Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Ness of Burgi
Ness of Burgi in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.

Steve Jones — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Ness of Burgi is a place of interest in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The Ness of Burgi is a narrow peninsula that stretches to the south from the Scat Ness headland of Mainland, Shetland, a Scottish island. It is in the parish of Dunrossness. The Ness is less than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long, running in south of southwest direction from Scat Ness.It terminates with the rocks of the Hog of the Ness. Offshore from the point are the Hog of the Holm and Horse Island. The Ness of Burgi fort, probably built around 100 BC in the Iron Age, lies on the Ness. The fort is isolated by a rampart and had a ditch on either side. A ruined stone wall, now a low bank covered in turf, runs from side to side of the promontory and may be part of the fortification. In 1935 the site was excavated by Miss C L Mowbray. The fort is about 1 mile (1.6 km) south from the village of Scatness, and may be reached by foot along a grass path that leads to the Ness of Burgi. The fort is on a rocky promontory on the east side of the Ness and is open to the public at all times.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
The promontory fort at Ness of Burgi was built during the Iron Age, probably around the 1st century BC. The site occupies a narrow rocky headland overlooking Mousa Sound in southern Shetland Islands, where steep cliffs on three sides provide strong natural defences. By building a massive stone barrier across the narrow neck of the promontory, the builders effectively turned the headland into a fortified enclosure.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 59.8596, -1.3104
- District
- Shetland Islands
- Postcode
- ZE3 9JT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
Sources
- wikidata: Q6997673 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Ness of Burgi (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Ness of Burgi promontory fort
Vineyards · 0.1 km

Ness of Burgi Fort
Forts · 0.1 km

Tonga, Scatness
Vineyards · 0.4 km

West Voe of Sumburgh
Natural landmarks · 0.8 km

Horse Island
Islands · 1.1 km

West Voe of Sumburgh
Archaeological sites · 1.1 km

Italian POW Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 1.2 km

Little Holm
Islands · 1.4 km

Jarlshof Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.5 km

Wheelhouses
Archaeological sites · 1.5 km

New Halland Laird's House
Historic houses · 1.5 km
Feb2007.jpg?width=1200)
Jarlshof
Forests & woodlands · 1.5 km
Nearby
Vineyards · Scottish Islands
Ness of Burgi promontory fort
Ness of Burgi promontory fort — a UK vineyard in scotland islands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
📷 4Vineyards · Scottish Islands
Tonga, Scatness
Tonga, Scatness — a UK vineyard in scotland islands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
Natural landmarks · Scottish Islands
West Voe of Sumburgh
West Voe of Sumburgh — a natural feature in scotland islands.
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
West Voe of Sumburgh
West Voe of Sumburgh in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Ness of Burgi
Places to stay
Hostels · Scottish Islands
Betty Mouat's Camping Böd
Betty Mouat's Camping Böd — a hostel in scotland islands.
Campsites · Scottish Islands
Levenwick Campsite
Levenwick Campsite — a campsite in scotland islands.
📷 5Caravan parks · Scottish Islands
Cunningsburgh Touring Park
Cunningsburgh Touring Park — a caravan park in scotland islands.
More archaeological sites in this region
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Dun Ardtreck
Dun Ardtreck — archaeological site in Highland, Scotland, UK.
📷 4Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Dun Fiadhairt
Dun Fiadhairt — archaeological site on Isle of Skye, Scotland.
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Glen Mor
Glen Mor — valley on Hirta, in St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
📷 4Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Loch na Berie
Loch na Berie — archaeological site in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Ness of Burgi?
- Ness of Burgi is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode ZE3 9JT).
- What is Ness of Burgi?
- Ness of Burgi in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Ness of Burgi?
- Drivers can use postcode ZE3 9JT.
- Is Ness of Burgi free to visit?
- Yes, Ness of Burgi is free to enter.
- How do I get to Ness of Burgi?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode ZE3 9JT. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.