Name: Jarlshof
Rating: 5.0

Jarlshof

Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement, Sumburgh, Shetland, UK

1-90 Years

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Description

Jarlshof is one of Scotland’s most remarkable archaeological sites, located on a dramatic headland overlooking the West Voe of Sumburgh in Shetland. The site reveals more than 4,000 years of continuous human settlement, from the late Neolithic period to the 1600s. It offers visitors a rare opportunity to walk through layers of history all in one place.

At Jarlshof, you can explore oval Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse longhouses, a medieval farmstead and a 16th-century laird’s house. The settlement developed over centuries, with new buildings constructed on top of earlier ones, creating a unique archaeological sequence. Storms in the 1890s revealed the buried site, and excavations uncovered the remarkable stone structures still visible today.

Admission costs £7.50 online or £8.50 walk-up for adults, £6.00/£6.80 for concessions and £4.50/£5.00 for children aged 7–15. Family tickets range from £15.00 to £29.00 depending on group size.

Jarlshof brings thousands of years of human history together in one extraordinary setting. Its coastal location, well-preserved ruins and rich archaeological story make it a must-visit in Shetland. For history lovers and curious explorers alike, it offers an unforgettable journey from prehistory into recorded history.

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Features

Delve into more than 4,000 years of human settlement in the same location. Neolithic people first settled at this site in Shetland around 2700 BC, and it remained in use until the AD 1600s.
Discoveries made here include oval-shaped Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse long houses, a medieval farmstead, and a laird’s house dating from the 1500s.
Jarlshof lets you journey from prehistory into history. The headland above the natural harbour of West Voe was the ideal place to settle for communities spanning several millennia – from the late Neolithic era to the AD 1600s.
Layer upon layer of settlement built up on the headland. Earlier houses were abandoned and later ones built on top. Sand blown by the wind from the nearby dunes settled in between the layers and eventually sealed and protected the whole site.
Storms eventually revealed the hidden site in the 1890s. Excavations in the 1890s, 1930s and 1950s uncovered the remarkable sequence of stone structures spanning the low headland that are still visible today.
Jarlshof is one of the most inspirational archaeological sites in Scotland. That may seem an extravagant description in a country that has Maeshowe, the Ness of Brodgar and, Skara Brae.
But while Skara Brae brings to life a moment in our remote past, Jarlshof shows you each of the steps that link an almost as remote moment in our past to an era whose buildings still stand around us.

Facilities

Parking: Visitors can use the level gravel car park of the Sumburgh Hotel.

What to see

Marvel at Jarlshof’s complexity – more than 4,000 years of human settlement on a single site
Visit the Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, which amazingly survived despite the sea’s best efforts to wash them away
See physical proof of the Norse communities set up in the Northern Isles in early medieval times
Enjoy the site’s dramatic location on a headland overlooking the West Voe of Sumburgh
Take our fun fact-finding quiz while exploring the settlement.