Logistics

Getting to Shetland.

Shetland is 60 degrees North, approximately 180 miles from both Aberdeen and Bergen.

By sea: Northlink Ferries runs a daily service between Aberdeen and Lerwick. Twice a week the ferry goes via Orkney and it is possible to join the ferry at Kirkwall. The journey time is 12 hours direct, or 14 hours via Kirkwall.

By air: The only company flying to Sumburgh airport (LSI)is Loganair. There are direct links to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. In the summer there are additional flights to London (via Dundee), Manchester and Bergen.

By cruise ship: An increasing number of visitors are now coming to Shetland as a port of call on cruises to Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. A full list of companies sailing to Lerwick can be found on the website of the Lerwick Port Authority.

Public Transport

Shetland has a reliable bus service which allows many parts of Mainland to be visited by public transport. The service on the other islands is very limited, details are available on the Zet Trans website . It is worth downloading the ZetTrans app to a smartphone (iPhone and Android versions are available), since this gives convenient access to the bus times, routes, and inter island ferries.

The islands are linked by inter-island ferries. These can be paid for by cash or card onboard and are normally valid for a return journey (the exceptions are Fair Isle and Foula where you pay both ways). Retain your ticket since it is valid for multi stage journeys to Unst and Fetlar via Yell, and for the return journey. If you are travelling by car in the summer, it is normally advisable to book. This can be done through the Shetland Islands Council Ferry Booking Service.

Ferries to Papa Stour, Fair Isle and Foula need to be booked through the SIC Ferry booking service by email or phone. These are registered as freight services and so the number of passengers is limited to 12. Tel: 01595 745804. Email: [email protected] .

There are inter-island flights from Tingwall (near Lerwick) to Fair Isle and Foula. For details, go the SIC ferry booking service website and click on the tab "Route Map and Destination Guide".

Accommodation.

For details of accommodation available in Shetland, see the links in the Shetland.org website.

Taxi Companies.

South Mainland: Sumburgh Airport Taxis: 01595 741234; Boddam Cabs: 01950 460111.

Lerwick: Allied Taxis: 01595 690069; Sinclair's Taxis: 01595 696060.

North Mainland (Brae): Johnson Transport (vehicle hire): 01806 522331.

Yell & Unst: R.G. Jamieson & Son: 01595 7744214.

The Weather, and when to travel?

For walking, the best weather is between May and September. The winter gales normally set in about mid-September. Shetland is noticeably cooler than the Scottish mainland and summer temperatures rarely go above 20 degrees C.