Holiday apartment on the Shetland Islands: culture, coast and nature

Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement encompasses more than 4,000 years of human settlement in one place. It includes Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch, Norse longhouses, a medieval farmhouse and a 16th-century laird’s house. The Shetland Islands combine this dense sequence of human traces with expansive coastlines, islands and natural areas.

Culture

The collections at the Shetland Museum and Archives range from prehistoric artefacts and maritime history to textiles, photography and archives. The reading room is open to anyone wishing to consult books, newspapers or records from the collection. In Lerwick, Hay’s Dock is the last surviving section of the original dock on the waterfront; it is a Category B listed building.

One of the island group’s regular events is Lerwick Up Helly Aa. The festival takes place every year on the last Tuesday in January and culminates in a torch procession and the burning of a galley. The Shetland Folk Festival is the northernmost folk festival in the United Kingdom and presents international, Scottish and Shetland music. Shetland Wool Week features exhibitions, courses and events focused on weaving, spinning, dyeing, and Fair Isle and lace knitting.

Nature

Shetland’s coastal landscape encompasses nearly 1,700 miles, or around 2,700 kilometres, of coastline. Some rocks on Shetland are almost three billion years old; the island group is also home to the Shetland Geopark. At Noup of Noss, 181-metre-high sea cliffs rise up, with tens of thousands of seabirds nesting there in summer. Hermaness National Nature Reserve is a cliff habitat for thousands of seabirds. Noss is also considered one of Scotland’s most important seabird colonies.

Trails and water

The Saito Trail in Hermaness National Nature Reserve leads to the western cliffs, where nesting birds can be seen and heard during the breeding season. A circuit of Noss takes about three hours. Sea kayaking allows visitors to explore uninhabited islands, deserted beaches and numerous sea caves. The starting point for the Eshaness Circular is the car park at the lighthouse, which is located on the edge of volcanic cliffs.

Getting there and orientation

Shetland is mainly accessible by plane or ferry. The NorthLink overnight ferry between Aberdeen and Lerwick takes around twelve and a half hours. Noss can be reached from mainland Scotland via the ferry from Lerwick to Bressay, continuing across Bressay and then taking an inflatable-boat shuttle. On Shetland, Sumburgh Head Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse; it was built in 1821.

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora borealis, are locally known on Shetland as „Mirrie Dancers“. The visitor centres on Shetland offer local advice, maps and ideas for sights and activities.

Food and drink

The local range of products includes fresh fish and seafood, lamb, beef, seasonal vegetables and milk, as well as locally produced butter and cheese.

Holiday apartment in the Shetland Islands

When considering a holiday apartment in the Shetland Islands, you can open the displayed offers and compare the exact location, type of accommodation, occupancy, included services, price components, and booking and cancellation conditions before booking. This keeps the selection aligned with the information actually stated on the respective offer page. Check the details there directly before deciding on accommodation.

Other places

For further location selection, Hillswick is also one of the directly accessible destinations in this location overview.

For the higher-level travel overview: Shetland Islands.