Scotland
Noss Head
181M
594FT
About Noss Head
Rising from the sea as the high point of an uninhabited island, this dramatic sandstone cliff-top offers one of Shetland’s most spectacular coastal walks. At 181 metres, the summit at the Noup provides a dizzying vantage point over teeming gannet colonies and out across the water to the neighbouring island of Bressay.
Key Statistics
Rank
43rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
181
Nearest Town
East Ham
Geology
You are walking across the Bressay Flagstone Formation, a landscape built from alternating layers of sandstone and fine-grained siltstone.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
HU553398
Latitude
60.1397°N
Longitude
1.0046°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse word nos, meaning 'nose', describing the prominent shape of the headland as it juts into the North Atlantic.
- •The hill is the centrepiece of a National Nature Reserve; the cliffs below the summit host one of the most significant seabird colonies in Europe, including over 20,000 Northern Gannets.
- •Looking south from the trig pillar, walkers can spot the distinctive profile of the island of Mousa, home to Britain’s best-preserved Iron Age broch.
- •Reaching the summit requires two ferry crossings—first from mainland Shetland to Bressay, and then a short hop in a small seasonal inflatable boat across Noss Sound.
- •For those who suffer from vertigo, the summit's primary feature is a vertical drop that serves as a stern reminder that the shortest route back to sea level is not recommended.