The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the United Kingdom, a group of islands 100 mi (160 km) north of mainland Scotland. The largest town, Lerwick, is closer to Norway than to Edinburgh, and culturally and geographically they feel more Norse than Scottish. They're low-lying and treeless, divided by long fjords ("voes") and sparsely populated, but prosperous thanks to the oil industry.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Shetland is 60 degrees north, on the same latitude as Hudson Bay and the Yukon. It’s windy! In mid-summer the day is almost 20 hours long, with only a brief “simmer dim” before sunrise. You can easily get sunburnt, not noticing the sun in the cool breeze, in between getting drenched by showers. Winter days are short, gloomy affairs. Shetland was settled from prehistoric times and because there were few trees, dwellings had to be made of stone. So these have survived better than elsewhere: Jarlshof dates back to 2500 BC. From 800 AD Shetland came under Viking rule, and (as in Orkney) this lasted until 1472 when the northern islands were ceded to Scotland.
ZetTrans is Shetland's transport partnership for all modes of public transport. Shetland Travel Information has timetables for buses, inter-island ferries and inter-island plane flights. Inter-island flights are operated by Airtask (☏ +44 1595 840246 for booking) on behalf of Shetland Islands Council, and fly from 2 Tingwall Airport (LWK IATA) 7 miles north of Lerwick, to Fair Isle (FIE IATA) and Foula (FOA IATA). They don't fly from Sumburgh except for a summer Saturday flight between there and Fair Isle. You can't book online, as they need to prioritise residents and essential visitors such as a GP or doctor.
Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick is a good start, with excellent displays on the geology, natural environment, and long history of these islands. Up Helly Aa Exhibition in Lerwick. Each February the "guizers" start building a Viking longship, and by June the work in progress is on display, along with displays about the festival. Several places in Shetland have Up Helly Aa events, but by far the biggest and most spectacular is in Lerwick, with a grand costumed torchlight procession culminating in burning the longship. It's nowadays held on the last Tuesday in January. Prehistoric sites: the standout is Jarlshof in Sumburgh, inhabited from 2500 BC into early modern times.
Sea kayaking hire and guided tours are available from Sea Kayak Shetland. They're based in Frakkafield north of Lerwick, with access to either coast according to sea conditions. Wildlife watching boat trips: various operators but a good one is Seabirds and Seals, with tickets available from the Tourist Information Centre in Lerwick. One popular trip, combining a short sailing time with a spectacular result, is to Bressay and Noss. The lie of the land means that shore-based visitors can get a good view of Noss but find it difficult to approach the sea cliffs of Bressay, so a boat gives a better view.
Shetland cuisine is heavily based on the excellent local seafood, together with local lamb. Milk and dairy products are produced on Shetland, as is some beef. One local speciality is reestit mutton which is salted, dried meat often served with bannocks or as part of a potato soup. Some fruit & veg are grown in the islands, but much has to be imported. Most places for dining out are in Lerwick. Out of town, the best dining is in the local hotels - see individual pages. There are two good supermarkets in Lerwick (Tesco and a Co-Op) and local shops in other villages. In summer there are Sunday Teas in local village halls, with good home baking. Proceeds generally go to charity.
The Shetland Distillery Company in Unst produces gin and blended malt whisky. There are several lively bars and even a nightclub in Lerwick. Outside the capital, bars are in local hotels. There is an off-licence in Lerwick and alcohol is sold in supermarkets and local shops. The legal drinking age is 18 (16 for accompanied minors drinking beer or cider with a meal). Proof of age is often demanded of those who appear to be under 25.
For emergency services (police, ambulance, fire & rescue, coastguard) ring 999. The National Health Service provides health care here on the same basis as elsewhere in Britain; the emergency hospital is the Gilbert Bain in Lerwick, and GPs in these parts are well versed in dealing with health problems far from city back-up. You will be very unlucky to be mugged, robbed or threatened, though there's the occasional unpleasant drunk in Lerwick. The main hazards are natural: cold and rain, rough seas with strong currents, and lots of steep slippery slopes above unfenced cliffs. Seabirds, especially Bonxies (great skuas), will attack if you approach their nests in the breeding season.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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