10 Must-See Shetland Archaeological Sites

Here’s my list of 10 Must See Shetland Archaeological Sites, let me know what you think in the comments. Have I missed anything out? There will be a Part 2 to this video, so let me know and I’ll try to include your suggestion in it!
Huge thanks to Nick at Southspear Media for the drone footage! You can see more of Nick’s work at:
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[@chriscoughlan5221]

I´ve been to the Shetlands twice, once by air, and once by ferry. I didnt get round to seeing these Archaeological Sites mainly cuz i was on a bicycle. I did get to see a good example of a ´ Black House ´near Sudburgh (airport). Great video!!

[@adventure.shetland]

Thanks Chris!

[@jamesleonard2870]

Cool! 🏄‍♂️🌊🪷

[@lil-g4879]

I am hopeful of moving my family up to Shetland next year given I can now work remotely, it seems the perfect time to move. I am so excited about all the things to see and do!

[@lil-g4879]

@@boo8638 I am, aye. Hoping to go up next year sometime.

[@debragehris1591]

Well, Jon. Looks like there's a lot more we need to see in the Shetlands. Maybe we need to come back!🥰

[@adventure.shetland]

I’d say so! We’re not short of things to see, that’s for sure!

[@tommo01]

How about having a look at Muness Castle on Unst in the next video?!

[@adventure.shetland]

It will be on there, don't worry!

[@Ulfhednir9]

Would love a video about the rural long houses in my ancestral homeland :)

[@adventure.shetland]

Apologies for the slow reply - I’ve got a video featuring some of those uploading to the channel today! I would love to do a more in-depth version of it too, so stay tuned for that!

[@Ulfhednir9]

@@adventure.shetland legend ty

[@adventure.shetland]

@@Ulfhednir9 it’s up now!

[@Ulfhednir9]

@@adventure.shetland Awesome thank you will go watch it now

[@WilliamWallaceRoss]

I had a 2nd Great Aunt named Musa Ross. Some have speculated that either my Ross or Casey Ancestors had a connection to the Mousa Broch, or at the very least, a connection to Shetland. Thank you for sharing these site's. A lot of history here.

[@helend222]

Brilliant. Very interesting. Thank you very much from Australia.

[@rileyhoffman6629]

Yes, please, to Unst longhouses. It would be helpful to see a map (briefly) when going site to site. Thanks and I so desperately want to visit...

[@adventure.shetland]

I will get a video of Unst longhouses at some point for you (and everyone else too, but mostly for you!) Maps are definitely becoming something people want so I will do my best to add those too.

[@vernaselander8276]

You’re easy to watch!! You’re doing great!! Please can you make longer videos?? Otherwise, keep up the nice work. 👌

[@MonsiorTortoise]

There is a mining site at the Anderson High School, showing 2000 years ago they found this rock and carved much of the stone to build Clickamin Broch. And at other quarries in Lerwick, there are 2000 year old mining indicators at the heart of quarries we still use today!

[@adventure.shetland]

This news is absolutely no surprise to me at all - thanks for sharing your information!

[@patsheppard2616]

Thank you for no. 1 and 2. They had a much more finished look. I didn’t see one identifying sign of one of the things you mentioned. Must be hard on scholars when they visit the sites. If the people there can’t bring themselves to touch their ruins, they could recreate the same type of buildings next to it. Somehow you need an accurate representation of complete long houses so even the people of Shetland can see them in perspective. Trying to live their lives would be a real adventure.

[@MrMonero]

Amazing video. Thanks 🙏🏼

[@adventure.shetland]

Thank you!

[@MrMonero]

@@adventure.shetland most welcome 🙏🏼

[@vernaselander8276]

You’re very good!! I love Scotland and you come across as informative and friendly!! Good job!! One request…can you try longer videos?? Maybe you’re over editing but I’m interested in watching your longer videos. You’re doing great!!

[@erikatowle8695]

And he's easy on the eyes 😊🙂

[@adventure.shetland]

Thanks Verna! I have a few longer videos available through my website if you’d like to check those out 👍🏼

[@vamboroolz1612]

I visited all of these EXCEPT Mousa Broch since there was no way of getting to it when we were in Shetland. I will be realising my dream of moving to Shetland in the next few years so will have plenty opportunity to to put that to rights then😉😁.

[@adventure.shetland]

I’d say so! Let me know if you’d like to take a look around when you make it here again 😁

[@VoeShetlandLiveCamera]

Hagdale Horse Mill on Unst is a fascinating but far more recent (1917-1921) archaeological site linked to the short lived Chromite quarrying industry.

[@adventure.shetland]

The Horse Mill probably deserves a video all to itself to be honest!

[@davecooper3238]

The good lady & I like visiting Shetland. Just to say we had been there we attended a motorcycle event in the early 1990s we have now made two dozen visits. Arriving by ferry on motorcycle, car & coach.

[@LongBeachHuntington]

I dug this video! Thanks.

[@adventure.shetland]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@andreafullwood6458]

This was very interesting. I am curious to know why the trees were never replaced, and if there is a program to do so in the future.

[@adventure.shetland]

Mostly they were cleared to make room for farming, so they weren't replaced for that reason. There have been a few attempts at plating trees, and small pockets of these can be seen at various places around the islands.

[@veronicaroach3667]

That was my question too - just because the sheep ate everything in sight and killed any chance of trees regrowing, it seems sad that all these places in Scotland (& Wales) are so bare nowadays, when they once were covered in trees. Grow some native trees ! In the US where I live now they cleared lots of the New England lands of trees for farms too, but the trees are now back long since, and you often see old stone walls that were field boundaries right in the middle of the woods ! You can't leave a patch of US land empty for more than a couple of years before you have trees everywhere again. it's a constant fight in fact ! Obviously there are no tree seeds in the soil in Scotland & Wales any more - how sad !

[@maxsdad538]

People have been trying to survive for thousands of years, replanting trees is not very high on the list of survival tips, especially when you can't eat trees. And as the video explains, a wetter climate around 3500 years ago led to more bogs and fewer trees

[@worz678]

@@veronicaroach3667are they next to the ocean

[@davecooper3238]

@@worz678The Shetland are surrounded by the North Atlantic. Nowhere is more than five miles from the sea. They are that far north that in midsummer it doesn’t go fully dark. It’s known as the Simmer Dim.

[@erikatowle8695]

Oh wow, Love these info clips, please do more!! I hope to one day visit Shetland🙏 I live in the States.. Is a Broch a house?

[@adventure.shetland]

Thanks Erika, that’s a great question! It’s not one that’s easy to answer and there are a lot of differing views. One theory is that the brochs were purely defensive, and another is that they were the homes of the elite - local chieftains and the like. My opinion lies somewhere in between, in that I think they had a range of functions and could be more than one thing at one time - homes for wealthy landowners, places of refuge during times of conflict, and coastal watchtowers as well.

[@patsheppard2616]

The one place you showed us that you said was rebuilt, I appreciated the effort put into that. I regret the all the long houses you showed us the foundations of none had been rebuilt. Maybe these sites should put up signs that show what long houses looked like so we can get some idea of their finished look. I haven’t ever seen anywhere where the appearance of a Norse village was recreated. I noticed for the fire festivals that the clothing as copied and the long boats built. Maybe I missed where the Norse food was served and with copies of the long houses, you could show the family life of your ancestors. Effort seems to be missing in showing a more complete picture of your past. Money is always a problem when it comes to preserving the past. Talk about how much of Norse influence is taught in your schools or felt in your traditions.

[@adventure.shetland]

Hi Pat - thanks for your comment! The general theory with archaeological sites here (at the moment anyway) is to leave the remains as they were found, rather than rebuilding them, so that they can be investigated again in the future. The excavated sites do have information boards beside them, with drawings to show how they would have looked when they were lived in to give a better idea of their uses. The Up Helly Aa festivals aren’t really re-enactments as such, so Norse food etc isn’t really part of those. There have, however, been various Norse feasts and things held throughout the isles at various times, and I believe it was hoped that the reconstruction longhouse could be a venue for those in future. Cash, as always, is an issue though, but if funds could be raised for such things, they would be great additions!

[@VoeShetlandLiveCamera]

See the problem is once you start rebuilding archaeological sites they're no longer archaeology, they're replicas, and as replicas they become subject to the interpretation and imagination of whoever builds them. Far better to leave the original remains as they are than build some kind of Disneyfied visitor attraction. As mentioned in the video there is a full scale replica longhouse on Unst as well as a full size replica Viking longship.

[@asfcboys6317]

Hello, good luck I saw this now, I'm actually going to Shetland next week for a diving trip. A suggestion, how about a film about more recent features such as the world wars defences etc.

[@adventure.shetland]

Ah brilliant! I’ve been considering doing a video about some of the military remains, so I’m glad to hear there would be interest in it!

[@erikatowle8695]

@@adventure.shetland yes!!

[@VoeShetlandLiveCamera]

Maybe a trip over to the guns on Vementry ..

[@DB-pm2vy]

Interesting vid but as someone who’s never been further north than Orkney I’d have appreciated a map showing a map with the location of these places on it. Felt a bit like a vacuum and I’d have appreciated it a bit more grounded in the environment . Thanks

[@adventure.shetland]

Thanks for your comment, I will do what I can to add maps etc in future

[@duncansteward4331]

the islands could do with a few more trees and shrubs.