What is the Viking Unst Project? The Viking Unst Project, initiated by Shetland Amenity Trust, is an exciting exploration of Shetland's Viking past focused on Unst. The project brings together a dynamic and diverse team of specialists to investigate the first Viking settlement in Shetland, and its after-effects on the landscape and people. It will address the hotly debated issues of Viking period archaeology: When did the Vikings get to Shetland? Were they violent raiders or simply farmers looking for new lands? The investigations are centred on archaeological excavation and topographical survey, including placename and artefact studies. This multi-disciplined approach will unravel the story of Viking period Unst, unlocking the secrets of the island's heritage and making them accessible to everyone. Viking sites will be interpreted, a Viking trail put in place around the island, a Viking longhouse reconstructed and an interpretative centre developed.
	Why Unst? Unst is the northernmost island in Britain and lies at the crossroads of western Viking migration and trade routes. Its situation means Unst was one of the first landfalls of the Vikings as they came to Britain exploring, raiding and searching for new land. In addition, the excellent preservation of archaeological remains on the island allows a rare and exciting opportunity to fully understand rural Viking life. House sites can be viewed within a Viking landscape, boasting field systems, maritime, ecclesiastical and grave sites.
	Preliminary results A pilot study for the Viking Unst Project was carried out in 1996, funded by Shetland Amenity Trust. Work by Steffen Stummann Hansen included a review of existing records, local knowledge and fieldwork, resulting in the identification of 30 possible Viking house sites. Subsequent examination of three of these sites by the Universities of Glasgow and Copenhagen, revealed well-preserved remains and a wealth of Norse artefacts. Future work would include the full excavation of a Viking house site, such as Hamar, which would then be used as a blueprint for the reconstruction of a Viking period longhouse.
	In addition to settlement excavations, Chris Morris of the University of Glasgow has been investigating early ecclesiastical sites in Unst. Intensive survey work carried out by the Glasgow team has identified 22 possible chapel sites in Unst, and future work will include excavation of those most likely to show evidence of Pictish and Norse period ecclesiastical remains. Since 1998 Anne Christine Larsen of the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, has been carrying out survey work on Unst looking at possible Viking and Norse period maritime remains, including boat noosts and boat-shaped graves. Topographical survey led by Val Turner of Shetland Amenity Trust recorded the multi-period landscape around a group of Viking age house sites, and stone settings elsewhere in Unst.
	The future of Viking Unst Shetland Amenity Trust is currently seeking funding to establish the longer term research and interpretation project. Future work will involve further and more detailed archaeological excavation, together with an intensive survey of the landscape around each site. In addition to mapping archaeological remains, the project will also include a survey of Unst placenames and assessment of artefacts recovered on the island, to discover the location of sites no longer visible in the landscape. The results will be disseminated through the production and updating of displays, and the development of permanent features such as interpretative panels, a Viking Unst Trail and an interpretative centre. The construction of a longhouse, the in the UK, will bring the archaeological remains to life and allow visitors and residents alike a vision of Viking life in the island.