20 Attractions to Explore Near Da Gairdins

Stanydale ‘Temple’ is the only truly megalithic structure surviving from prehistoric Shetland. It comprises a wall of large boulders enclosing a wide oval area, which would have originally been enclosed by a great timber roof. There is uncertainty about the original purpose of the building, but its unusual size indicates some communal purpose, or that it was possibly the home of an important person.

A beautiful uninhabited island off the west coast of the Shetland Mainland. Hildasay is north of Hoe Skerry. It has an area of 108 hectares, and is 32 metres in elevation at its highest point. It consists of red-green granite that was quarried for many years. The island's former industries included curing herring and quarrying granite. The remains of a railway line leading from the quarry to the harbour can still be seen

The Broch of Culswick is an unexcavated coastal broch in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.This broch has a massive triangular lintel stone over the entrance, which is partly filled with rubble. It has good views all around, including Foula and Vaila isles, and Fitful Head and Fair Isle in the south.

The Shetland Bus memorial in Scalloway celebrates the bravery of the men who ran the Shetland based boat operation to and from occupied Norway. This is a moving tribute on the waterfront, built with stones from both countries. The Norwegian stones are from the home areas of 44 Norwegians who died running the gauntlet between Norway and Scalloway.

Scalloway Castle was the home of Patrick Stewart, earl of Orkney and Shetland. ‘Black Patie’, as he became known in Shetland, was notorious for his oppression of the Shetland people. The L-shaped tower was the main block although there would have been other domestic buildings and stores in the grounds. It stands three storeys high above a vaulted ground floor containing the kitchen and store.

Linga is a very small uninhabited island in the Bluemull Sound, Shetland, Scotland. It is one of many islands in Shetland called Linga. The surface area is about 65 acres and there are two derelict cottages on Linga. The local council granted planning permission in 2011 to an oil industry engineer develop the island but by 2018 these plans had not come to fruition.

Trondra is a small, narrow island that is sparsely populated. Both islands are very green and the scenery is gentler than much of Shetland. It was made up of steeply inclined dalradian rocks; mainly quartz and mica rich schists but with some crystalline limestone in the north which provide fertile soils around Cauldhame and Cutts.

Clickimin Loch is a loch in Shetland, Scotland, west of Lerwick. A Pictish fort from the 6th century called Clickimin Broch is located on a small islet at the southern end of the loch. During the winter months the loch is visited by large numbers of wildfowl and close by there is a camp site and a leisure complex.

The Clickimin Leisure Complex holds the biggest versatile space within Shetland, catering for the isles ever growing sports calendar and also for large and small-scale concerts and cabaret events. It houses a 25-m swimming pool, complete with flumes and an outdoor lagoon. There is also a sauna, steam room and spa pool, together with a 6-court sports hall, a bowls hall, squash courts, climbing wall and fitness centre.

Vementry is an uninhabited Scottish island in Shetland on the north side of the West Mainland, lying south of Muckle Roe. The island is known for its well-preserved chambered cairn. The well-preserved remains of a Neolithic heel-shaped cairn about 10 metres in diameter and rising to over 1.5 metres in height. There is no ferry service to the island, although the shepherd on the mainland farm occasionally makes the short trip to work with stock on the island.

Scalloway is a thriving port on the "mainland" of the Shetland Islands. It was once the island's capital in the seventeenth century. Now a picturesque town of 1,200 people, Scalloway is overlooked by Scalloway Castle, built by forced labour between 1599 and 1607 on the orders of the harsh Earl Patrick Stewart.

An independent commercial fine art gallery, run by Polish émigré Dorota Rychlik. It shows well-documented artists from the 19th through the 21st Centuries, including Shetland contemporary landscape and British marine artists. All media are represented, including wood engravings, etchings, watercolours, oils, acrylics, drawings, sculptures and constructions in wood and bronze.

The Lodberries were merchant's private wharfs, extending out into the Bressay Sound, and represent some of the oldest buildings in the town. The name is thought to derive from the Old Norse hlaðberg meaning a natural quay. The most notable Lodberrie, at 20 Commercial Street, dates from the later 18th century and has been A-listed since 1971. Previously lodberries were also found along the northern continuation of Commercial Street.

The Knab is a south pointing ness in Lerwick, next to the town’s cemetary. When visiting the Knab, you’ll get a fabulous view of Bressay and the shipping coming in and out of Lerwick harbour. Below the Knab is a Torpedo tube platform which formed part of Lerwick harbour’s WW2 defences.

The Bressay Heritage Centre, situated at the Bressay ferry terminal, is a local exhibition space, which shows Bressay life and history, as well as information about the mysterious Bronze Age mound that has been relocated alongside. Current displays include information and photographs documenting Bressay’s role in WW1, photographs of Bressay’s flora and a lovely ‘ben end’, a 1960’s living room – Bressay style.

Minn Beach is a quite simply stunning area on West Burra. Head for Papil and then follow the signposts to Banna Minn. There’s a car park there and a short walk downhill to Minn beach. The curved beach, and an impossibly thin sliver of land behind it are all that join the two southern parts of the island together! Banna Minn is particularly popular with photographers.

Forewick Holm is a 1-hectare island in the Sound of Papa in the Shetland islands, Scotland. Located between Papa Stour and the Sandness peninsula. Since 2008, it has also been referred to as Forvik Island as a result of Stuart "Captain Calamity" Hill's protest around constitutional matters.

A beautiful island which was within Shetland Islands and is northeast of Little Havra Island, northwest of Holm of Maywick and southeast of Kettla Ness. South Havra was once home to eight families, whose houses were built on the edge of the precipice, to enable them to use all the good land. The island had no running water, and had Shetland’s only windmill but alas this was ineffective in grinding corn and the grain was sent to the mill at Weisdale.

Hoswick is a settlement in Sandwick in the south mainland of Shetland, Scotland, on the eastern part of the Dunrossness civil parish. Hoswick Visitors Centre is a convenient stop for visitors, located halfway between Lerwick and Sumburgh. They have a popular café, a large range of information to help visitors planning their visit to Shetland.

Brochs are a kind of Iron Age roundhouse found only in Scotland, and Mousa is the best-preserved of them all. It is the tallest broch still standing and amongst the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe. It is thought to have been constructed c. 100 BC, and is one of more than 500 brochs built in Scotland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.