Shetland

Britain's northernmost islands, with Lerwick as a base for puffins, Shetland ponies, Iron Age brochs and Viking remains.

The Shetland Islands lie about 170 km north of mainland Scotland, between the North Atlantic and the North Sea. The archipelago has more than 100 islands, 16 of them inhabited, and is almost as close to Bergen in Norway as it is to Aberdeen. Shetland passed from Norway to Scotland only in 1469, and Norse influence shows everywhere in its place names, dialect and festivals. The islands are almost treeless, with a long, indented coastline full of cliffs, tombolos and voes, and diminutive Shetland ponies graze in roadside fields. The capital, Lerwick, is the base; its old town stretches along the harbour, with the Shetland Museum, Fort Charlotte and Clickimin Broch. The southern route runs about 40 km down the Mainland: Mousa Broch (reached by small boat), the tombolo at St Ninian's Isle, Old Scatness, and, at the southern tip, the Jarlshof site and the puffin cliffs of Sumburgh Head. The western route leads to Scalloway Castle and the volcanic sea cliffs of Eshaness. The northern route takes two consecutive ferries via Yell to Unst, Britain's northernmost inhabited island, for the gannets of Hermaness nature reserve, views of Muckle Flugga lighthouse, a Viking longhouse and the "cutest bus shelter". From Lerwick you can also take a boat trip around the seabird cliffs of Noss. May–August is the best time to visit: puffins come ashore from late April to early August, and in June there is barely any darkness; the Viking fire festival takes place on the last Tuesday of January. Getting there: the NorthLink overnight ferry from Aberdeen (about 12–14 hours), or flights from Edinburgh or Aberdeen to Sumburgh Airport. Buses on the islands are infrequent, so hiring a car is recommended; allow 4–5 days. The weather is changeable and windy, so bring windproof and waterproof clothing.

Top sights

• Jarlshof – An archaeological site spanning four thousand years, with Bronze Age houses, Iron Age wheelhouses and Viking longhouses stacked on top of o…
• Sumburgh Head – A lighthouse headland at the southernmost tip of the Mainland, where puffins nest on cliffs right beside the path in summer, making it one…
• Broch of Mousa – The best-preserved Iron Age stone tower in the world, about 13 metres tall, with a staircase inside the wall that lets visitors climb to th…
• St Ninian's Isle – Britain's largest active tombolo, a white sand causeway with clear blue water on either side, linking the Mainland with the small island of…
• Eshaness Cliffs & Lighthouse – Black sea cliffs carved from the flank of an ancient volcano, where giant waves crash against sea caves, arches and stacks, creating a wild…
• Hermaness & Muckle Flugga – Britain's northernmost seabird reserve, where clifftop viewpoints overlook Muckle Flugga, Britain's northernmost lighthouse, and the rocks…
• Lerwick Old Town & Commercial Street – The northernmost town in the UK, where stone-paved Commercial Street and the waterside Lodberries storehouses tell the story of maritime tr…
• Shetland Museum and Archives – A modern museum by the harbour covering geology, the Picts, the Vikings, fishing and Fair Isle knitting. Admission is free.
• Fort Charlotte – A 17th-century five-pointed fort in central Lerwick, with ramparts overlooking the harbour and Bressay.
• Broch of Clickimin – An Iron Age stone tower and millennium-old settlement site on the shore of a loch on the edge of Lerwick, easily reached on foot from the t…
• Up Helly Aa – One of Europe's largest fire festivals, where over a thousand torch-bearers in Viking dress parade and then burn a Viking longship.
• Scalloway Castle & Museum – A 17th-century tower castle in Shetland's former capital, with a museum beside it telling the legendary story of the wartime Shetland Bus.
• Old Scatness – An Iron Age stone-tower village excavated beside the airport, where in summer costumed guides recreate ancient life.
• Isle of Noss – A national nature reserve east of Bressay, where tens of thousands of gannets nest on sea cliffs 180 meters high.
• Shetland Croft House Museum – A restored 19th-century thatched croft house, with a peat fire, wooden box beds and a water mill that recreate traditional Shetland farm li…
• Stanydale Temple – A large Neolithic oval stone building on the moorland, its purpose a mystery, with the remains of ancient farmhouses scattered around it.
• Unst Bus Shelter – A bus shelter that villagers have turned into a cosy living room, redecorated with a new theme each year, and now a popular photo spot on U…
• Viking Unst (Hamar Longhouse & Skidbladner) – A reconstructed Viking longhouse and a replica longship, Skidbladnir, on the shore of Haroldswick Bay, with a fishing boat museum nearby.
• Muness Castle – The UK's most northerly castle, a late-16th-century Z-plan tower house ruin standing alone on the south shore of Unst.
• Skaw Beach – The northernmost inhabited place in Britain, with a white-sand bay embraced by grassy slopes.
• Old Haa Museum – A 17th-century merchant's house in Burravoe on Yell, displaying island life, shipwreck finds and folk traditions, with a tearoom.
• Weisdale Mill & Bonhoga Gallery – A 19th-century grain mill converted into a Shetland arts centre showing contemporary art and local crafts.

Where to eat

• Fjara Café Bar – A glass-fronted café bar on the Lerwick seafront, serving Shetland produce from breakfast through dinner. Seals are oft…
• No. 88 Kitchen and Bar – A popular restaurant on Lerwick's Commercial Street serving seasonal menus with local seafood and lamb. Its signature f…
• Frankie's Fish and Chips – Britain's most northerly fish and chip shop, in Brae. It has won several national and Scottish fish and chip awards and…
• The Fort Café – A long-established fish and chip shop beneath Fort Charlotte in Lerwick, a local legend serving fresh fish in generous…
• Da Haaf Sea View Restaurant – A seafood restaurant inside the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway, with views of the whole harbour from its windows. Cull…

Itineraries

• Shetland and Orkney: Northern Isles – Take the overnight ferry from Aberdeen north to Shetland, then head south to Orkney to explore brochs, seabirds, and Ne…