Shetland Islands travel guide
The Shetland Islands are located halfway between Scotland and Norway. Shetland is a Unesco geopark and therefore consists of a diverse range of geomorphological formations. In other words: it has many unique landscapes, from soft green hills and clear blue water to rough red cliffs. In this day-by-day guide, we share the highlights of the Shetland Islands.
The Shetland Islands: Scottish or Norwegian?
Shetland is located about halfway between Scotland and Norway. Although it has been in Scottish hands for a few centuries, it used to be owned by the Danish and before that inhabited by the Norwegians (Vikings), hence the visible Nordic influences like the colourful houses.
We've spent 3 days thoroughly exploring the Shetland islands, and although this is long enough for a good 'taste', it's definitely not long enough to see everything there is to see at this rather large island group. If you love exploring nature, hiking, or just the peacefulness of island life, a week would be more fitting.
In this guide, we share our day-by-day guide for exploring some of the highlights of the Shetland Islands!
Day 1: white beaches, history and puffins
When you arrive in the capital town of Lerwick early in the morning, we highly recommend getting some old-school breakfast with the locals at The New Harbour Cafe. We suggest going to St Ninian's Isle right away, to have it all to yourself. This extremely beautiful white sand land bridge between the mainland and the isle creates a stunning bay with clear blue water, soft green hills and rough cliffs surrounding it. In case you're lucky and look around carefully, you might be able to catch a seal. If not, there is plenty of other wildlife, like beautiful birds and rabbits and their intriguing homes in the hill.
Near Jarlshof is another highlight, the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. Although some people do visit the lighthouse (which requires an entrance fee), we only went there to see something we have always dreamed of seeing: puffins! It was even better than we could have imagined. In case you catch them at the right time (our fellow boat passenger told us he went there for almost two weeks straight and didn't see them...), there are so many and they are surprisingly approachable, and perhaps needless to say, extremely fun and pretty! In case you've never seen a puffin fly, you might be surprised by how clumsy it seems for a bird that spends its time on the side of cliffs... June and July are the best months to see (large amounts of) puffins. In case you're extremely lucky, you might even be able to spot an orca at Sumburgh. If you're not lucky at all, you can still enjoy the stunning views!
Next up, you can drive to the south of mainland Shetland, to the famous Jarlshof, which consists of a Prehistoric and Norse Settlement. It's nearly as old as Skara Brae at Orkney, but unique in the sense that it has been settled throughout different periods for more than 4000 years. Next to the fact that so much of the different settlements can still be seen, the surroundings are beautiful as well.
Day 2: hiking the cliffs of Eshaness
Because Shetland has so many different geological formations and therefore landscapes, it's a true hiker's dream! We wouldn't consider ourselves to be experienced or adventurous hikers, so we opted for the Eshaness Circular which is 6 kilometres long and should take about 3 hours, but you can also turn around halfway. The trail is a loop around the old volcanic cliffs of Eshaness, starting at the lighthouse. The drive over there is very beautiful. It's recommended to stop by the Braewick Café, as there isn't anything else around this part of the island. The hike is indeed very easy and the views are stunning!
For us, the hike turned out to be more challenging than expected, but that was because we didn't take a turn back on time and ended up having to hike for twice as long, all the way around farmer's fields and along the road. Even though we did not wish for this unexpected detour, we did enjoy the stunning heather landscape, cute sheep, and beautiful cliffs and rock formations such as Dore Holm (or what many people call the drinking horse). In case you need to refuel your energy on your way back, stop by Frankie's Fish & Chips for the northernmost fish and chips!
Day 3: exploring bays and towns
In case this is your last day, you might not want to wander off too far away from Lerwick where the boat will depart from again. A fun activity to do in Lerwick is to visit the Shetland Museum. It's also great to do this at the beginning of your first day to fully comprehend the special history and nature of this island group.
The second biggest town of Shetland is Scalloway. We have to admit, however, that we found it quite underwhelming, as there is little to see or do (in our experience). However, it is nice to pass by if you're going to Burra, which consists of two connected islands on the west.
What's a better way to end your Shetland visit than by having lunch or some delicious hot chocolate at the lovely Fjarå Café Bar and then calmly strolling around Lerwick? The streets of Lerwick are colourfully decorated and there are a few nice souvenir shops and cafes like The Dowry and the Peerie Shop and Café. You might not expect it, but Lerwick also has quite a few foreign restaurants, in case you're hoping to eat something less UK-ish. We had a pretty nice Cantonese meal at The Great Wall.
In Hamnavoe, you'll find the beautiful white sand bay called The Sands of Meal. Many people then go to the Shetland Pony Experience, but we were more interested in the site next to it: Minn Beach, which is quite similar in shape to St Ninian's beach, but just as worthy of a visit. The surrounding mountains with Nordic-looking houses are stunning as well.
Possible additions
Shetland consists of several islands. Some are attached to the main island and others are disconnected and can only be reached by ferry, like Yell which is famous for its pristine beaches and Unst which is famous for its big bird populations. It is definitely worth it to add these islands to your Shetland itinerary, as they provide even more of that remote island feeling. A week in Shetland would be a good amount of time to more thoroughly explore the island group.
In case you're planning a longer holiday, a trip to both Shetland and Orkney is a great combination. From Orkney, you can take a short ferry ride to John o'Groats in the north of Scotland. We can highly recommend doing the North Coast 500 road trip from there, which is one of the most popular sightseeing routes in Scotland.
You can also stay on the ferry from Shetland a bit longer and travel further south with it to Aberdeen. From there, you can explore the nearby Cairngorms National Park, which was also one of our highlights. Check out our Scotland travel itinerary for more inspiration.
Practical information
How to get to Shetland
The best way to explore the Shetland Islands is by car. It's possible to fly in and rent one, but we think it's the most fun to add it to a longer Scotland road trip. There are two ways to reach the Shetland Islands by car. You can either take the ferry from John o'Groats to the Orkney Islands (1-2 hours) and then to Shetland (6 hours during the day, 8 hours during the night), or you take the overnight ferry from the Scottish city of Aberdeen (14 hours).
The only operator is NorthLink Ferries, and a roundtrip between Orkney and Shetland cost us about 230 pounds (two persons and a car). We booked the cheapest sleeping option (18 pounds per person): the sleeping 'pod', which is actually a more luxurious reclining seat. We expected the worst, but with the sleep mask, earplugs and blanket provided, it was comfortable enough. The trip from Aberdeen is much longer but only costs a little bit more. We would be dreading such a long time on a boat, but in case this suits your travel plans better, it is surely a good option for visiting the Shetland islands. Definitely book a cabin if you do.
Where to stay
The Shetlands Islands might be larger than you expect, it takes about 1.5 hours to drive from the southernmost part of the 'mainland' to the northern part. We would suggest staying in or near the capital of Lerwick since there is a higher availability of accommodations and restaurants. It is also the place from which you can take most ferries.
In case you're planning on adding the islands of Yell and Unst to your itinerary, it can be worth it to find accommodation there as well, to save yourself time and stress from having to catch multiple ferries on the same day.
In case you are camping, you are more flexible in terms of locations, though you might want to look for a hotel or B&B when you're travelling with a tent (like us), since the weather is quite unpredictable here.
