Sumburgh Head

Nearest town:
Lerwick (34km NNE)
OS reference:
HU40770803
OS sheet:
4
Latitude:
59° 51' 20.7 N
Longitude:
1° 16' 19.73 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Sumburgh Head (Promontory Fort) by spencer

The Stevenson light at the broch site gleams in the gloaming…

Image credit: Mike Purslow
spencer
spencer Oct 25, 2025
Image of Sumburgh Head (Promontory Fort) by thelonious

28/06/2023 – This is the fourth time I’ve visited Sumburgh Head over the years. There isn’t much of the fort/possible broch to see but the views are nice and I finally met the current inhabitants – lovely puffins (the main reason everyone comes here). Still light at near 11pm. What a place to live back in the day. View down to the sea from inside what would have been the interior of the fort. Canmore entry is worth a read.

thelonious
thelonious Jul 9, 2023
Image of Sumburgh Head (Promontory Fort) by thelonious

11/09/2021 – The walk up to Sumburgh Head. Cliffs are good for birds. Coffee shop at lighthouse is very good.

thelonious
thelonious Sep 18, 2021

Articles

Sumburgh Head

thelonious
thelonious Apr 20, 2017

17/04/2017 – OK the bad news first, on the megalithic side there is little to see. The good news is that there is now a pop up cafe at the top. Along with stones, coffee and cake plays a very important part in my life so this cafe came as a most welcome surprise. It must have one of the best views of any cafe I’ve been to. Having a coffee and sitting by the window looking out over Sumburgh to Jarlshof and Ness of Burgi far below – a fine place to while away some time.

One minor bit of bad luck, this is the second time I’ve been to Sumburgh Head and the second time I didn’t see any puffins in one of the best places for them! I don’t think they like me.

Sumburgh Head

thelonious
thelonious Sep 30, 2014

23/09/2014 – A coastal path leads from Jarlshof to Sumburgh Head. Site of an Iron Age fort. Nice Stevenson Lighthouse sits on the possible site of a now long gone broch. Worth a visit just for the view.

Sites within 20km of Sumburgh Head