Many maps plonk the Shetland islands in a box somewhere off Aberdeen, but in fact they’re a lot closer to Bergen in Norway than they are to Edinburgh. Shetland endures the most violent weather experienced in the British Isles. There are some good spells of dry, sunny weather from May to September, but it’s the “simmer dim”, the twilight which lingers through the small hours at this latitude, that makes Shetland summers so memorable.
St Ninian's Isle, joined to the Shetland mainland by a tongue of sand - shutterstock
The islands’ capital, Lerwick, is a busy little port and the only town of any size. Many parts of Shetland can be reached from here on a day-trip.
South Mainland is a narrow finger of land that runs some 25 miles from Lerwick to Sumburgh Head, an area particularly rich in archeological remains, including the Iron Age Mousa Broch and the ancient settlement of Jarlshof.
A further 25 miles south of Sumburgh Head is the remote but thriving Fair Isle, synonymous with knitwear and exceptional birdlife. Even more remote are the distinctive peaks and precipitous cliffs of the island of Foula, fourteen miles west of Mainland - still counted among the lesser-known must-visit places in Scotland.
Shetland’s three North Isles bring Britain to a dramatic, windswept end: Yell has the largest population of otters in the UK; Fetlar is home to the rare red-necked phalarope and north of Unst, there’s nothing until you reach the North Pole.
Crafted with by local experts
Inhabited until World War II, and now a National Nature Reserve, Noss is a popular day-trip from Lerwick. Sloping gently into the sea at its western end, and plunging vertically for more than 500ft at its eastern end, the island has the dramatic outline of a half-sunk ocean liner. The cliffed coastline is home to vast colonies of gannets, puffins, guillemots, shags, razorbills and fulmars.
As Noss is only one mile wide, it’s easy enough to do an entire circumference in one day. If you do, keep close to the coast, since otherwise you’re likely to be dive-bombed by the great skuas (locally known as “bonxies”).
Boat trips from Lerwick to Noss include those run by Seabirds and Seals. It’s also possible to take a ferry to Maryfield on Bressay; from here it’s a two-mile walk to the landing stage where a Scottish Natural Heritage RIB can take you to Noss.
Shetland’s South Mainland is a long, thin finger of land, just three or four miles wide but 25 miles long, ending in the cliffs of Sumburgh Head, which rise sharply out of the land before dropping vertically into the sea. On 9-day Scotland trips that venture as far as Shetland, this southern stretch offers a concentrated mix of wildlife, seascapes and archaeology. The road up to Sumburgh lighthouse is the perfect place for watching nesting kittiwakes, fulmars, shags, razorbills, guillemots, gannets and puffins, while South Mainland also harbours some of Shetland’s most impressive archaeological treasures, particularly Jarlshof and Mousa Broch.
Jarlshof is the largest and most impressive of Shetland’s archeological sites. Only half of the original broch survives, and its courtyard is now an Iron Age aisled roundhouse, with stone piers.
Viking mixing with Pictish ancestry in the well-preserved settlement Jarlshof - shutterstock
It’s difficult to distinguish the original broch from the later Pictish wheelhouses that now surround it, but it’s great fun to explore, as you’re free to roam around the cells, checking out the in-built stone shelving, water tanks, beds and so on. Inland lies the maze of grass-topped foundations marking out the Viking longhouses, and towering over the whole complex are the ruins of the laird’s house, built by Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland, in the late sixteenth century, and the Old House of Sumburgh, built by his son, Earl Patrick.
The island of Mousa boasts the most amazingly well-preserved round tower (broch) in Scotland. Rising to more than 40ft, and looking rather like a Stone Age cooling tower, Mousa Broch has a remarkable presence, and even makes an appearance in the Norse sagas.
The 40ft tall Mousa Broch on Mousa Island is one of the best preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe - shutterstock
The low entrance-passage leads through two concentric walls to a central courtyard, divided into separate beehive chambers. Between the walls, a rough (very dark) staircase leads to the top parapet; a torch is provided for visitors. Mousa is only a mile wide, but if the weather’s not too bad it’s easy enough to spend the whole day here. From late May to late July, thousands of storm petrels breed in and around the broch walls, fishing out at sea during the day, and returning to the nests after dark.
A small passenger ferry runs to Mousa from Sandwick. The ferry runs special late-night trips, setting off around 11pm.
Rough Guides combines destination expertise with tailor-made travel planned by vetted Scotland local experts. You can use our city and regional guides as a starting point, then receive up to 3 personalized trip plans created from scratch around your preferred pace, experiences, and route through the country. The final itinerary is refined directly with the local travel agent instead of being selected from a fixed package.
written by
Rough Guides Editors
