20 Attractions to Explore Near Minn Beach

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

St. Ninians Isle beach is a large tombolo on the west coast of Shetland. The beach here is a long spit of fine sand connecting the small isle of St Ninian’s to Shetland. Made up largely of shell sand, the symmetrical curve sandbar can be seen from high ground, such as the Ward of Scousburgh. The beach is in a rural farming region, with an archaeological site located on St. Ninians Isle.

This is one of the finest beaches on Shetland this beach slopes gently into the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. This is a dog-friendly, north-facing beach that faces into the North Sea. There are so many leisure options and also opyu can spend some beautiful time in this area by a sunbath and also a bath in the sea.

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.

Clumlie Broch is an Iron Age broch standing on the Mainland of Shetland. The broch is to be found on Dunrossness, on the southern part of the island, about five miles north of Sumburgh Airport. It stands on a low rise on flat arable ground. The broch is at the centre of an abandoned croft, which encroaches upon the ruins.

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.

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.

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 Crofthouse Museum takes visitors back to a time where life’s essentials were of a bare minimum. The property is presented in the style of how it would have looked in the 1870s. Smell the peat fire, discover the box beds and try to set the traditional Shetland mouse trap. The crofthouse also has a lovely garden.

Shetland Museum and Archives is a five star VisitScotland rated Visitor Attraction, which welcomes an average of 86,000 visitors per year.The restored buildings that form this museum include not only the immediate steading with its house, byre and barn but also a typical corn mill, and the whole complex allows a fascinating insight into rural life in Shetland a hundred years ago. The furniture and fittings are mostly original to the house.

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.

This is a beautiful 60 acre site of which one third is maintained woodland and gardens for the enjoyment of all. Since 1991 thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted to attract wildlife, creating a combination of garden and environmental areas with sheltered walks.