Historic House and organic vegetable garden

Shetland

8 reviews • Updated 11 days ago

Housesitter needed for Sept/Oct, 2026 when we are visiting our grandson in the USA. We have a homestead in development. The restoration of the historic house is approaching completion and the owners, Fred & Sunita, currently live in the nearby village of Baltasound. This 300 year-old property is in process of complete renovation and the adjacent gardens are being developed using intensive organic gardening principals rooted in Permaculture and 'no-dig' methods. The owners, Fred & Sunita, have developed organic gardens in several locales, and are committed to developing the property to become self-sufficient in food and energy. The garden was established in 2019 and is maturing nicely. A passive solar greenhouse is currently being built. The property is situated on the edge of Haroldswick Bay in Unst, Scotland's most northern isle. When not participating in organised activities (usually 5-8 hours/day), WWoof guests can enjoy hiking the heath, exploring the hills and wildlife sanctuaries, or participating in aqua-sports. The island has a fully staffed health clinic and leisure centre with a gym, swimming pool and fitness classes. In addition to managing the place, Fred teaches karate, and manages a tour company, www.greenolivetours.com and an affiliated advocacy organization, www.greenolivecollective.com. Sunita is a harpist and performs locally and internationally. The couple also produce retreats, concerts and events on Unst and other islands, and in Italy and the USA. Their daughter Maya is a yoga teacher and naturopathic doctor who visits in the summer and conducts yoga classes and workshops in Shetland. The family has a friendly labrador dog. Laila. You will have the opportunity to participate in activities such as gathering seaweed and animal manure for the compost piles, planting trees, helping build new raised planting beds, harvesting and preserving vegetables, and cooking meals. In addition if you are handy with woodworking and stone, then there are many carpentry and masonry projects on the property. Organic methods: Compost for the raised beds are built with layers of seaweed, pony and cow poo, cut grass, ashes, sawdust and kitchen & garden waste. They are turned after a few months with more layers added, then left to mature, and turned again after several months and covered for 6 months in order for the materials to be fully composted. Certifications: We are not commercial so certification is unnecessary. HOUSESITTING 2026 We need house-sitter or couple for all September and the first half of October 2026- dates still to be finalised. We need people to house-sit for us periodically and look after our wonderful friendly Labrador dog, Laila. In addition to looking after the house while we are gone, there will still be be opportunities for activities here and you could have a bit of solitude in a nice house with a beautiful view over Haroldswick Bay.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Forestry

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Traditional crafts

Green Building

Renewable energy production

Food justice / sovereignty

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Biodynamic agriculture

No-till farming

Permaculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

0.4 Hectares | 1 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Fred

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 5 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Shetland

Ferry to Lerwick port or fly to Sunburgh Airport. Daily integrated buses and ferries to the northern isle of Unst. Bus stops directly outside our house. Can pickup from ferry if coordinated in advance and it fits our work schedule. Otherwise take a bus.

Reviews

Bruno

France • November 2025

We spent a month with Fred, Sunita and Laila on the island of Unst, it was wonderful. We helped them both in the garden and inside. It was overall a great experience that we recomand for whoever wants to discover the Shetland Islands.

Peggy

United States • September 2024

Words cannot express how incredible our time at the Hamars was with Fred and Sunita! They are both extraordinary people who made our experience unforgettable! We were warmly welcomed into their home and we felt comfortable immediately. Our days were a perfect blend of work and free time. Our tasks were varied so we were never bored: gathering and bagging seaweed and horse dung for the compost process, bagging finished compost for later use, turning the 3 large composting bins to prepare for the winter, weeding, and building several stone walls. Fred communicated directions for each task with clear instructions and was very supportive of our efforts. Sunita is an excellent cook resulting in delicious meals with vegetables fresh from their garden! We also got to help her bottle homemade kombucha and learned how to make rhubarb wine from their plants! Fred and Sunita made sure we were able to engage with local community members to learn about island culture and we also got in lots of hiking around Unst! We highly recommend WWOOFing at the Hamars with Fred and Sunita! We definitely plan to return!! Thank you both for everything!!

Sydney

Canada • June 2024

We had an amazing time staying with Fred and Sunita! We felt so at home and enjoyed great meals and conversation. We were inspired by the restoration project at the Hamars and assisted with various projects in the house and garden: planting, composting, drainage, stone wall building and more! Unst is a special place worth exploring, with beautiful hikes, beaches and stunning ocean views. We loved taking sweet Layla for daily walks and visiting the local cows, sheep and ponies. Thank you so much for having us! We hope we can come back before too long.

Savitri

Netherlands • May 2024

I had an amazing stay at Hamars, for 2 weeks! Fred & Sunita were friendly, showed me tons of different things to work on and really understood that WWOOF is also an experience, leaving time to explore the island and introducing me to local people and events. Their dog Layla is the best dog ever, always happy to meet new people and get cuddles. This was my first WWOOF experience ever, and my first time at helping out in a garden & home under construction, and I can't recommend it enough. Fred was really patient, showing me how to do stuff and sharing his knowledge with me. The vegan food they eat is delicious, with Sunita baking a lot as well, sharing stories about island life. Their house has an amazing view next to the sea, with seals lying in the sun just around the corner, and otters swimming at the other end. It's an amazing place to enjoy Shetland nature and island life. Fred & Sunita, thanks again for everything and good luck with the further restoration of the house & growing the garden! I hope I will be able to return one day and see the finished project.

Inke

Germany • May 2024

We stayed with Fred, Sunita, and Lila for two weeks and can highly recommend them as hosts. Very friendly and caring hosts! We had a great stay and go on with a whole bunch of new knowledge and ideas we have been introduced to. Our kids were very inspired aswell. In the mornings we worked at the Hamars: We put up a new net over the raised beds, collected seaweed and horse manure, organized tiles, planted a tree, walked the dog, collected rubbish on the shore, leveled the driveway and put gravel on it, etc. Sunita and Fred treated us with delicious meals and arranged for us to go to Hermaness, to local concerts and meet local people and friends. In the afternoon we had time to explore the island or relax. We hope to be back to see how the Hamars is developing. Thanks again Sunita and Fred and good luck with your beautiful project.

Jemima

United Kingdom • June 2023

I would recommend Fred and Sunita as good hosts. They are very interesting people with lost of projects that they are running on the island and lots of ideas for the future. I stayed with them for 3 weeks, with one week of housesitting in the middle, looking after their dog Laila who is gentle, sweet and loves walks. I really enjoyed cycling to the hamars each morning and then working right next to the sea. I built raised beds, laid some paths in the garden and planted trees, as well as watering the vegetables since the weather was so good whilst I was there. The working day was relaxed with time to explore in the afternoon, especially with the long daylight hours. Unst is beautiful and the wildlife during June - the birds and wild flowers, was amazing. On my last evening I I was able to go to one of Sunita's harp concerts and that was very special. I would love to visit again one day and see the completed renovation of the hamars. Thankyou for having me:)

Reply from Fred

It was our pleasure. You will always be welcome. Fred & Sunita