Eshaness, Grind o' da Navir, Hill of Ure Circular

Philip Ingram

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Some 400 million years ago, a large conical volcano, rather like Mount Fuji in Japan, was formed here. The spectacular cliffs and sea stacks are the remains of this volcano. Layers of volcanic ash and lava have weak points that the sea exploits to create the geos, overhangs and natural arches along the coast.

The first part of this walk passes a classic geo or narrow inlet before taking you on a clear path over sheep-mown turf along the clifftop to the Grind o' da Navir. Here you see huge blocks of volcanic rock that have been tossed around by the sea. There's also a moderately sheltered picnic spot. From the Hill of Ure you have a superb panorama of the area and you can see why the term 'Grind', meaning gateway, is used about the Grind o' da Navir. The return route passes a collapsed cave in which the sea crashes well inland. Shortly after, there's an Iron Age broch on a small peninsula.

The paths are clear and easy as far as the Grind o' da Navir, so good shoes would be adequate if you don't mind missing the Hill of Ure. For that section, boots are highly desirable as there's a short stretch that's very hard on the ankles and another that's very wet. Route-finding is pretty easy but if you have a GPS, you can download the track of my own walk from the 'related downloads' tab.

Scotland - Highlands and Islands - Shetland - Shetland Mainland