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Bigga

Island in Shetland

Scotland

Bigga

Yell Ferry Terminal A view of the updated Yell Ferry Terminal on the Shetland Islands route. The ferry waiting to take on passengers is the MV Daglien, one of two boats that support this route.
Yell Ferry Terminal Credit: Mr S Mudgey

Bigga is a small island located in the Shetland archipelago, situated off the northeast coast of Scotland. It is one of the many islands that make up the Shetland Islands, known for their stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Bigga covers an area of approximately 5 square kilometers and has a population of around 100 residents.

The island is characterized by its rugged and dramatic coastline, with towering cliffs and picturesque sandy beaches. The landscape is predominantly moorland, adorned with heather and grasses, providing a haven for a variety of bird species, including puffins, guillemots, and razorbills. These birds attract birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts from around the world.

Bigga is also home to a small farming community, with sheep farming being the predominant agricultural activity. The traditional crofting lifestyle is still preserved on the island, and visitors can catch a glimpse of this way of life by exploring the quaint villages and observing the locals tending to their animals and working the land.

Being a remote island, Bigga offers a peaceful and tranquil environment, ideal for those seeking a getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. The island is accessible by ferry from the mainland, with regular services connecting it to nearby towns and cities.

Overall, Bigga is a hidden gem within the Shetland Islands, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature, experience traditional island life, and enjoy the serenity of this remote corner of Scotland.

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Bigga Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 60.493301/-1.1914845 or Grid Reference HU4479. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Yell Ferry Terminal A view of the updated Yell Ferry Terminal on the Shetland Islands route. The ferry waiting to take on passengers is the MV Daglien, one of two boats that support this route.
Yell Ferry Terminal
A view of the updated Yell Ferry Terminal on the Shetland Islands route. The ferry waiting to take on passengers is the MV Daglien, one of two boats that support this route.
Brough Houses at the end of the road north of Toft. The islands of Bigga, Uynarey and Yell beyond.
Brough
Houses at the end of the road north of Toft. The islands of Bigga, Uynarey and Yell beyond.
Marshalling area at Ulsta For the Ulsta to Toft (Yell to Mainland) ferry.
Marshalling area at Ulsta
For the Ulsta to Toft (Yell to Mainland) ferry.
Ulsta Ferry terminal At the northern end of the Yell to Mainland crossing.
Ulsta Ferry terminal
At the northern end of the Yell to Mainland crossing.
Marina at Ulsta Small marina adjacent to the ferry terminal.
Marina at Ulsta
Small marina adjacent to the ferry terminal.
Yell Sound and the island of Bigga Taken on the Toft-Ulsta ferry as we make our way from Shetland's mainland to Yell, I am looking northwards up Yell Sound past the island of Bigga.
Yell Sound and the island of Bigga
Taken on the Toft-Ulsta ferry as we make our way from Shetland's mainland to Yell, I am looking northwards up Yell Sound past the island of Bigga.
Uynarey from the Yell Sound ferry Uynarey is an uninhabited island in Yell Sound just to the north of the bigger Bigga ! The photo was taken as the ferry approached the Ulsta terminal on Yell.
Uynarey from the Yell Sound ferry
Uynarey is an uninhabited island in Yell Sound just to the north of the bigger Bigga ! The photo was taken as the ferry approached the Ulsta terminal on Yell.
Looking towards Uynarey across Yell Sound
Looking towards Uynarey across Yell Sound
Ulsta: approaching the ferry on the B9081 The B9081 from Burravoe and Hamnavoe approaches the A968 just before the ferry terminal - we see the ferry in dock in the background. A small bridge over the Burn of Ulsta is visible just before the bend to the right.
Ulsta: approaching the ferry on the B9081
The B9081 from Burravoe and Hamnavoe approaches the A968 just before the ferry terminal - we see the ferry in dock in the background. A small bridge over the Burn of Ulsta is visible just before the bend to the right.
Lonely house on Bigga Bigga is an island in Yell Sound. There is a ruined chapel and this house or cottage and that's about all. I don't know if it is inhabited, but if it is they probably have very little trouble from their neighbours. For another, slightly closer view, see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2695791">HU4578 : House and enclosure on Bigga</a>
Lonely house on Bigga
Bigga is an island in Yell Sound. There is a ruined chapel and this house or cottage and that's about all. I don't know if it is inhabited, but if it is they probably have very little trouble from their neighbours. For another, slightly closer view, see HU4578 : House and enclosure on Bigga
House and enclosure on Bigga This is the same small dwelling seen in <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2695784">HU4578 : Lonely house on Bigga</a> There is an enclosed area of land to its southwest (left as viewed) that presumably either sustained some crops or else provided some shelter for sheep perhaps.
House and enclosure on Bigga
This is the same small dwelling seen in HU4578 : Lonely house on Bigga There is an enclosed area of land to its southwest (left as viewed) that presumably either sustained some crops or else provided some shelter for sheep perhaps.
Ferry at Ulsta
Ferry at Ulsta
Ulsta Ferry Yell
Ulsta Ferry Yell
Robertson's shop at Ulsta OK, so my first view of Yell doesn't look very welcoming but it's well worth persevering. The main A968 goes up the west side of Yell but old 1960s maps show that the B road along the east side was originally the main road north.
Robertson's shop at Ulsta
OK, so my first view of Yell doesn't look very welcoming but it's well worth persevering. The main A968 goes up the west side of Yell but old 1960s maps show that the B road along the east side was originally the main road north.
East end of Bigga A shepherd's bothy on the southeastern end of the island which was reputed to have been the saviour of shipwrecked sailors on at least one occasion. (Haswell-Smith H. The Scottish Islands, 1996 page 384.) Bigga was inhabited until the 1930s. A view from the passing Yell Sound ferry.
East end of Bigga
A shepherd's bothy on the southeastern end of the island which was reputed to have been the saviour of shipwrecked sailors on at least one occasion. (Haswell-Smith H. The Scottish Islands, 1996 page 384.) Bigga was inhabited until the 1930s. A view from the passing Yell Sound ferry.
Ulsta: the shop and phone box R. Robertson & Son is the village shop, just by the ferry terminal, and has a traditional red phone box alongside.
Ulsta: the shop and phone box
R. Robertson & Son is the village shop, just by the ferry terminal, and has a traditional red phone box alongside.
Ulsta Pier The ferry from Toft on Mainland arrives.
Ulsta Pier
The ferry from Toft on Mainland arrives.
Shop at Ulsta Adjacent to the terminal for ferries to Mainland.
Shop at Ulsta
Adjacent to the terminal for ferries to Mainland.
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Bigga is located at Grid Ref: HU4479 (Lat: 60.493301, Lng: -1.1914845)

Unitary Authority: Shetland Islands

Police Authority: Highlands and Islands

What 3 Words

///robes.slid.nudge. Near Ulsta, Shetland Islands

Nearby Locations

Wester Hevda Wick Bigga Easter Hevda Wick Point of Sheetsbrough

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