5 walks in Viking footsteps

Each winter, it feels as if Vikings are everywhere in Shetland.

Our fire festival season starts in early January in Scalloway, followed by the famous Up Helly Aa fire festival in Lerwick, when, on the last Tuesday of January, around a thousand people with burning torches parade through the town.

The Jarl’s Squad, leading the procession, dress as Vikings with beautifully made costumes and pull a replica Viking longship through the streets. At the culmination of the parade, the torches are thrown onto the galley, and the whole thing goes up in flames. The warmth and light from this spectacle are incredible.

Up Helly Aa events carry on around Shetland through until late March, when spring finally arrives in the isles.

But Up Helly Aa isn’t your only chance to find Vikings here; we have many places where they can be experienced at any time of year.

Here are 5 favourite walks to find Vikings in Shetland.

A lovely short walk is to the Catpund quarry just south of Cunningsburgh.

There is a parking area close by, and from here you can see the burn winding its way down the hill. If you follow the path of the burn, you soon see large, flat areas of stone.

These soapstone rocks have a high talc content. The heat-resistant properties of this stone meant it was a valuable resource for cooking pots. Shetland’s first inhabitants ground down this soapstone and added it to their pottery so that it wouldn’t break under intense heat.

It is amazing to be here and know that over a thousand years ago, somebody sat in this exact spot, touching the same stone as you.

The Vikings also used this quarry, but their approach was a little different. They carved bowls directly out of the stone. If you spend time looking at these stones, running your hands along their lines and shapes, you can find indentations where bowls were taken.

It is amazing to be here and know that over a thousand years ago, somebody sat in this exact spot, touching the same stone as you.

As well as the incredible sense of history in this place, it is a beautiful location. From the top of the hill, views stretch for miles, across the North Sea and the flat green landscapes of the South Mainland.

In the shelter of these ancient stones, wildflowers grow, bringing new colour and life to this place.

The Tingwall valley is a beautiful part of Shetland and great to explore on foot. The area’s limestone means it is a very fertile region.

In summer, an abundance of wildflowers grows in the fields and ditches and ponies and sheep graze in the sunshine. Even in midwinter, the grass remains green, providing a welcome splash of colour in a landscape scoured by gales.

The Tingwall loch is the largest of three freshwater lochs in this valley. Its name comes from the area’s history as the site of the Norse parliament, called the ting.

Under Norse rule, each November, landowners would meet to discuss the law, enact new legislation and try prisoners. Folk from all over Shetland came to the event, and tents and stalls lined the waterfront.

The ting was held on a narrow strip of land extending into the water. There, the participants could get a little privacy for their discussions.

The Tingwall loch is the largest of three freshwater lochs in this valley. Its name comes from the area’s history as the site of the Norse parliament, called the ting.

Just opposite the site, there is a small parking area and an interpretive board, making this an easily accessible place. If you want a little bit more of a walk you can continue along the single-track road through the valley.

It runs along the edge of the water, and as you walk, you can imagine how the scene would have looked when the Norse parliament sat here.

Jarlshof is one of Shetland’s best-known archaeological sites and for good reason. Located at the tip of the South Mainland, it is easily accessible by car and bus, with a bus stop located at its road end.

The single site has archaeology spanning the ages, with evidence of habitation dating more than 5,000 years.

Traditionally, Viking longhouses were made from wood. When the Norsemen arrived in Shetland, they found few trees and little wood available for building. That meant they adapted their techniques to the conditions, using local sandstone.

You can follow in the footsteps of Vikings but also explore the dwellings of people from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and the homes of Scottish Lairds.

Many longhouses can still be seen in our landscapes today. At Jarlshof, you can clearly see the walls of the longhouse and the surrounding outhouses. It is thought that this place was occupied for between 12 and 15 generations, each making their own adaptations to the building.

A short video in the visitor centre shows what they think the building would have looked like at various points in its history.

The true beauty of Jarlshof is how many people have lived here, around 5,000 years of inhabitation in this one area. You can follow in the footsteps of Vikings but also explore the dwellings of people from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and the homes of Scottish Lairds.

If you feel like a bit of a longer walk, there is a coastal path by the Jarlshof entrance. This rugged path winds its way to Sumburgh Lighthouse, and offers incredible views out to sea. In summer, this place is teeming with birdlife and is one of the best places to encounter puffins.

If you are looking for evidence of Vikings, a visit to Unst, our northernmost island, is highly recommended.

It is here that the first Vikings were thought to have set foot in Shetland. The remains of around 60 longhouses have been found on this island alone, the highest concentration anywhere in the world.

Discoveries from these excavations were used to design a replica longhouse where you can get a feel for what these dwellings might have been like. Beside this is the spectacular Skidbladner, a full-size replica longship.

Its design is based on the Gokstad ship, which was discovered in a Norwegian burial mound. You can park at the site or if you prefer you can take a short walk along the quiet road from the village of Haroldswick.

After seeing the Skidbladner you may want to pay a visit to the Unst Boat Haven to see how these Viking ships inspired the traditional Shetland boat.

The remains of around 60 longhouses have been found on this island alone, the highest concentration anywhere in the world.

While in Unst, there are several places where you can visit longhouses. A lovely walk is Underhoull along the coastline towards the Lund Chapel.

There is parking in a layby opposite the Underhoull broch or at the Lund chapel. There are several points of interest along the way, including an excavated longhouse, mounds which might have been Viking graves and stone Viking crosses at the chapel.

Interpretive boards at the site provide detailed information about the history that surrounds you here.

There are two fantastic places to encounter Vikings in Shetland’s capital, Lerwick. A walk through the town offers many opportunities to get a feel for Viking Shetland.

The five-star Shetland Museum and Archives at Hay’s Dock, tells Shetland’s story from its very early prehistory right up to our more modern social history.

There are displays of Norse artefacts found in the islands, and the museum even has Viking-inspired treasure hunts for children.

It’s a 10-minute walk from the museum to St Sunniva Street, where you will find the Up Helly Aa exhibition (open May to September).

Inside is a replica Viking longship, identical to the ones used in the fire festival. The suits worn by Guizer Jarls in years past are on display, and you can admire the workmanship involved in crafting these items.

The staff on duty are all involved in the festival and are happy to answer questions about this unique tradition.

Inside is a replica Viking longship, identical to the ones used in the fire festival. The suits worn by Guizer Jarls in years past are on display, and you can admire the workmanship involved in crafting these items.

Lerwick Town Hall has some incredible stained-glass windows depicting our Norse history. These beautifully made windows show different scenes, including the marriage whose dowry resulted in Shetland becoming part of Scotland.

Each of these places has parking close by, making them accessible but you might choose to walk between them. The Tolbooth on the Lerwick waterfront, where you have a view over to Bressay, is a good place to start.

This is a place the Vikings knew, the name Lerwick, translates from Norse as muddy bay. From here you can walk along Church Road turning right at the Hillhead towards the Town Hall.

After the Town Hall it is a short walk, past the playpark where the galley is burned each January following the Up Helly Aa procession, on route to the Up Helly Aa Exhibition.

Pay attention to the road signs around here, and you will notice many Viking names. King Harald Street, St Olaf Street, King Erik Street, King Haakon Street. How many can you find?

From the exhibition on St Sunniva Street, it is a gentle stroll back to the Shetland Museum.