Eshaness and Ronas Hill

Eshaness and Ronas Hill Review

About 15 mi north of Brae are the rugged, forbidding cliffs around Eshaness; drive north and then turn left onto B9078. On the way, look for the striking sandstone stacks or pillars (known as the Drongs) in the bay that resemble a Viking galley under sail. Then return to join the A970 at Hillswick and follow an ancillary road from the head of Ura Firth. This road provides vistas of rounded, bare Ronas Hill, the highest hill in Shetland. Though only 1,468 feet high, it's noted for its arctic-alpine flora. If you want to gain a bit of height but haven't the shoes or time to walk, drive up Collafirth Hill, just off A970. It has the remains of an early NATO communications station on the top and a landscape strewn with huge red granite boulders.

Tangwick Haa Museum. After viewing the cliffs at Eshaness, call in at Tangwick Haa Museum, the 17th-century home of the Cheynes, now packed full with photographs, household items, and knitting, farming, and fishing equipment from the 18th to early 20th centuries. Off B9078, Tangwick, ZE2 9RS. 01806/503389. Apr.-Sept., daily 11-5.