The Wild West is where you would normally expect to see wigwams, but a new take on the old design is making its mark throughout the north of Britain.

This summer will see the most northerly addition to the Wigwam Holiday trail, with four peaked wooden chalets being erected at the popular Braewick Café and Caravan Park in Eshaness, Shetland.

Christina and Magnus Nicolson, who opened a café and four star campsite on their croft in December 2005, are expanding their range of accommodation with these innovative structures designed on the Scottish mainland.

The camping cabins are the brainchild of ex-forestry worker Charles Gulland, who was looking for a constructive way of recycling unused offcuts from the trees he was cutting down.

Since 1992 he has overseen a network of Wigwams going up from Wales to Wester Ross, and now Shetland.

The idea appealed to the Nicolsons when they spotted them at St Cyrus, in Kincardineshire, during a trip to investigate tourism opportunities for the Northmavine Initiative at the Edge programme.

Shetland summers can be beset by unreliable weather, and the cabins offer an added alternative. Magnus explained: "Tents do sometimes blow down or are hard to put up, so this gives campers a choice  -  a rigid tent that can stand up to any weather."

Each cabin can sleep up to five adults on robust sleeping platforms, with skylights, an opening window and a lockable door. They are fully insulated, double glazed with dimmer lights, a panel heater and a plug socket for extra luxury.

The Nicolsons see the Wigwams as a complement to the rest of their facility, which employs 11 people during the tourist season and serves home grown lamb, beef and pork on the cafe menu.

As well as tourists, local people will be able to come north to feast on the spectacular view as well as the scrumptious food, and spend the night in one of the chalets, though they will need to bring their own bedding.

The Nicolson's son George Magnus, a qualified builder, is putting the Wigwams together and hopes to have the first ones open for business in June.

HIE Shetland has approved £5,400 towards the total cost of the chalets, with a further £4,320 coming from Shetland Islands Council's economic development unit. The Nicolsons will cover the rest of the total cost of £32,800.

Tourism is one of HIE's key sectors for development and this project will enable growth in one of Shetland's most fragile areas. Northmavine is an Initiative at the Edge area and the local development group has been working hard to promote enterprising ideas such as this.

HIE development officer Ryan Joswik said: "HIE are delighted to be supporting this exciting project. The concept of Wigwams is totally new to Shetland and the combination of this type of accommodation plus the dramatic landscape of Eshaness will appeal to those visitors who are looking for a unique holiday adventure."

As well as running the licensed café and caravan park, Braewick is on the Northmavine geological trail and has a craft shop, currently featuring "geotextile" feltwork based on rock formations by a local artist. They are also introducing wireless internet access and have a webcam looking out to sea.