Unst Boat Haven
Museum of Unst's fishing and boating past, with traditional Shetland and Scandinavian-style wooden boats, including the sixareen Far Haaf.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Unst Boat Haven is one of two museums run by the Unst Heritage Trust on Unst, the most northerly inhabited island in Britain. It tells the story of the island's relationship with the sea, from centuries of fishing to modern inshore fishing and sailing races.
For centuries Unst was an international fishing centre where cod and ling were cleaned, salted and dried on stony beaches and exported in large quantities. From the mid-1800s herring fishing became central, and Baltasound had more than 40 herring stations, so that the population of the island grew sharply in summer. The exhibits also touch on the migration linked to the herring years.
The collection includes handcrafted wooden boats from Shetland and across Scandinavia built in the Scandinavian style, among them the Far Haaf, a large sixareen that fished about thirty miles offshore, together with fishing gear, photographs and other maritime items.
Highlights
- Traditional small fishing and sailing boats
- The sixareen Far Haaf, a boat that fished 30 miles offshore
- Handcrafted Shetland and Scandinavian-style wooden boats
- History of herring fishing and the Silver Darlings era
- Fishing artefacts and photographs
Permanent exhibition
- Boats and fishing heritage of Unst – Traditional boats including the sixareen Far Haaf, with fishing gear and photographs on Unst's marine history.
- Operated by
- Unst Heritage Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Free for under-16s. |
The Boat Haven and the Heritage Centre are separate sites and each charges £5 for adults; the website mentions a season ticket on request.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Shetland tourism listing reports disabled access.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
From Belmont ferry terminal take the A968 north towards Haroldswick and turn right after the Skibladner and Viking Longhouse onto the shore road; the Boat Haven is set back on the left.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
An online shop is linked from the website.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
