Ness of Burgi - Iron Age Blockhouse
At the southern tip of Shetland’s Mainland lies the Ness of Burgi, a narrow, windswept headland whose name comes from Old Norse: ness meaning headland, and burgi derived from borg, a fort. On it stands a mysterious monument – a stone-built structure probably built around 100 BC, though its precise date remains uncertain.
During the Iron Age many promontories in Shetland had forts with substantial banks, designed either to cut off a headland or defend the access to an island. At a small number of these sites – around half a dozen – the banks enclosed a distinctive rectangular stone-built structure, which archaeologists refer to as a ‘blockhouse fort’. The Ness of Burgi is best preserved of these so-called blockhouse forts.
The blockhouses were generally smaller and simpler than Shetland’s famous brochs, which have imposing drystone towers. Archeologists are uncertain about the relationship between blockhouses and brochs. Were they precursors or early experiments in fortified architecture before the development of brochs? Or did they serve complementary or later roles in ancient Shetland.
Curiously, the stone walls of the blockhouse at the Ness of Burgi do not extend all the way to the cliff edges, as might be expected for a defensive position. Whether it served as a fort, a signal station, or a ceremonial site remains unknown.
Today, visitors who walk the narrow path from Scatness to the Ness of Burgi are rewarded with sweeping sea views, abundant wildlife, and the thrill of standing in this building raised by our Shetland ancestors.
More information about the Ness of Burgi:
- Off the Beaten Track 2 - Ness of Burgi - blog post Val Turner, Regional Archaeologist
- Historic Environment Scotland: Ness of Burgi - visitor information
- Historic Environment Scotland: Ness of Burgi Statement of Significance
- Ness of Burgi - entry on trove.scot
- Ness of Burgi: An Iron Age Mystery - blog post by Alastair Hamilton for Shetland.org’
- Exploring Shetland archaeology: Ness of Burgi - blog post by Catherine Munro for Shetland.org
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Image #1490