Shetland Local Landscape Designation Review: Final Report

Landscape Character Unit
8 Whale Firth and Mid Yell Voe
Criteria Rank Description
Representativeness
High
Typical low-lying settled coast, with settlement around voes.
Rarity Medium Heather moorland comes right down to coastal edge in places, though
generally this is not a rare landscape.
Intactness High Pattern remains intact, though there appear to be many empty croft houses.
Eastern areas are more actively settled, with fish farms in Mid Yell Voe.
Scenic qualities High Attractive fjord-like voes, with long views. Diversity arising from landforms.
Whale Firth is more dramatic than Mid Yell Voe.
Enjoyment Medium No obvious signs of well used paths or visitor destinations
Cultural qualities Medium The traditional landscape pattern is the only obvious cultural heritage feature
which contributes to the landscape
Naturalness Very high Particularly to the west, a natural coastal landscape backed by open
moorland. Locally affected by settlement and the main road.
Rural pattern High Traditional pattern of scattered crofts, the relict pattern is apparent in the
west, while the eastern area is more actively settled
Views High Visible from the A968, which offers long views along the voes
Unranked criteria
Landscape
consistency
Landscape
relationships
Other
designations
n/a
Split between more settled east and more dramatic west
n/a Close relationship to moorland to north and south (LCU 7 and 11)
n/a
Hascosay SAC