Mid Yell - North Yell (Gutcher, Cullivoe and Gloup)

The B9081 takes you from Mid Yell to join the A968 at the head of the voe. Heading north on the A968 through Camb the route makes a long climb up Basta Hill. From the top of Basta Hill there are great views over Basta Voe, Burra Ness and beyond to Fetlar and Unst. There is now a long downhill past Colvister to the bridge at the head of Basta Voe followed by a climb up again to Sellafirth with views south-east towards Hascosay. The road dips down through Sellafirth and up again as it swings north-east towards Gutcher.

At Gutcher turn left for 4.5 miles of the single-track B9082/B9083 that takes you through Cullivoe to Brough. There are some short steep descents and climbs on this part of the route but you are rewarded by fine views across the sound to Unst and the cliffs of the Blue Mull.

From just past Brough continue on a single-track road over the Hill of Breckon to Gloup where there is a fine view across the narrow, steep sided Gloup Voe that was carved by melt water during the last glaciation. Here stands the Gloup Memorial that remembers the fifty eight fishermen whose lives were lost at the Haaf fishing during a storm in July 1881. Across the voe is the ruined crofting township of West-a-Firth, a victim of the 19th Century clearances in Shetland.

Returning on the same route take a left turn just before Brough for the short ride down to one of Shetland’s best stretches of golden sands at Breckon. From here there is a walk around Breckon and Gloup Ness.

The return trip follows the same roads back to Mid Yell but if time permits explore some of the ‘dead-end’ side roads: the North Sandwick road gives fine views across to the north coast of Fetlar; the Cunnister road gives a fine view down the long inlet of Basta Voe.