The Peerie Neuk, Unst review and itinerary for your stay
As the nights start to draw in and the darkness starts biting at my heels once again, it’s hard not to mourn the lighter days and sink into a winter blues-induced coma, burying myself under layer upon layer of cosy blankets and scented candles. So when Melanie from The Peerie Neuk offered me the chance to stay in her tiny eco-home on the beautiful island of Unst, I literally skipped all the way to the ferry, gin bottles clanking as I went.
The Peerie Neuk is a tiny “hut” in Unst and part of the tiny-house movement. This architectural and social movement advocates downsizing living spaces, simplifying interiors and living with less. As someone who resides in a constant state of clutter and chaos, kicking off my boots at the door of The Peerie Neuk was nothing short of cathartic!
The shepherd’s hut is what I imagine a gipsy wagon to look and feel like; lined out with wood and dominated by the high-sleeper bunk-style bed and cosy stove, giving a calm, meditative feel – the perfect place to come for a writing, yoga or knitting retreat.
The Peerie Neuk is a real champion of architecture, being sympathetic and passive, leaving a low-carbon footprint whilst retaining the ‘wow’ of any grand design. It was built using eco-friendly materials and is 99.9 per cent plastic free. Its thoughtful design uses every square inch of space while retaining a sense of space, light and tranquillity.
Getting to Unst is easy: Unst, known as the ‘island above all others’, is Shetland’s – and the UK’s – most northerly place, claiming the most northerly house, church, shop, pub, beach, bus stop … the list goes on! A two-ferry hop from the Mainland, travelling through the island of Yell before catching the ferry to Unst. The island is home to about 600 people and is a popular destination for those holidaying in Shetland – both locals and visitors.
The Peerie Neuk is situated a few miles from Haroldswick and is close to the beaches of Norwick and Skaw – who wouldn’t want to wake up and swim at Britain’s most northerly beaches?
Peaceful, serene and restorative are three words I’d use to describe The Peerie Neuk. I chose to take my pal Terri with me – a girly weekend filled with laughter, fresh air, and gin was just what we both needed as we left our broods home and headed north.
The accommodation, far from feeling compact or restrictive, can sleep two adults and two kids or three adults. There’s a double bed (that sleeps two) and a sofa bed suitable for one adult or two children – although my pals stayed there with their three children, and all came home smiling!
The open-plan living space has a compact kitchen with two gas hobs, a wood-burning stove with oven, a sofa bed and a dining table (cleverly hidden under the bed). A separate room within the hut contains a shower – with a big head and hot water – and a composting toilet.
Melanie has transformed this tiny space into a haven of serenity and calm – the perfect antidote to modern life. Little touches bring calmness and peace to your stay, while hanging plants invite the outdoors in. The warm lighting relaxes, and each piece of crockery is functional and beautiful. There are hot water bottles to warm the beds, Thermos flasks for picnics, and plenty of reading material to while away an afternoon in front of the fire. Sitting here in my office with the rain lashing down outside, I’d give anything to be writing this in front of The Peerie Neuk’s fire right now.
An autumn itinerary for a weekend in Unst
Friday:
We arrived as the dark veil of night closed in around the island, with the light fading as we made our way through Yell, by the time we arrived in Unst at 6 pm, it was already black dark, with a smattering of stars twinking under the full moon, casting pale slivers of light across the landscape.
The Peerie Neuk is a cosy haven at this time of year, and the wood burner had the place toasty and warm in moments, and with blinds closed against the night, we were loathed to head out again.
But, as much as we would have loved to cosy down for the evening, we had an island to enjoy, so we booked a table at the nearby Balta Light and a taxi from Jamiesons (01595 711 666) and made our way to Unst’s only pub.
The Balta Light is next door to the Final Checkout Shop, on the outskirts of Baltasound, on the road to Haroldswick. The pub now serves food, announcing serving times on its Facebook page.
After a drink in the bar, Desley, the owner and chief batter-maker-extraordinaire, showed us to our table. We occupied the only table not part of a local retirement party – and, feeling like gatecrashers but enjoying the atmosphere and laughter nonetheless, we sat down to tuck into our generously portioned meals. The menu, offering honest pub grub, included fantastic gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options – Terri was pleasantly surprised that her veggie burger even came with a gluten-free bun! I opted for the fish and chips, in quite possibly the lightest batter I’ve tasted since my trip to the Seafood Shack in Ullapool. Afterwards, we sat in the busy bar and enjoyed a few Shetland Reel gins before our taxi arrived to deliver us back to the hut. The fire was still glowing red, ready to be filled once more – along with our glasses – as we relaxed into a night of girly gossip, slushy playlists and laughter.
Before we knew it, the log basket had run dry – as had the gin bottle – and it was 4 am, so we optimistically set the alarm and rolled into our warm beds.
Saturday:
Waking before the alarm (!), we pulled back the curtains to streaming sunshine set against the perfect winter-still morning, wet with dew and with pockets of mist that lay veiled in the valleys. The views from the hut are pretty special, with Muness Castle visible between the hills.
With dull heads, we packed our breakfast into the boot of the car and made our way a few miles north to Britain’s most northerly beach at Skaw for what Terri promised me would be a reviving swim.
The beach was deserted, with only the eyes of a couple of curious seals on us as we stripped down in the raw and biting November air. I was apprehensive; I generally only swim in a wetsuit – and what a faff that is! – or a heated pool, but Terri assured me it would be envigorating once the endorphins began coursing through my cold and hungover body …
She was right; ironically, once we got over the initial cold, the sea felt – and was – warmer than the air. The sea temperature was 11.4°C (52.6°F), and the air was 6°C (42.8°F) with a wind chill that made it feel much colder.
Following our dip, wrapped up in towels, we tucked in under a sandbank, enjoying hot tea and banana sandwiches with views northeast towards, well, nowhere, the next stop is the Arctic!
Teasing sandy, damp toes back into boots, we threw the wet towels into the boot of the car and made our way to Shetland Reel’s Distillery, where Mark greeted us and gave us a tour of the gin-making operation before offering us a few warming drams to restore a sense of feeling back into our toes.
Shetland Reel has produced Britain’s most northerly gin since 2014 in the former RAF Saxa Vord complex. Inspired by the local surroundings, long winter nights and summer days, a distinctive gin has emerged – some as fiery as Up Helly Aa and others as light and zesty as a summer’s day. Shetland Reel uses local ingredients, including seaweed and scented applemint, to add that unique taste of Unst to every bottle. If pressed to choose, my favourite would be their Ocean Scent Gin Gin, which you can buy here.
Tours are run most days throughout the season and by appointment during the winter. For more information on tours and tastings, visit their website.
I was also lucky enough to sample – and take home a bottle – of their latest offering, Shetland Whisky. The Malt Whisky Company, an offshoot of Shetland Reel, releases its own range of independently bottled single cask, single malt Scotch whiskies. We tasted their latest blend, a marriage of five Speyside whiskies, distinctively sweet and smooth.
Afterwards, we dropped in at the fabulous Unst Charity Shop, where everything was reduced in price to make way for new stock. We picked up a Winnie the Pooh cookie jar and an Anne Barron (Wild About Art) print before heading back out to squeeze the last few drops of daylight from the afternoon with a walk to the beach at Norwick – another of Unst’s northern beaches.
By 4 pm, we had lost the light, and the full moon was rising in the sky. What better time to visit the roofless remains of Muness Castle?
Muness Castle is – surprise, surprise – Britain’s most northerly castle. Shetland isn’t known for its castles, but, along with Scalloway Castle, the castle at Muness represents the popular tower house style of building in Scotland.
Muness Castle is two miles from Uyeasound and stands as a roofless ruin. The castle, dating to around 1598, was built by Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie, an uncle to Earl Patrick Stewart (who you can read more about here), who built Shetland’s only other notable castle, Scalloway Castle, in 1600. Muness is open all year round, and visitors can freely explore it.
With darkness now embracing the island once more, we headed back to the Peerie Neuk to light the fire and prepare an evening meal in the snug little kitchen.
As Terri cooked, I reflected on the day and how much Unst has to offer visitors. Unst is a magical place, my great-grandfather came from here, and we return every summer to explore. One of our favourite hikes during the summer months is around Hermaness National Nature Reserve, where we watch the colonies of puffins and gannets that rule this northern spot, a stone’s throw from The Peerie Neuk.
We’ve enjoyed numerous walks, including the former settlement at Colvadale and the secluded bay of Woodwick on the exposed west coast.
There’s something incredibly special about visiting as the veil of winter moves in. The darkness forces you inside, and The Peerie Neuk is a place that calls you to slow down, relax and unwind. I imagine waking and rolling out a yoga mat or sitting in front of the fire, inspired to write. If I were a knitter, that’s exactly what I’d have been doing rather than musing in thoughts of summer and winter while Terri busied herself with the bolognaise.
Winter forces you to narrow your horizons, drawing you in from the cold to the ‘cheek of the fire ‘, as we would say in Shetland. I like that. There was no expectation for us to venture out again. Had it been midsummer, I’d have been pulling my boots back on and heading around Hermaness to catch the sunset – and that’s what you should do if you’re visiting in the summer season (I promise, you won’t regret it), but for us, the warmth of the fire was all we needed.
However, after enjoying supper by the fire, we pulled on our boots once more – granted, we kept our pyjamas on, too – and we headed next door, along the moonlit path, to look around the church.
Britain’s most northerly church, the Haroldswick Methodist Church, is unlike most other kirks in Shetland. Architecturally it’s very different, with the building mimicking the style of a Norwegian wooden Stave Kirk. The interior V-lining is of Scandinavian red pine, with laminated beams from Denmark arching overhead, supporting the roof. Most poignant was the baptism font, dedicated to the memory of a 26-year-old woman who married in the kirk and later died in childbirth.
Sunday
We woke to another day of sunshine and stillness, the Peerie Neuk’s hens were scraping around the doors, and all lay still and quiet. After a slow morning, we packed up and laced up our boots for one final walk before heading to catch the ferry.
Fueling with bacon and egg rolls at the Final Checkout Cafe, we made our way towards Baltasound, where we took the road towards the airport, parked at the end, and walked along the old herring piers and beaches out towards The Yei, overlooking Balta Isle across the water. The sandy beaches here are pristine, white sand, and amongst my favourites in Unst. Norwick, Skaw and the Easting may be the largest and most ‘popular’, but the small, secluded beaches of Skeotaing are hard to beat, and I’m loathed to share them!
Our weekend in Unst passed in the blink of an eye, and I’m so glad we chose this quiet time to visit. We had the beaches to ourselves and felt no pressure in the evenings to get out, meaning that we were free to kick off our boots, sit back, sup gin and enjoy the atmosphere of The Peerie Neuk.
Unlike most self-catering holiday accommodation, The Peerie Neuk is available to book for a minimum two-night stay – with weekly discounts offered – meaning that this is the perfect retreat for those with limited time and budget.
I can’t wait to return – whether on a solo writing retreat or with the children, and definitely with Terri! – this small space offers versatile accommodation for anyone willing to make the pilgrimage to this tiny home with a massive heart.
An hour after we returned home, Terri messaged me to ask, “Can we go back to The Peerie Neuk yet?”, so big was the pull of this tiny home in the hills …
Special thanks to Melanie for inviting us to stay for the weekend, and to the team at Shetland Reel Distillery – particularly Debbie and Mark – for the tour and bottle of whisky to take home and enjoy! I should also offer our thanks to the kind dumper truck driver who gave us directions near Skaw ;) – you know who you are!
Unst, you have been incredible once again.
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