Billia Skerry

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Shetland

Scotland

Billia Skerry

Track to Calsta, North Roe Credit: Mike Pennington

Billia Skerry is a prominent coastal feature located on the island of Shetland, Scotland. Known for its stunning natural beauty and rugged landscape, it is a headland that juts out into the North Sea, forming a distinctive point along the coastline.

Situated on the northernmost part of Shetland, Billia Skerry is characterized by its steep cliffs and rocky terrain. The headland is composed mainly of ancient volcanic rocks, which have been shaped by years of erosion from the relentless waves crashing against its shores. This has resulted in the formation of numerous sea caves and arches that add to its unique charm.

The area around Billia Skerry is rich in wildlife, attracting nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers from all over the world. The cliffs provide nesting sites for a variety of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, and razorbills. Visitors can observe these birds in their natural habitats, as well as spot seals and otters swimming in the surrounding waters.

The coastal feature offers breathtaking views of the surrounding seascape, with the azure waters contrasting against the dark cliffs. It is also a popular spot for photographers, who flock to capture the dramatic scenery and the interplay of light and shadow on the rugged terrain.

Accessible by boat or by foot along the coastal path, Billia Skerry is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Its untouched beauty and diverse wildlife make it a truly remarkable coastal feature in the picturesque region of Shetland.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Billia Skerry Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 60.55369/-1.3113447 or Grid Reference HU3785. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Track to Calsta, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Track on Billia Field, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Skelberry, North Roe, from the Colsta track

Mike Pennington

Track to Colsta on Billia Field, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Skelberry, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), Skelberry, North Roe

A very local plant in Shetland, only found in North Roe. It is however, widespread in northern latitudes and is Holarctic (found around the Arctic in Eurasia and America).

Mike Pennington

The A970 heading south

The A970 just comes to a dead stop about 4 km north of here (behind the camera), at Isbister. Looking south, for just under ten miles it is "single track with passing places", but there is so little traffic that it is hardly a problem. After that, and all the way to Sumburgh HU4009, 80 km away, it is a splendid road, upgraded (like other main routes on the Shetland Islands) when the oil money was at its peak.

David Purchase

Loch of Housetter

The road on the right is, believe it or not, the main A970 on Shetland Mainland. To be fair, this far north it is not exactly busy.

David Purchase

Housetter and Colla Firth

David Purchase

Ordnance Survey OSBM bolt

Ordnance Survey OSBM bolt, described as NEW OSBM BOLT LIVING ROCK 10.8M SE SIDE RD 17.7M SE C CUL (37.306m above Lerwick datum, 2nd order, new 1970).

Mat Tuck

View of the A970 from the OS bolt

View north of the A970 from the Ordnance Survey benchmark bolt.

Mat Tuck

A970 Road

A970 road near Skelberry

Mat Tuck

Giant's Grave, Beorgs of Housetter

Two large standing stones together with a third recumbent orthostat may be the remains of a facade for a small prehistoric cairn. Link

Sandy Gerrard

Trowie Knowe chambered cairn

A Neolithic heel shaped chambered cairn with an irregular chamber (Scale 1m). Link

Sandy Gerrard

Housetter Road End

The unclassified road leads from the A970 to the crofting community of Housetter.

Anne Burgess

Skelberry

Looking south from the side of the A970. The house at Skelberry looks new, and in front of it are the remnants of other now vanished buildings. The Burn of Houlland occupies the dip between Skelberry and the ridge to the right.

Anne Burgess

Loch of Housetter

The Loch of Housetter is a small freshwater loch. It looks close to the sea in Colla Firth, but in fact it lies half a mile inland, and there is another small loch below it, out of sight from here. The houses on the right are at Housetter and those on the left are at Hill of Skea.

Anne Burgess