Situated on top of a slight hill, surrounded by the rugged landscapes and the dramatic coast of the North Atlantic Ocean, is Brough Lodge, a historic mansion located on Fetlar, the fourth largest of the Shetland Isles, known as “The Garden of Shetland”.

The area is one of immense European historic value, as it was occupied by the Vikings during the 8th century which left an indelible mark on Shetland’s history and culture. Fetlar’s strategic location as one of the most northern European islands made it an ideal outpost for the seafaring warriors who sought to navigate all the surrounding seas in their iconic longships. They were drawn to its shores not merely as conquerors, but also as settlers and farmers leaving historic remains scattered all over the island of Fetlar.

This is where Sir Arthur Nicholson, a merchant and once well-known landowner, chose to build Brough Lodge, having acquired the lands in 1805 in a partial settlement of a debt owed by the owner of the lands, Andrew Bruce of Urie, who had died in 1803. Sir Arthur Nicolson then lived in the Haa of Urie for some time before building Brough Lodge in 1825.

Surprisingly, for such an important building on a relatively small island, there is practically no oral tradition about the building of Brough Lodge. What is known is that Sir Arthur Nicolson travelled extensively throughout Europe during the early 1800s. It seems likely that he based his idea for Brough Lodge on the architecture he found in France, Switzerland, Italy and elsewhere, borrowing various classical design elements.

Brough Lodge is indeed very special, as it comprises various buildings and structures, including an enclosed courtyard, a walled garden, a chapel and a viewing tower, which is built on a broch, a round, drystone hollow-walled stone structure built in Scotland during the Iron Age, which lasted from around 400 BC to the first century AD.

It is important to note that no other estate on the Shetland Islands contains such a wide range of historic buildings, structures and remains as Brough Lodge: the land itself once touched by the Vikings, the remains of an Iron Age broch, as well as the other neogothic buildings on the estate. The walls and grounds of the lodge have witnessed the downfall of the Viking era, the changes in land ownership of several generations, and the dynamics of aristocratic life in the Victorian era, making it an important monument of historical records. Thus, Brough Lodge is listed as a category A historic building with outstanding significance.
Since 1998 Brough Lodge was held by the Brough Lodge Trust. The trust put tremendous effort and monetary resources into the conservation and restoration of the estate. As Brough Lodge stood unoccupied since the 1970s, extensive repairs were required to stop the deterioration.
The European Heritage Project will bundle all its expertise to ensure that Brough Lodge will be traced back to its architectural heritage – a testament to the intertwined narratives of history and architecture, which offers a profound glimpse into the soul of Fetlar and the history of the Shetland Islands
Brough Lodge’s architecture is a symphony of Georgian elegance, showcasing a refined blend of symmetry, proportion, and classicism. At first glance, the lodge’s facade is a tribute to neogothic architecture, characterised by its meticulously balanced proportions and Moorish detailing to facades and screen walls. The main house comprises a symmetrical 2-storey principal block with single storey wings flanking to the east and west and an entrance court to the north. The original roof was flat and enclosed on each side by a crenellated parapet with bartizans at the corners. Unfortunately, in the mid-20th century alterations were carried out which regrettably involved the addition of pitched slated roofs over both the main house and the wings and included the building up of the crenellations and removal of bartizans.
Internally the main house has hardly been altered and retains most of its original features. Of particular note is the oval-shaped central hallway and stairwell, its doors and fittings being curved to fit the shape of the room. The lodge’s windows, crafted to showcase the scenic beauty of Fetlar’s surroundings, provide a canvas for the changing light and hues of the landscape. The original 1820 entrance was on the south side and led into an entrance hall. In the late 19th century this was blocked to form a window and the entrance hall became a dining room. The main entrance then moved to the courtyard at the opposite side of the house.
The estate also includes an enclosed courtyard, terrace walls, a walled garden and various other features along with a number of folly type structures including a chapel and a viewing tower which is built on the remains of an Iron Age broch. A broch is a circular stone tower built in Scotland and some other parts of the British Isles during the Iron Age. Brochs are unique architectural structures and represent a distinctive aspect of Celtic culture and engineering. The tower and the wall were typically built using dry stone construction, without the use of mortar. One of the most distinctive features of a broch is its double-walled construction. The circular wall surrounding the central tower has an inner and outer layer with a space between. This design provided strength and stability to the structure. They were masterfully engineered, showcasing the skilled craftsmanship of their builders and were likely used as multi-purpose structures, providing living quarters for families and storage for food and other essentials. At the same time, their formidable design suggests a defensive function, potentially serving as a refuge during times of conflict. Brochs are significant archaeological sites and provide valuable information about ancient building techniques, cultural practices, and the interactions between different communities during that time period. The viewing tower on the remains of the Iron Age broch was built slightly later than the house, possibly in the 1840s and was apparently used as an astronomical observatory which once contained a large telescope.

After the last Lady Nicolson moved out of Brough Lodge in the 1960s, the property stood empty and unoccupied for many years which led to an overall poor and severely deteriorated condition. Several water leakages in the roof caused water ingress, dampness and thereby even more deterioration in floor timbers and internal finishes.
However, the masonry structures remain basically intact and there appears to be sufficient solid support still remaining upon which to found recovery of the spaces on the basis of traditional building, good conservation strategy and craft techniques. Nonetheless it is essential that steps are taken soon to ventilate the building and dry out the structures.
Since 1998, Brough Lodge was held by the Brough Lodge Trust formed by descendants of the Nicolson family with the aim of ensuring that Brough Lodge need not face the fate of decay. In the years that followed, various options for restoration of the building were explored. This resulted in a process that attracted the media’s attention making the fate of Brough Lodge a familiar subject. The trust decided to search for a philanthropic organisation with real vision and profound knowledge to promote the project and prevent the threat of losing such an important historic monument.
With its profound knowledge and resources, The European Heritage Project signed the purchase agreement in 2023 and thereby committed to the tremendous restoration measures of this project, making it one of its most spectacular Northern European projects.
The European Heritage Project has set itself the goal of developing a propound vision for Brough Lodge. Difficulties will have to be faced, such as the fact that the property is on an island that has faced depopulation and decline over recent decades as well as its remote location making it even more difficult to find suitable contractors and experts to meet the exceptional challenge of restoring the lodge.

Brough Lodge is located on the west side of the island offering stunning views across Colgrave Sound to the west and inland to the east. The lodge and its ancillary buildings form a distinctive landmark and are prominent in views from the southeast.
Fetlar is one of Shetland’s northernmost isles and is also known as the “Garden of Shetland” due to being the greenest of all the islands. The name Fetlar is reputed to originate from the Old Norse term meaning ‘the island of the fat land’.
During the 8th to 10th centuries the Vikings established their presence on Fetlar, leaving an indelible mark on its history and culture.The sea-faring capabilities of the Vikings cannot be underestimated nor downplayed; for more than 300 years the Vikings were the most experienced sailors in northern waters and their boats, of the best quality, were more than capable of making the often-dangerous journeys to new lands. The island’s strategic location made it an ideal outpost for the seafaring warriors who sought to navigate the surrounding seas in their iconic longships.
But the Vikings were drawn to Shetland’s shores not merely as conquerors, but as settlers and farmers. The Vikings adapted to the Shetland landscape which differed significantly from that of western Norway. Where there were no trees to build the wooden longhouses prevalent in Scandinavia, they used what was available; stone. As stone survives and doesn’t degrade over time, many of the longhouses they built have survived, and several have been excavated, creating a clearer picture of settlement patterns across Shetland.
Therefore, evidence of this Viking heritage can still be glimpsed today, scattered amidst the landscape. The remnants of Viking longhouses and other structures stand as silent witnesses to their craftsmanship and determination. Before the Vikings, indigenous Shetlanders had been building roundhouses in some form or another since Neolithic times, and with the arrival of the Vikings, so too came rectangular buildings for the first time.
In short, the Vikings transformed what life looked like in Shetland before their arrival. Their settlement changed the way homes were built, land was farmed and society was governed. But moreover, their sure and capable boat-building and seamanship skills opened up new horizons for fishing and trading. Much of what is seen in Shetland today has been heavily influenced by – or introduced by – the early influences of these Norse settlers.
The land in Fetlar that once belonged to the Vikings was acquired in 1805 by Sir Arthur Nicolson in a settlement of a debt owed to him by the previous landowner, Andrew Bruce of Urie.
Sir Arthur Nicolson lived in the Haa of Urie for some time before building Brough Lodge. A Haa house refers to a type of historic and grand rural residence or laird’s house characteristic of the Shetland Islands. The term “Haa” is derived from the Old Norse word “há” which means a high or prominent place.
In 1825 he started building Brough Lodge. It was during this time that he enclosed much of his estate land for sheep and evicted the tenants from those parts of the island. These actions known throughout Scotland as the “clearances” were to affect the entire social and economic structure of the island and lay the foundation for a general decline in Fetlar’s population. These clearances, or forced evictions of tenants, left gloomy ruins and empty lands where hundreds of people once scraped a living.
After the death of the first Sir Arthur in 1863, the estate was settled on his widow, Lady Eliza Jane Nicolson, who subsequently moved to Cheltenham. There is no indication that she ever returned to Brough Lodge prior to her death in 1891 and the house started to fall into serious disrepair.
Thereafter a distant cousin, also named Sir Arthur Nicolson, inherited the estate, found the lodge to be unsuitable for habitation with many of the buildings virtually roofless for the last 25 years. He carried out major improvements and when he died in 1917 the estate continued in the Nicolson family. The last occupant was Lady Jean Nicolson who lived in Brough Lodge until the 1960s when she became too ill to manage it on her own and died soon after.
Brough Lodge was then held by the Brough Lodge Trust who put tremendous effort into the conservation and restoration of the lodge. They raised almost €500.000 to rebuild the roof which was previously restored incorrectly.

Brough Lodge’s architectural and historical significance as one of the most northern examples of neogothic architecture in Europe, as well as its importance as a sample of medieval culture is undeniable.
The Brough Lodge Trust has done an exceptional job of taking care of the historic monument, building a vision, and taking important restorative steps such as the restoration of the old roof, taking the estate back to its pre-20th century architectural form.
Now, The European Heritage Project will bundle all its expertise to ensure that Brough Lodge will be traced back to its architectural heritage.
Noteworthy is that all steps and work follow the principles of minimum intervention, reversibility, and minimal loss of original structure. The first substantial work is essential before carrying out the plans for Brough Lodge’s further use.
Brough Lodge lies on an incomparable site in terms of architecture, archaeology and landscape. The work to revive Brough Lodge will not only secure the building but also attract visitors to Fetlar and give the lodge a new purpose.
The first key aspects of this approach will be as follows:
– Working closely with the authorities for monument protection to guide all further steps, which might even include geological investigations regarding historic remains.
– Brough Lodge is to be restored to its pre-20th century architectural form, making no alterations to the overall structural silhouette of the estate as such, since the significance of the lodge lies in the combination of the different buildings.
– As there is no electricity, heating, or water on site, an important initial step will be to restore these prior to starting the actual restoration and revitalisation work.
– The re-use of the chapel is planned involving minimum alteration to its existing form and appearance.

Sir Arthur Nicolson is also reputed to have had a son (also called Arthur) who died young and local tradition tells a strange tale about him. Apparently, Sir Arthur had a vision in which he saw the legendary King Arthur who asked what he most wished for. When he replied he wished for a son, King Arthur promised him this on condition that the son be named Arthur and that he built a prayer house dedicated to King Arthur. This is the legendary story behind the tower at Brough Lodge.