10 child-friendly autumn activities in Shetland

Written by Laurie Goodlad

Autumn can be a frustrating season for parents as Scottish weather often dictates whether time is spent indoors or out, and the usual outdoor playground can quickly become off bounds. That said, there are plenty of indoor activities – and a few outdoor ones too – that can be enjoyed, whatever the weather!

Shetland Museum & Archives

What better way to spend a rainy afternoon than being immersed in cultural history? Museums often test the resolve and patience of children, but Shetland Museum is the perfect place for both children – and their parents – to explore. With interactive displays, trails, worksheets and the opportunity to dress up and play with vintage toys, Shetland Museum is sure to keep all the family entertained – and admission is free!

Burn of Lunklet

Often we make the mistake of visiting burns [streams] in summer when the weather is fine, and that’s great … but! Without rainfall, more often than not, all that remains is a mere trickle where the burn once flowed. Autumn is the perfect time to explore a burn – particularly after heavy rainfall when the peaty water cascades over rocks and rushes downstream in a burbling cacophony of noise. The Burn of Lunklet, tucked away in Shetland’s West Mainland, is the perfect place to explore in autumn – especially as the gravel path leading to the impressive Ramnahol waterfall isn’t too wet and boggy underfoot. ‘Ramnahol’ is a word derived from the Norse language, meaning the ‘Pool of the Ravens’. As well as ravens, look out for red grouse and mountain hares. Hares are easier to spot as we move into winter and their coats become white – standing out in the peaty moorland of the area.

Visit the Outpost in Burra

For a slice of Australia in the heart of Burra, look no further than the Outpost – one of Shetland’s best-kept secrets. The Outpost, created by an Australian ex-pat, is an unexpected, quirky and fun place to spend a few hours. Here you’ll find wallabies, emus, sugar gliders, possums, pigs, goats, an aviary and, in the summer, the aptly named ‘Pigstock’ music festival is held here. The bar provides a small watering hole serving homemade beers from the ‘Bloodlust Brewery’ for the adults in the party. You’ll know if the bar is open as the flags will be flapping, and a wooden pig will be swinging outside! Children can get involved and feed the animals. The Outpost is truly unexpected!

Look for treasure on a beach

One of the greatest things about autumn is the powerful storms that are brought in off the Atlantic. With these come the opportunity to become a treasure hunter, scavenger and prospector. Shetland’s beaches are full of surprises – look out for the elusive grottie buckie or the crème de la crème of beach finds, the sea bean. Perhaps a message in a bottle from a faraway place is your prize, or simply a precious piece of beach glass or pottery?

Head to the Stenness Beach in Northmavine and seek out the glittering red ‘gems’. These beautiful red agate stones form when hot fluids filled with dissolved minerals circle through the Earth’s crust. These fluids deposit their minerals in gas bubbles within cooled volcanic rocks. On the northwest corner of Mainland Shetland, this area is all part of an ancient volcano system that was active some 360 million years ago.

Seek out the Pirates Grave

Head to Sand in the West Mainland and look for the Pirates Grave within the graveyard. The stone slab marking the grave within the cemetery depicts a skull and crossbones – and no more indication of who the grave belongs to. Perhaps it’s worth taking a shovel to dig for buried treasure on the beach while you’re here!

Make a dam

There’s nothing like standing still for prolonged periods for letting the autumn chill seep into your bones. That’s why it’s always important to be out ‘on a mission’ at this time of year! One great way to enjoy the outdoors – and stay warm – is to build a dam. Go to the beach and dam a burn flowing into the sea, collect stones and see if you can stem the water in a hill burn – can you stop the water passing through? It’s harder than it looks!

Inevitably, with children, someone will fall into the water, and it won’t be long before you’re looking for somewhere to get inside and warm up again …

Visit a new leisure centre

… so, why not visit one of Shetland’s eight leisure centres, each equipped with a swimming pool and many other activities and classes. Shetland was very fortunate to have benefited from the island’s oil industry. In the 1970s, when North Sea oil was discovered, Shetland Islands Council negotiated a great deal with the oil companies. This meant that for every barrel of oil landed in Shetland, a percentage of the profit went back into the local community. This money, held in a charitable fund, has paid for much of the infrastructure across the islands – including eight state of the art leisure centres.

Take a ferry to another island

Have you visited all 16 of Shetland’s inhabited islands? Perhaps not. Like the leisure facilities, oil reserves have helped fund a subsidised inter-island ferry network between Shetland’s islands. This means that it is relatively easy – and cheap – to get between the islands. Why not have a day trip to the North Isles – Yell, Unst or Fetlar – or take the half-hour ferry to Whalsay and visit the famous Shoard Charity Shop. Maybe you want to opt for a quick five-minute crossing? If so, the ferry to Bressay leaves from Lerwick every hour and only takes five minutes to make the short crossing.

Pick up a sweet treat from an honesty box

Many honesty boxes have sprung up around the islands in recent years – basically, look for a roadside box selling cakes and bakes, open it, pick a treat, and leave the correct money. The Original Cake Fridge and Tearoom near Aith was the first to exploit this trusting market based on the honesty of islanders. From humble beginnings, owner Lynn has since opened a fabulous tearoom and, guess what, it’s just a stone’s throw from the Burn of Lunklet.

Get guttery!

Finally, all I can say is, embrace it! Put on that wet weather gear and get outside and splash around. As let’s face it, the only people who don’t like the mess are the parents! Kids love it.

Words and photographs by Laurie Goodlad

10 Child-Friendly Autumn Activities in Shetland