The extraordinary and sometimes turbulent past which has shaped Shetland has left a rich legacy of fascinating evidence which can be explored and enjoyed by visitors. People have lived in Shetland for more than 5,000 years and have left their marks on the landscape and in the built heritage. Many sites have already been excavated and interpreted and many, many more remain to be discovered.

As with many archaeological sites, those in Shetland reveal many generations and hence layers of human activity. The relative dearth of building materials in Shetland has forced our predecessors to recycle them in imaginative ways which invariably pose conundrums to the archaeologist.

So what started out as an early Christian grave marker could have been used as a Viking hearth stone, then become a medieval field marker and might now be someone's doorstep!. Each summer teams of archaeologists from all over Europe return to Shetland to continue the painstaking work of revealing Shetland's past.

When driving, cycling or walking through Shetland's countryside it is always interesting to speculate on what that strange-looking feature in the landscape might be: the remains of a Pictish broch or a Viking burial site? If you find anything really significant please inform Shetland's archaeologist at Shetland Amenity trust.