Measurements of X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer effect were made on a series of Y_1-xSc_xFe₂ polycrystalline samples (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 1.0). It was found that the system has the cubic MgCu₂ structure except for x = 1.0 where hexagonal MgZn₂ structure type is stable. The lattice constant decreases with increasing x. The results of Mössbauer effect study at room temperature show that the easy axes of magnetization remain in the <111> direction for the cubic samples and <100> for the hexagonal one. Curie temperatures T_C were determined from temperature dependence of the hyperfine magnetic fields. The concentration dependence of the hyperfine fields and T_C show similar trends, exhibiting a maximum at x = 0.8. The magnetic and structural behaviour show that, in spite of being isoelectronic, the substitution of Y by Sc induces clear changes in the structural and magnetic properties of the compounds under investigation.