Real Estate

Massive swath of UK’s breathtaking Shetland Islands can be yours with bids starting at $1.63M

By
Social Links for Hannah Frishberg
Published May 7, 2024, 11:29 a.m. ET
shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
The listing is composed of three lots. Strutt & Parker

A significant portion of the Shetland Islands is now available for purchase.

Located about 110 miles from mainland Scotland, floating in the North Sea between the Faroe Islands and Norway, is the Shetland Islands archipelago known for its dramatic vistas, Norse heritage and eponymous small horse breed, the Shetland pony. 

Now, a significant section of the remote region has hit the market and is available to “offers over” $1.63 million.

shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
In all, the listing offers some 1,500 acres. Strutt & Parker
shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
A dramatic coastline included in the listing. Strutt & Parker
shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
There is “a substantial amount of peat” in the land. Strutt & Parker

The listing, which is held by Strutt & Parker, encompasses a total of roughly 1,500 acres of land spread over three lots rich with agricultural land and natural capital, while lacking any residential development — save the remains of several historical buildings. 

The first lot, Graveland, is the most northerly and, at approximately 1,160 acres, the largest of the three. It is extremely diverse, “remote in places” and includes numerous “lochs” (lakes), coastline cliffs and “a substantial amount of peat.”

The second lot, Gunnigarth, offers “a substantial area of coastal grazing and peatland” across some 336 acres, and the third lot is the private, about 12-acre Island of Holm West Sandwick. 

shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
The Shetland Islands are about 110 miles from mainland Scotland, in the North Sea. Strutt & Parker
shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
Much of the land is remote, and the island can only be accessed by boat. Strutt & Parker
shetland isles graveland gunnigarth
The lots include the remains of some historic buildings. Strutt & Parker

Located off the western coast of Yell — which, with a population of 950 people, is the second largest of the Shetland Islands — Holm West Sandwick is uninhabited by humans but home to a large range of wildlife, and “orcas and dolphins can often be spotted in its coastal waters,” according to press materials. 

“The Shetland isles are one of the most staggeringly beautiful parts of Europe where Scandinavia meets Scotland,” Strutt & Parker Inverness director Euan MacCrimmon told The Post in a statement. “Those who are willing to embrace its seclusion and live here are rewarded plenty — with sheltered sailing waters, plenty of wildlife and rich archaeological sites.”

The Scottish land market has experienced “huge spikes of activity” in recent years, MacCrimmon added, and as a result “we are expecting to see global interest” in the listing, especially in terms of developing the abandoned structures and capitalizing on the peat.