Highlights of the Shetland Islands and Places to Visit
Lerwick
Lerwick is the islands’ beating heart. All of the banks, for one, are found in Lerwick’s old town centre, as well as the offices of Visit Shetland where travellers can sort out accommodation bookings and ask questions regarding their trip (Porter, 2010, p.12).
Despite its small size, Lerwick (from the Norn Leirvik meaning “muddy bay”) enjoys a variety of leisure and entertainment facilities that can be found on the Scottish mainland and in larger cities. It has an intriguing history: it was founded as an unofficial (or, shall we say, illegal) marketplace for 17th century Dutch herring fleets, and was, in short order, demolished by order of the Scalloway court (Scalloway was capital of Shetland before Lerwick), burnt by the Dutch, and incinerated by the French.
Against all odds, Lerwick rose from the ashes and became a bustling, modern city. Its largest open public space, located around the Clickimin Loch, is the Clickimin Centre with sports facilities, a leisure pool, and a well-equipped camping and caravan site. Birdwatchers will have a grand time at the loch, as they are sure to spot mallard and teal, as well as goldeneye and whooper Swans which uses the loch as a migration stopover.
South of the loch is Clickimin Broch, one of Shetland’s major archaeological sites. A broch is a prehistoric circular stone tower unique to Scotland. Clickimin Broch is one of around 500 of these stone structures found in Scotland, more than 100 of which still stand in Shetland (Porter, 2010, p.24).
There is no better way to learn more about Lerwick and Shetland history than a visit to the Shetland Museum and Archives. The two main museum galleries have over 3,000 artefacts. Visitors can learn the Shetland story through thematic zones focused on customs and folklore, the change in culture from Norse to Scottish, and the positive and negative effects of the British government on the islands.
The museum sits on Hay’s Dock, which dates back to the 1820s. Also located at the historic port is Shetland’s music, cinema, and creative industries centre, Mareel, where visitors can watch films or sip coffee by the North Sea. Mareel also holds writing, arts and craft, and dance workshops.
Those unable to attend the Up Helly Aa festivities in winter can see the exhibition in the Galley Shed in summer. The Shetland Textile Museum is housed at The Böd, a restored fishing station and the birthplace of Arthur Anderson, a philanthropist and for many years a Member of Parliament for Shetland and Orkney. Visitors can view the textile collection and talk to skilled spinners and weavers.
Visitors can also walk from the Museum to the south end of Lerwick’s main street, Commercial Street, to experience the waterfront and view the lodberries (flat rocks which serves as a landing place for boats), where goods were once smuggled in and out of Lerwick.
Northmavine
Only the narrow isthmus at Mavis Grind joins Northmavine to the rest of the Mainland, making it almost an island of its own. Visitors can enjoy coastal walks that can take them up to Ronas Hill, Shetland’s highest point at 450 metres (1,475 feet). From this vantage point you’ll be able to see all of Shetland and, if the weather is clear, even as far as Fair Isle.
Learn more about Northmavine in the Tangwick Haa Museum and enjoy the dramatic ocean landscapes with a cup of tea at the Braewick Cafe.
Central Mainland
The Central Mainland islands are connected with the Mainland via bridges. The Burra Bridge will take you to the fishing village of Hamnavoe, where you can walk along the coast to the Fugla Ness lighthouse and along the fine sand of Meal Beach, Shetland’s most popular beach.
Also located in Central Mainland is Scalloway, Shetland’s capital until the 18th century. Scalloway is only 15 minutes away by car from Lerwick and supports a tiny population of 2,000 (Porter, 2010, p. 20). The town’s most notable feature is the infamous Scalloway Castle, built in 1600 using forced labour by the order of Patrick Stewart, the 2nd Earl of Orkney, who was made Lord of Shetland in 1590. In 1609, following complaints regarding his misrule of the islands, Stewart was imprisoned in Edinburgh and was executed in 1615.
The remains of his castle is in the care of Historic Scotland and can be viewed by the public.
Next to the castle is the Scalloway Museum, which houses a moving display about the heroes of the “Shetland Bus”. During World War II, the Shetland Bus (official name: Norwegian Naval Independent Unit), the Norwegian resistance who carried out clandestine naval operations against Nazi Germany, used Scalloway as its home base.
If you happen to be in the Shetland Islands in June and July, it is best to travel along the rich meadows of the amazing Tingwall Valley, which will be blanketed by the colours of Shetland’s native wild flowers, including several species of orchid.
South Mainland
This long, narrow peninsula runs about 40 kilometres south from Lerwick and is a treat for those longing for incredible scenery and those interested in prehistoric structures. Many of the places here are less than two kilometres (a mile) from the sea (Porter, 2010, p. 24), promising sandy beaches and sightings of seabirds.
Off the east coast, on Mousa Island, one can find the best preserved broch in the world. Mousa Broch rises to 13 metres with an internal diameter of six metres, virtually intact, including the stone staircase that present-day visitors can climb to enjoy the view. It can be reached by a short boat trip; there is also a special evening trip to watch storm petrels which return to nest in the walls of the broch (Porter, 2010, p.24).
The South Mainland is also the location of Shetland’s most recently excavated archaeological sites, Old Scatness. The remains of this Iron Age Village, buried for 2,000 years, was first discovered by workmen–who dug up a broch–building the access road to the expanded Sumburgh Airport. Twenty years later, the Shetland Amenity Trust raised funding to excavate the site, and the more extensive digs revealed the remarkably well-preserved village which grew around the broch.
Visitors can go on a guided tour of this exciting archaeological treasure during the summer months. There are recreated Iron Age and Pictish buildings, as well as Living History demonstrations which bring the village to life.
Beyond Old Scatness is another prehistoric settlement called Jarlshof, which was discovered after storms unveiled its stonework. As the settlement was in use until the 1600s, it has a wealth of artefacts from various historical ages: Bronze Age homes, Iron Age wheelhouses, Norse long houses, and structures from the Middle Ages and the 1500s.
Sumburgh Head is the southernmost tip of the Shetland mainland, which features Shetland’s first lighthouse, built by engineer Robert Stevenson, grandfather to novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Also in Sumburgh Head is a nature reserve run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Between April and July, visitors can see the puffins that alight here.
Visitors can also explore St Ninian’s Isle, which is connected to the mainland by a sandbar (also called a tombolo or ayre) that emerges during the summer and is covered by the tide during winter.
The island became famous in 1958 with the discovery of silver bowls and ornaments dating back to the year 800 during an archaeological dig. These discoveries are now saved in the Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh. No one inhabits St Ninian’s Isle save for sheep, and is perfect for an idyllic picnic or coastal walk. St Ninian’s Isle is regularly compared to the tropical beaches of the Caribbean due to its pristine, white sandy beaches and gliterring water.
Small group tours Shetland Islands
These are only a few of the many places to discover and explore in Shetland. For those who want to learn more about the islands, Shetland.org is a good resource, as well as Lindsey Porter’s Shetland Islands (The Horizon Press, 2010). Both of these references, as well as a variety of online resources, were consulted for this article.
Every year, Odyssey Traveller researches and designs new tours for senior travellers. Our small group educational tours and guided walking holidays provide focused attention and an immersive experience that may be hard to find with other travel groups.
We have several tours to Scotland, including the 20-day Scottish Isles small group tour. Our tours of Scotland’s islands and its Neolithic sites begins in Glasgow, before heading to the Isle of Mull and Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides. We then head to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, before wrapping up in Edinburgh, with plenty of other stops along the way. Just click through to sign up. This program is quite popular among our participants: as of March 2019, three departures are guaranteed, which means the tours have reached the minimum number of participants required to operate the tour and will proceed this year and in 2020 (terms and conditions apply). Happy travelling!
Originally published March 24, 2019.
Updated on October 11, 2019.
Updated July 2021.