Scotland
Ward of Scousburgh
263M
863FT
About Ward of Scousburgh
Rising above the white sands of Scousburgh and Spiggie Loch, this Shetland Marilyn offers a mix of rugged coastal scenery and Cold War industrial history. Though the summit is occupied by telecommunications infrastructure, the vantage point is unparalleled, looking out over the Atlantic towards Foula and the southern tip of Mainland.
Key Statistics
Rank
12th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Outer Hebrides
Prominence
?
170m
Nearest Town
Bigton
Geology
You are walking over the Dunrossness Phyllitic Formation. These rocks began as fine mud and clay that were compressed and hardened into the solid ground beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
HU387188
Latitude
59.9524°N
Longitude
1.3072°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Ward' is derived from the Old Norse varða, meaning a beacon or cairn; these summits were historically used as sites for signal fires to warn of approaching invaders.
- •During the Cold War, the hill served as a vital communications link, housing the Mossy Hill army base and massive tropospheric scatter dishes used for NATO's early warning systems.
- •The summit provides a commanding view of the St Ninian’s Isle tombolo to the north and the isolated, dramatic silhouette of Foula rising from the Atlantic to the west.
- •On the lower eastern slopes, the Burn of Scousburgh features a rare collection of eleven scheduled 19th-century horizontal cereal water mills, illustrating Shetland’s distinct agricultural heritage.
- •Reaching the top reveals that the primary summit furniture is not a traditional cairn, but rather a collection of redundant dishes that look like they are waiting for a very important phone call from space.