There is a huge amount to explore whilst Out and About in Shetland. Take time to discover the South Mainlands from the Sumburgh lighthouse, Croft Museum, Old Scatness, Jarlshoff, Quendale Mills, St Ninians Isle, Mousa, and much, much more (and these places are only the very southern end of the island!).
Heading north out of Levenwick, venture through all the Sandwick, Cunningsburgh, Quarff and Gulberwick areas before heading west. These also offer fantastic coastal and hill walks of which we’ve explored many times.
While Out and About, please keep in mind the guidelines known as the Right to Roam in Scotland. Many areas are accessible to walkers, obviously, with some caveats; please see the link above.
There are lots of core paths to explore in Shetland; however, if you’re a little bit of a free spirit, then pick your spot, hop a fence and walk.
Amongst the 1697 miles of coastline to pick from, one of our favourite walks is the cliffs below, Walking the Southpunds. It’s a hop, skip and jump over the fields to a playground of cliffs, rocks, geos, puffins, shags, fulmar and more.
We must highlight that it’s important to take care of field animals, especially during lambing season, whilst out walking. It is best to steer clear of smaller fields with pregnant ewes, especially during the first month after birth. If you have a dog, please steer clear of all pre-and-post lambing fields. Generally, giving a wide berth, making no eye contact, and walking past a flock slowly does the trick. If you open a gate, please close it behind you. We love our sheep in Shetland!
So, the question is, will you have enough time to cover Shetland in one trip? It can take more than a couple of days to fully experience each wonderful area of Shetland, and then you may only be scratching the surface. The vast, rugged coastline can absorb you for hours with its beauty.
Many tourists spend anything from 5 days to 3 weeks, with some spending even more in Shetland. During our first trip to Shetland, we spent 5 days driving every inch possible. That gave us a good flavour of the land, but barely enough to experience anything properly. We recommend at least a week to enjoy the main sightseeing places on the island. Hopefully, this will tempt another trip back.
To help Plan Your Trip see this handy little tool at Shetland.org which includes area guides. In each apartment, we supply maps and pamphlets of all the areas of Shetland. As well as this, we also provide The Shetland Guide Book by Charles Tait. The book covers the north and the south with a snapshot of every area.
Shetland offers many fine restaurants and local foods to tempt even the pickiest of eaters. Head over to Taste of Shetland and Food and Drink to find out more. We speak to many locals and can highlight some of the popular cafes and restaurants that are frequented by locals.
Shetland music culture is very much the heartbeat of this island. There are so many talented musicians, from peerie ones to professionals. Shetland music attracts people from across the globe with its annual events, such as the Folk Festival and Fiddle and Accordion Festival.
Check out What’s on under the entertainment section of The Shetland Times.
Also, you could take a look at the annual festivals that happen annually in Shetland.
These spectacular events start to appear in the skies as the nights draw in. Usually some time into August the Mirrie Dancers start to grace the skies of Shetland.
Yet another of the many talents of the locals is their arts and crafts. The Shetland Arts and Crafts trail will take you to artists’ local workshops, and in Lerwick, there are a fair few shops stocking local knitwear, amongst other things, to take home with you.
Then there is the renowned annual Wool Week, where knitting enthusiasts come from across the globe to gather and learn Shetland knitting techniques.
Around the corner from Levenwick, in the quaint area of Hoswick, is the Hoswick Visitor Centre, Nielanell and Jamieson knitwear. Not forgetting Karlin Anderson, a bespoke jewellery maker, whose stunning work is worth a visit.
This page could go on forever detailing the wonders of this island, but we’ll stop here and hope these little insights inspire the would-be traveller.
