Old Haa Museum

Museum

Explorer Tom

Old Haa on Yell feels like somebody invited the whole island into one old house and asked everyone to bring a story. In Burravoe, it holds local objects, natural history, art and an archive, with a sheltered walled garden ready for anyone whose head is full after the rooms. It is a good reminder that an island's history is made by neighbours, not just maps. The changing history displays have covered shops, schools, weddings and whaling. One exhibition told the story of a Catalina aircraft that crashed on Yell in January 1942 and of local people who helped survivors. That is the sort of account that keeps history close to real people rather than letting it turn into a row of dates. Upstairs and down, the museum asks what islanders worked with, remembered and chose to keep. Contemporary art adds another voice to the house. The tearoom offers home baking beside an old fireplace with traditional lamps and irons. Outside, the garden has paths, seats and stone figures made during a geology project with local schoolchildren. It is open year-round, giving you a reason to stop even when the museum rooms are shut. Leave yourself time to look around Burravoe too; the setting helps put the objects back into island life. The museum's 2026 season ran from 5 April to 4 October, so its rooms are closed for the winter now. General entry is free when open, though larger groups need booking and pay a charge. The old building has limited wheelchair access; the garden is easier to reach. Check the next season's dates before sailing over. Old Haa is worth the trip when its doors are open and Yell is ready to tell its side.

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What is recorded here

Map note: The recorded spot for Old Haa Museum is near Brough, Shetland Islands, Scotland; it is a museum. It made the map, and that is an invitation to be curious.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w385763274