- Sumburgh Head
Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the
Shetland Mainland in northernScotland . The head is a 100 m high rocky spur capped by theSumburgh Head lighthouse . The Old Norse name was "Dunrøstar høfdi", it means "The Head onto the Thunderous Noise", referring to the noise ofSumburgh Roost . The cliffs are home to hundreds of seabirds and the area is an RSPB nature reserve.Sumburgh Airport lies immediately to the north of the head, and is Shetland's main airport. Flights from here connect to mainland Scotland, theOrkney Islands andNorway .Close to the head is the archaeological site of
Jarlshof , at which a series of settlements have existed dating back to theneolithic period.The tiny settlement of
Grutness , which is the terminus of the Shetland Mainland toFair Isle ferry service, lies 2 km north of Sumburgh Head.Robert Stevenson was the engineer in charge of building the Sumburgh Head lighthouse. Work started on the building in
1819 , and the light was first lit in1821 .As well as birds, Sumburgh Head has become a popular viewing point for Whales and Dolphins.
External links
*
* [http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/shetland/sumburgh/ Undiscovered Scotland — Sumburgh Head]
* [http://www.crcshetland.co.uk/ Images from around Sumburgh]
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