Scotland
Sandness Hill
249M
817FT
About Sandness Hill
Standing as the highest point in Shetland’s West Mainland, this Marilyn provides a classic maritime hiking experience. The terrain is largely peaty moorland, leading to a summit that offers a commanding perspective over St Magnus Bay, the fertile lands of Melby, and the distinct, jagged profile of the island of Foula.
Key Statistics
Rank
17th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Outer Hebrides
Prominence
?
234m
Nearest Town
Sandness
Geology
You are walking over layers of hardened sand and mud. These are toughened by light-colored volcanic rocks that pushed through to form the hill’s solid foundation.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
HU191557
Latitude
60.2852°N
Longitude
1.6552°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse Sand-ness, meaning 'sandy headland'; despite the spelling, local pronunciation ignores the 'd' entirely.
- •From the 249-metre summit, the isolated, dramatic peaks of Foula sit twenty miles out to sea, while to the north, the profile of Ronas Hill—Shetland's highest point—is visible across St Magnus Bay.
- •As a Marilyn, the hill is the highest point in the district, overlooking the nearby island of Papa Stour and the treacherous waters of the Papa Sound.
- •The village of Sandness at the hill's base is home to a traditional woollen mill which remains the only one in Shetland to transform raw local fleece into finished cloth on-site.
- •The community below the slopes hosts Britain’s most northerly vegbox scheme, suggesting that even in this wind-battered landscape, the locals are more concerned with their five-a-day than the weather.