Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement

Overall rating

3.83

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Wander around a site where people lived for more than 4,000 years. There are remains of Bronze Age oval houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Viking longhouses, a medieval farmstead and a laird’s house built around 1600. This enduring site is without parallel in Scotland and features in Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Pirate. After touring the site, look out to sea and perhaps spot puffins nesting nearby. 1 Apr to 30 Sept: Daily 9.30am to 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm). 1 Oct to 28 Mar: Daily except Sun and Mon, 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm). Closed for lunch 12.30pm to 1.30pm. We recommend booking in advance to guarantee entry.

reviewsSectionText

Overall rating

3.83

(3 reviews)

Overall rating breakdown

5 1
4 1
3 0
2 1
1 0

Access (avg.)

3.33

Parking (avg.)

4.33

Toilets (avg.)

Staff (avg.)

2.5

craandest4

Jul 2024

2.5

Stunning Views

As ruins go, there was accessible paths around the edges of the site. You could read the boards but could not go into any of the structures as it’s grass and stone. But they have done the best they can to make it as accessible as possible.

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crofter84

Mar 2018

More than you think

This place is a wee gem. Visited out of season, so no visitors centre open, but you just pop into the hotel nearby to pay and pick up a tour recording. I love this as I could wheel round at my leisure, and we were the only people there so no getting in the way. The area has lots of pre historic and Norse settlement ruins, they are so well preserved and the tour recording is so detailed you can almost fell what it used to be like to live there. A path runs around and through the settlements which is fine gravel and was very easy for my chair, however some of the recording points are in the actual ruins which aren't wide enough to get a wheelchair in, not many though. Really lovely way to spend a few hours (even nicer in Summer I'm sure).

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clairedall

Mar 2018

Tourist in Shetland

Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement is a prehistoric archaeological site that lies near the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland. It has been in Shetland for over 4,000 years of human history. We visited out of season, so it was very quiet, only a few children running around. The signage wasn’t very good to know where you could pay for entry so we just wandered through. There is also a hotel called ‘Sumburgh Hotel’ is on the grounds of Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement.

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Disabled Access Information for Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement

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Approach to site Approach to site is down a steep (1:10) 8m long ramp and 150m along a wide grass drive to a level gravel path. The paths in front of the visitor centre are cobbled. Visitor centre Visitor centre has step-free access and a number of interactive displays. There are two steps without handrails down onto the site. Monument The paths around the site are gravel, and bound stone. There are changes of level and protruding archaeology. Some of the iron-age buildings have narrow (500mm) and low entrances. The wheel house is down very uneven stone steps with no handrails. The top of the laird’s house is up a modern spiral metal staircase with a single handrail.