Is Shetland Worth the Journey?

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Lerwick is closer to Bergen in Norway than it is to Edinburgh. Let that settle for a moment. Shetland sits where the North Sea meets the Atlantic, so far north that on midsummer night the sky never quite goes dark. It’s also so far from the mainland that for six centuries these islands answered to Norwegian kings, not Scottish ones.

Getting here takes effort. That’s rather the point.

So, should you go? If you want somewhere that feels genuinely different from the rest of Scotland, the short answer is yes.

Shetland at a glance

• Around 100 islands, of which about 16 are inhabited
• Nowhere in Shetland is more than about three miles from the sea
• Roughly 210 miles (340 km) north of Aberdeen
• The main town is Lerwick; the airport is at Sumburgh, at the southern tip

What makes Shetland special?

1. A Viking heart that still beats
   Norse settlers arrived around the 9th century. Shetland stayed under Norwegian and Danish rule until 1469, when it was pledged to Scotland as part of a royal marriage dowry. You still hear that history everywhere: in place names ending in -wick, -voe and -ster, and in the local dialect.

The most spectacular reminder is Up Helly Aa, held in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of every January. Up to a thousand torch-bearing guizers march through the darkened town before setting a full-size replica Viking galley ablaze. Since 2023, women and girls have been able to join the Lerwick squads too. The next one falls on 26 January 2027, and smaller fire festivals light up other parts of the islands in the weeks that follow.

2. Wildlife that stops you in your tracks
   Shetlanders call puffins “Tammie Norries”. They return to the cliffs from late April until around mid-August, and late May and June are the sweet spot. The easiest place to see them is Sumburgh Head, just minutes from the airport, beside a lighthouse built in 1821 by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Further north, Hermaness on Unst has towering gannet colonies and the dive-bombing great skuas that locals call “bonxies”. Seals haul out in quiet voes, otters fish along the shoreline, and orcas pass through, often in early summer.

3. Two thousand years of stone
   Mousa Broch is the tallest broch still standing anywhere. It’s a 13-metre Iron Age stone tower built around 300 BC, on a tiny island reached by a short boat trip. It even appears in the Norse sagas: an eloping couple shipwrecked on their way to Iceland around AD 900 are said to have sheltered inside. On summer nights, storm petrels flutter back to nest in its walls.

Then there’s Jarlshof, near Sumburgh, where people lived almost continuously for around 4,000 years. You can walk through Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse longhouses and a 17th-century laird’s house, all on one windswept shore. Sir Walter Scott gave it its name.

4. Island hopping to the edge of Britain
   Unst is Britain’s most northerly inhabited island. Reaching it means two short inter-island ferries via Yell, which is part of the adventure. From Hermaness you can look out to Muckle Flugga lighthouse, with nothing beyond it but ocean. Between the islands you’ll find empty white-sand beaches, peaty moorland and cliffs that drop straight into the Atlantic.
5. Lerwick’s harbour-town charm
   Shetland’s capital is compact and walkable, with stone lanes, independent shops and harbourside pubs. Don’t miss the Shetland Museum & Archives at Hay’s Dock. It’s free to enter and the best introduction to island life, from fishing and knitting to the Norn language once spoken here.
6. Mirrie Dancers and the Simmer Dim
   At around 60 degrees north, Shetland has light like nowhere else in Britain. In winter, dark skies and almost no light pollution make it one of the UK’s best places to see the Northern Lights, known locally as the Mirrie Dancers. In June, the Simmer Dim brings nearly 19 hours of daylight and a soft twilight that lasts all night.
7. Small, strong and full of charm
   Shetland ponies have lived on these islands for thousands of years. Their thick double coats and sturdy build suit the wind and weather perfectly, and they remain a favourite sight for visitors.

How to get there

• By ferry: NorthLink sails overnight from Aberdeen to Lerwick, taking roughly 12 to 14½ hours. Some sailings call at Kirkwall in Orkney. Book a cabin and wake up in Shetland.
• By air: Loganair flies to Sumburgh Airport from Aberdeen (about an hour), Edinburgh and Glasgow (around 1 hour 25 minutes), Inverness and Kirkwall. Sumburgh is about 25 miles south of Lerwick.
• Getting around: A car is the easiest way to explore, though local buses link the main villages. Inter-island ferries connect the outer isles, so check timetables before you set off.
• When to go: May to August for puffins and the Simmer Dim, late January for Up Helly Aa, and autumn and winter for the Mirrie Dancers.

“Shetland isn’t a stopover. It’s a place you arrive at slowly and leave reluctantly.”

So, is Shetland worth the journey?
If you’re after big skies, ancient stories and a real sense of place, absolutely. Just remember, it’s not a stopover. It’s a destination in its own right, and it rewards those who give it time.

Have you been to Shetland, or is it still on your list?
Tell us in the comments what you’d most love to see: dancing skies, puffins, Vikings, beaches, or all of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I get to Shetland?
  Take the NorthLink overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick (around 12 to 14½ hours), or fly with Loganair to Sumburgh Airport from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness or Kirkwall. Sumburgh is about 25 miles south of Lerwick.
• When is the best time to see puffins in Shetland?
  Puffins are on the cliffs from late April to around mid-August, and late May and June are the best months. Sumburgh Head is the most accessible spot.
• What is Up Helly Aa?
  It’s Shetland’s famous Viking fire festival, held in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January. Hundreds of torch-carrying guizers parade through town before burning a replica Viking galley.
• What is Jarlshof?
  It’s an archaeological site near Sumburgh that people lived in for around 4,000 years. It includes Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse longhouses and a 17th-century laird’s house.

Can you see the Northern Lights in Shetland?

Yes. Known locally as the Mirrie Dancers, they’re most often seen on clear, dark nights between autumn and early spring.

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