North Town

A self-catering Shetland croft house

Sleeps four: two in a big double bedroom and two in a tiny bunk room. Cosy sitting room with stove; spacious dining kitchen; bright bathroom with lovely old fittings.

The house is beautifully furnished, homely and very comfortable – there should be everything you need. North Town is not a modern house with glossy finishes; it’s old and quirky and full of character. If you like traditional features, cosiness, a mix of old and new things and a Scandinavian feel,  you’ll feel quite at home.

Staying here will give you peace and quiet: it will give you space to think, read, cook, potter or just sit by the stove with your feet up. It will give you scope to explore: bring your wetsuit, walking gear and binoculars and get outdoors. Go sea-kayaking, snorkelling or otter-watching and see amazing marine life and abundant seabirds.

You can walk for miles and miles, discovering an intricate coastline and enjoying extraordinary scenery, archaeology and wildlife. We’ve plenty of guidebooks and Ordnance Survey maps to help you plan your trips.

In winter the house is very cosy, with lots of woollen blankets and fleeces to keep you warm. Get a teapot brewing on the stove and snuggle up with a good book. Wrap up and step outside on a clear night and you’ll see millions of stars and even the Northern Lights.

In summer you can enjoy many hours of daylight (as much as 18 hours) and some surprisingly warm days with amazing light, big skies and luminous colours.

Whatever you choose to do, we think you will enjoy your stay, any time of year. Expect a lot of different weather in one day, so come prepared!

A bit of background on the house: the name North Town once referred to a cluster of three croft houses at the north end of Reawick. Only two old houses remain at this spot – this one and the one next door, now derelict.

North Town croft house was typical of the 19th century ‘improvement’ type with a central door and window either side. In the early 1970s a practical extension was built on the front to provide a kitchen and a bathroom. You can still make out the shape of the original building.

Inside, the house had ‘but’ and ‘ben’ ends separated by a small box room in the middle, and this is still roughly the case. The but end was for cooking and living and the ben for sleeping.

The croft house was built snug and low into the ground to protect it from the worst of the Shetland gales, sensibly without windows on the north side. It was built from local stone, limewashed to keep the weather out, and once had a thatched roof.

Gable

gable_to_bay

Interior with stove

Sitting room f