Fethaland Beach

Tucked away just shy of the most northerly point of Shetland’s Mainland is this lovely little beach. Actually there are two beaches at Fethaland, barely separated by a thin neck of land.

The east-facing beach is the nicest, and in addition to being more sheltered it usually has a good sprinkling of sand. The other side is comprised of large pebbles.

Set all around the little cove are the ruins of quite a large number of stone cottages. These were once the homes of fishermen who would work from here during the summer. Using ‘sixareens’ (six-oared boats) they would fish the deep waters around the north of Shetland. At its peak in the 19th century up to 400 worked and lived here with 60 boats.

Whilst fishing went on from the 15th or 16th century there were people inhabiting Fethaland long before. In the lowest part of the cove are the remains of a prehistoric house.