Shetland Outdoors

Shetland Islands Council have been working collaboratively with VisitScotland and NatureScot, who manage Hermaness National Nature Reserve at the most northerly tip of Unst, to develop a project which will see a new Visitor Hub with toilets, information about the area and wildlife and carpark improvements. Nearly 2km of recycled plastic boardwalk will give easy access through the heart of the reserve without risking disturbance of birds or erosion of peat and enable a circular walk of the site.

The project with a budget of over £820,000 is led by NatureScot and has been funded by grants from both the Nature Scot’s Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund and VisitScotland’s Rural Tourism and Infrastructure Fund is scheduled to be complete by the end of March 2022. Local Unst builders, Sandisons, will be constructing the Visitor Hub; Shetland Builders, SG Johnson, the boardwalks; and CMC Associates the visitor information and interpretation.

In April this year the first loads of board walk materials were airlifted to the hill.

Photo by Paula Moss

And in early October the rest of the materials were delivered to the hill.

Photo by Paula Moss

Work on the board walk is now under way with sections of old unsuitable board walk already replaced and looking good!

New sections are being laid out, and work will continue through the Shetland winter.

It is anticipated work on the Visitor Hub will commence shortly, to be completed by the end of March 2022 with an official launch in May 2022.

Please follow any advisory notices on the reserve while these works are ongoing.