The nearby south-facing sandy beach at Meal is a popular place on a warm day.

At the south end of West Burra is Kettla Ness, with impressive cliff scenery; it is linked to the main island by a shingle and sand tombolo which also provides another attractive sandy beach.

[5] Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland suggests that Burra is a corruption of Borgarey meaning "island of the broch".

[6] The place name Brough lends some support to this case and a nearby hillock may have been a broch from which stones were removed to build the pier at Scalloway.

Today, none of the larger Shetland fishing boats is likely to be seen here but smaller vessels catch shellfish.