Unst
 Castles |
Of Shetland's inhabited islands, Unst is the most northerly in the United Kingdom and, despite being only 12 miles long by 5 miles wide, manages to offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Shetland. Packed into this relatively confined area are stupendous cliffs, sculpted sea-stacks, sheltered inlets, golden beaches, heather-clad hills, freshwater lochs, fertile farmland and a unique sub-artic stony desert.
Unst also offers a number of standing stones, brochs, ruined Muness Castle dating from 1598, and two important National Nature Reserves, Hermaness and Keen of Hamar. The high cliffs at Hermaness, near to the visitor centre, offer a wonderful view overlooking the frothing rocks of Muckle Flugga, the very last speck of northern Britain - beyond that lies only ocean before reaching the Arctic Circle . In Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island , the outline of the map showing where the treasure lies closely resembles the shape of Unst. This is no mere coincidence for the author visited the island in 1869, following in the footsteps of his father, Thomas, who constructed the spectacularly-sited lighthouse on Muckle Flugga rocks in 1857-8.
The island also contains an abundance of wild-life, sea-birds, seals and porpoises, and not infrequently otters and killer whales are spotted off its shores. In common with other islands in Shetland, the much loved Shetland Ponies are able to roam free in this wild environment. Originally, the ponies were carefully bred to keep their legs short so that they could pull carts through Britain 's coal mines - fortunately those days are long over and they now graze freely. Sheep outnumber people on Unst, as elsewhere on the islands, by eight to one, and are of course the source for the renowned Shetland wool.
The main settlement on Unst is Baltasound, which has shops, a post office, marina, leisure centre with heated swimming pool and, nearby, the local airport. Baltasound also boasts an excellent hotel, the most northerly in Britain . A short walk away is the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve, a dramatic moonscape which nevertheless supports a number of rare plants, including Edmondston's Chickweed, found nowhere else in the world. With free access all across the island, Unst is especially popular with botanists, ramblers and walkers in general.