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Hillswick is a small village in Northmavine, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and lies to the north-north west of Mainland, Shetland, the most northerly group of islands in the United Kingdom. It is situated 35 mi (56 km) from Lerwick.
- 5 metres (16 ft)
- ZE2
- Amazing Sea Stacks Can Be Seen from The Ness of Hillswick
- People Previously Eked Out A Living on The Ness of Hillswick.
- The Water of St Magnus Bay Is Up to 165 Metres Deep!
- The Village of Hillswick Has A Fascinating History
- Hillswick Also Supplied Textiles to Bond Street in London
- There Are Other Interesting Places to See in The Village
- St Magnus Bay Hotel Was Designed to Be Easily Spotted by Cruise Passengers
- A Trip to Hillswick Was An Early Package Holiday to Shetland.
- The Village of Hillswick Became A Very Popular Tourist Resort.
- The Lighthouse on Baa Taing Was Built to Aid The Steamers Arriving in Hillswick
Take some time to walk the 4-mile coast of the Ness of Hillswick to see caves, cliffs, voes, and remarkable exposed rock shapes jutting from the sea. These include the Isle of Westerhouse, Holey Stack, Crow Stack and Da Drongs (rocks that resemble a ship’s sails). In the distance Fitful Head, Foula, and the Ve Skerries can be seen. The Ness of Hill...
There are remains of many houses on the Ness of Hillswick. These include a Norse house at Tur Ness, Neolithic houses at Niddister and a ruined township at Oris Field(pictured above). There are other archaeological treasures hiding under the peat and heather. Try to imagine what it must have been like to have lived in such a wild place.
The name Hillswick comes from the Old Norse ‘Hidlisvik’ which means ‘Hildi’s Bay’. The bay here is now called St Magnus Bay, named after the ancient Chapel of St. Magnus (the Viking saint). This chapel in the village was replaced by the Church of Hillswick in 1869. The shape of St Magnus Bay led some experts to suppose it may have been created by a...
The village of Hillswick built up around this sheltered bay. Fishing vessels and sailing ships anchored here. From the 15th century Hanseatic merchants set up trading booths here, and the village was initially a haaf fishing station and later a herring station (from around 1880 to 1914). The pebble beach here was used to lay out fish for drying. Th...
From 1922 to 1975 The Weaving Shed, known locally as ‘Da Store’ was a wool-broking, weaving and knitting business. The building, like others in Hillswick, had begun life as a Hanseatic trading booth. Weaving looms were installed, and local folk began weaving tweedwhich was supplied to Bond Street in London to make clothes. Now, The Weaving Shed is ...
The Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuaryis run out of a former Hanseatic trading booth (Shetland’s oldest trading place which dates back to 1668) on the shore. They have cared for sick, injured and abandoned seals, otters and cetaceans since 1987. When walking through the village keep an eye out for a set of restored cutch kettles (pronounced cootch and pi...
A striking large wood clad building, St Magnus Bay Hotel was built in Norway and displayed at Glasgow’s Great Exhibition in 1899. It was then re-built at Hillswick in 1900 as a desirable resort destination owned bythe North of Scotland Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company. The wooden building really stands out when the surrounding countryside...
The North of Scotland Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company operated the ferry which sailed from Edinburgh’s port of Leith to Hillswick via Aberdeen and Orkney in the early 20th century. A flit boat would ferry passengers from the steamer to a wooden pier which was erected each summer. An all-inclusive cruise on the steam ship, combined with a...
The coastal scenery of Hillswick was the main attraction, as were the loch and sea fishing trips on offer. The cruises to Hillswick ended in 1971 and the North of Scotland Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company sold the hotel, but under new owners, the doors of St Magnus Bay Hotel are still open to visitors.
As the south tip of the Ness of Hillswick there is a square skeletal tower, a lighthouse only 7m tall. There is a line of wooden posts and rope leading to the lighthouse. These posts are fastened solidly into the ground and designed to help the lighthouse men reach Baa Taing safelyin bad weather. It is hard to imagine weather conditions so horrendo...
This is one of the most spectacular walks in Shetland, but it's not advisable in windy or foggy conditions. A roughly diamond shaped headland, reaching south from Hillswick, rich in geology and archaeology, a large cattle farm and some fabulous cliff scenery.
Hillswick is a small village on the Mainland of the Shetland Islands. It's the main settlement on the Northmavine peninsula, connected to the rest of Mainland by the road along Mavis Grind, the narrow isthmus by the village of Brae - so narrow you can almost hurl a stone from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea side.
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Hillswick is a small village on the south side of the west-pointing lobe of land that projects from Northmavine, the most northerly part of Shetland's Mainland. The centre of the settlement faces east, over sheltered Ura Firth.
Hillswick. Essential Hillswick. Do. Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences. See all. Shetland Adventure Tours. 8. Waterskiing & Jetskiing. Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary. 19. Nature & Wildlife Areas. Mavis Grind. 31. Geologic Formations, Points of Interest & Landmarks. Tangwick Haa Museum. 85. Speciality Museums. The Old Haa. 52.
There are clear views from the hill above Zoar of the rock pillars in the cliff known as the Heads of Groken and of the iconic Drongs sea stacks just off the Ness of Hillswick. Topping Watch Hill and looking north-west there is an amazing view across Brae Wick and all over the expanse of the flat ground that makes up Esha Ness.
