Region : Shetland Island : Mainland Town or village : Sumburgh Grid Reference : HU 398 095 Period : 2500 BC-AD 1600 Jarlshof SETTLEMENT, BROCH, SOUTERRAINS

A very interesting complex of ancient buildings on the southern tip of Shetland. A journey through the millennia from the remains of Bronze and Iron Age settlements to a 16th century laird's house. The earliest buildings, dated about 2400 BC, comprise some small oval houses at the east end of the site. A fine decorated bone plaque was found here, along with a lot of stone tools. Among them, a club which was maybe used for killing seals and a cleaver for cutting whale blubber. Then there are a Bronze Age smithy and an Iron Age broch and village of round houses (the photo shows one of these Iron Age houses: the trapdoor on the left leads to one of the two small souterrains of the site). The later buildings comprise remains of four wheelhouses, a Norse settlement, a Medieval farm and a 16th century laird's house. In care of Historic Scotland

Other settlements ------------------ Barnhouse Clickimin Gurness Jarlshof Knap of Howar Scord of Brouster Skara Brae Other sites in Shetland ---------------------- Beorgs of Housetter (Giant's Grave) Busta Clickimin Hamnavoe (Giant's Stones) Jarlshof Loch of Houlland Mousa Ness of Burgi Punds Water Scord of Brouster Skellister (Auld Wife) Stanydale Tingwall (Murder Stone)