Valla Field

About Valla Field

Rising as the highest point on Unst, this long, heathery ridge offers an immense sense of scale. It is the most northerly Marilyn in the British Isles, providing a wild, maritime walk across peat and moss to a summit overlooking the jagged stacks of Muckle Flugga and the lonely Out Stack.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Old Norse 'völlr', meaning field or level ground, and 'fjall', for hill, describing the broad, plateau-like summit ridge that stands in contrast to the jagged sea cliffs nearby.
• •As the highest point on the island of Unst, it holds the distinction of being the most northerly Marilyn in the United Kingdom.
• •The hill forms part of a National Nature Reserve that hosts the world's third-largest colony of Great Skuas, known locally as 'Bonxies', which are famously territorial during the nesting season.
• •The summit offers a specific, far-reaching view north to the Muckle Flugga lighthouse and Out Stack—the final fragments of British rock before the open ocean reaches the Arctic.
• •Local folklore claims the hill was home to a giant named Herman, who reportedly fought with his rival Saxa over a mermaid; the sea stacks visible from the heights are said to be the stones they threw at one another.
• •While the height of 216 metres is modest, the complete lack of higher ground between the summit and the North Pole ensures the wind arrives with a degree of enthusiasm rarely found on the mainland.