A traditional Shetland Crofter's cottage in Baliasta, Unst, Shetland. Close by to the Loch of Cliff, near to the local shops and leisure centre. We absolutely love our little spot and enjoy opening it up to our many well-travelled guests.
The cottage is very cosy, has a wood burning stove, and a good-sized garden. Please be aware though, that it is a very old house and as such has some rustic quirks. While we are happy to accommodate children please be aware all beds are doubles.
The space
PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION BEFORE BOOKING:
Please be aware of the following things:
- The house is very old and very small!
- We only have a very small hot water tank
- There is no phone signal at the house (or in many places on the island) but we have had full fibre wifi installed in Summer 2025
- Up until the full fibre was installed wifi signal in Unst was not great. We are waiting to see how things have improved - so far so good!
- The house was built with out a bathroom, one has been squeezed in very cleverly but we have a slightly higgeldy piggeldy shower set up - please see photos.
Scraefield is located at the end of a quiet lane in the dip of a small valley in Baliasta, near to Baltasound's shops and amenities. You will find milk, bread and butter on your arrival, as well as enough wood and coal to get you started with the wood burner.
There are two SMALL double rooms upstairs, with a bathroom, and a cosy living room with a pull out sofa-bed, and a wood burner, and fully equipped kitchen downstairs.
The living room includes a smart TV with freeview.
The local area is peaceful and quiet. The cottage sits next to the remains of the Baliasta Kirk ruins, which are worth exploring. A short walk away is the leisure centre which has a pool, gym and other sports facilities. Beyond the leisure centre you will find the very sweet St. John's Church, and Ethel's shop (Hendersons) where you will find all the supplies you need for your stay, and in Baltasound you will find the UK's most northerly post office as well as another shop, Skibhoul Stores.
There are plenty of places to explore on the island, and in the evenings you can grab a meal or a pint at the Balta Light pub, or check out one of the dances going on at the Haroldswick (North Unst), Baltasound or Uyeasound halls.
PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING: The house is very old and has its imperfections, it is really important to us that you are aware and ok with these before you commit to staying:
- The house is a labour of love for us, and there is an ongoing schedule of maintenance, but with all things Shetland, this is slow going.
- The hot water cylinder is very small, so this is worth bearing in mind if you are running multiple baths-you may need to wait for the water to heat up again.
- The bath is OLD. It needs replacing but this is quite a job, so has had to be put off. It holds water though and it's pretty big.
- The stairs are steep.
- The internal entrance doorway is low! Some taller guests have encountered some head bumps, please be aware of this before booking.
- Being a remote island with intense weather, there are occasional winter power cuts, they tend not to last long. The woodburner gets incredibly toasty, and there is a kettle and pot that work on the woodburner should you need them.
I inherited the house from my mother in 2014 and we (my husband Graham and I) are totally in love with it. We very much consider it a family home and spend as much time here as we can. We renovated the downstairs in 2020, just before the pandemic, which put the kibosh on plans to finish renovating the upstairs. We restored the upstairs flooring in August 2022, back to the original floorboards which have been lovingly re-oiled. In 2024 we have put in a new toilet, bathroom flooring and a water pump which has allowed us to finally have a shower. A few other bits still need seeing to but we hope you will agree the house has it's charm!
We don't run this as a business as such, we let it as needed to pay the bills, and because we love sharing it and want it to be appreciated and looked after. If you are looking for an all bells and whistles, hotel-level, fancy get away: Scraefield is not for you! The house is not suitable for anyone seeking a luxurious getaway, but is perfect for those who don't mind a few idiosyncrasies and are up for an adventure, and are willing to look after themselves to a degree. All this being said, it is a beautiful and special home, in a very special setting. If you appreciate an authentic Shetland croft house, a comfy sofa, don't mind the wind and weather, and enjoy bird, seal and otter spotting, I am sure you will have a wonderful time.
Guest access
The whole property is available to you.
Other things to note
PLEASE ENSURE you are happy with all the details about the house before you book.
The house is very old and is not centrally heated, but has electric radiators in each room. The house may be cold when you arrive so you should put the heaters on and build the fire when you get in, the house will heat up in no time.
There should be some firewood and coal in the house to get you started on your first fire but when you run out you can get more at the shops.
