Shetland’s best beaches: by the locals

I grew up spending most of my holidays at ‘Da Ness’ in the South Mainland, and the curving white sand of Quendale was just ten minutes from my uncle’s farm. I’m still always amazed how clean and deserted it usually is, and the sea is beautiful for swimming.

I have been visiting Breckon all my life, and my father’s cousin still runs the croft there. It is a very special place, and when the tide is low you can visit ‘The Magic Cave’, as the local children call it. In certain lights, Breckon can look like Antigua, whilst other times it is threatening and magnificent. I never tire of painting it.

I love West Sandwick on Yell, with its hidden beaches and little trails through the dunes and the marram grass to the wide expanse of white sand. The views west to Da Holm, Muckle Holm and across to North Roe are amazing, too, with Ronas Hill in the distance too. It’s my favourite place to watch the sun set.

Minn in Burra, a narrow tombolo with white sand on one side and pebbles on the other, is where I spent my summers as a child, pretending to be in Baywatch. The light dances off the sea on long summer nights and it’s a magnificent place to watch the sun setting. We quite often go there as a family to have a swim and a picnic with a bonfire.

The reddish Lang Ayre beach is completely magical. I love camping there and having breakfast on the beach, just listening to the sound of the waves on the smooth stones.

Meal is the perfect place for a family day out and a picnic. It’s sheltered, and the sand is so white that even I’m tempted by a swim on a sunny day.

I’d have to plump for Uyea. A golden tombolo reaching across to a rocky island, surrounded by dramatic sea stacks and high cliffs, it truly is a sight to behold. Getting there is a serious trek across the hills too, but the rewards more than make up for the effort.

Deepdale, on the west side of Shetland, is probably my favourite beach. I love the bands of colour – the strips of turquoise and darker blues against the rocks – and the 45-minute walk out there, becoming increasingly wild and alone. When I get there, it might just be me and a few sheep on the beach, with the fulmars swooping.

Kellister beach in Cullivoe, Yell, is just down from my mam and dad’s house. Sitting there, on a good or bad day, listening to the sea pull and push over the stones, whilst watching the birds and seals is pretty magical. Sometimes you might even see an otter or a pod of orca.

Just beyond my front door, the Ness of Burgi has the most special stony beach on the west side, with the most spectacular waves in winter. On calm spring and summer days, there are masses of seabirds and seals, and there’s an enclosed rock pool for chilly swimming.

My real favourite beach is a secret, and has no name anyway. But the well-known beaches here are famous for a reason, especially the tombolo at St Ninian’s, leading to a magical island, where the white-sand beach gradually disappears as the tide comes in.

Channerwick lies just below my family home, and we used to make boats out of rubbish to sail down the bracken burn to the beach. Even now, I can spend hours on the beach, which is often just us and a curious seal or two.

I love the long white sand beach at Easting, on Unst. Not only is it absolutely stunning, but it is also interesting for those who are interested in archaeology or Vikings, with the remains of an old Viking longhouse.

I used to spend a lot of time in the dunes at Scousburgh as a kid. Now, we spend a lot of time there with our dog Basil, who loves playing in the dunes too. It's a great spot to watch seals play in the turquoise surf, and I like to don a wetsuit and join them.