuit also takes in the quieter Tonga headland to the south, before following the coast north to overlook the gannet colonies at Clingra and Humla stacks. The even more remote islets around Muckle Flugga can be glimpsed from here, after which Hermaness Hill provides a final hurdle on the return route.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Hermaness NNR car park, minor road end 1 mi north of Burrafirth, Isle of Unst

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: HP 612149

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 60.812436,-0.876576

❌ No public transport within 1 mi

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 13 km / 8 mi | ▲ 480 m | ⌚ 4.5-5 hr

Features: 🦆 Hermaness NNR ★★★★★; △ Hermaness Hill (200 m)

⬤ Moderate | Good path for inland outward section, often with boardwalks, then faint paths on grassy clifftops. Fairly steep ascent to Hermaness Hill on grass, then remainder mostly on boardwalks.

➡️ Clockwise “lollipop” circuit with extension to Tonga headland: start – west coast of peninsula at Toolie – Tonga headland – return to Toolie – coastline opposite Humla Stack to north – Hermaness Hill – start. Route (except Tonga headland extension) follows blue & yellow walks on official reserve leaflet 🔗 here

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Great skuas, gannets, fulmars, guillemots or razorbills, puffins, lapwings, dunlins. Sheep & lambs.

Weather: Mostly sunshine, eventually clouding over for the last part of the walk. Mostly light breeze, temperature in low teens.

June 2024

Hermaness NNR ★★★★★