The Ness of Burravoe, Yell

This month we’re going to take a wander around the Ness of Burravoe or Heoga Ness on access route ARY07 on Yell. It’s a 5km or 3 mile walk from Burravoe Marina around a generally flat headland.

You can download a PDF here or a GPX for use with mobile GPS devices or apps here. The Shetland Islands Council Inter-island ferry times can be found here.

The walk would be classed as moderate; it’s relatively flat and not too long, but there are some bits that can get a bit boggy and one section of shingle ayre to walk across.

The walk starts from Burravoe marina with car park, toilet and camping facilities. Even if you’re not camping I’m sure a donation for the use of the area would be welcome by the Burravoe Pier Trust who manage the site.

The walk starts by heading through the white gate around the marina. The panel below gives you some idea of the bird and plant life in the area, though if you’re lucky you might come across an otter too.

Follow the obvious path around the marina and then to the right around the voe. It’s a pretty flat path all the way around the ness on grass that can be boggy at times as the ness is thick peat. You can see where it’s been cut in the past. When you get to the seaward side of the ness the going gets a little rockier where the sea has stripped the peat from the rocks.

As you come back towards the marina you’ll see the impressive cave riddled cliffs further north, the largest headland being the Horse of Burravoe. The nearest high cliffed bay is Ladies Hole which is a haven for seabirds. You can follow the coast up the steep hill to watch the bird life here if you wish, or turn west and back towards the marina to where you started.