Visiting Shetland

[QuestionableMouse]

In the future I'd like to visit Shetland.

I live in County Durham and I'd like to take my car so would be driving from home to Aberdeen and taking the ferry. What's the ferry like? There's a chance I'd be travelling with two under fives - would it be worth booking a cabin?

What's it like travelling between the islands? I know it's ferries but not much else!

If you've been, where did you stay and would you recommend it?

Anything else I should know would be warmly welcomed 😁😁🤣

Just been watching Ben Fogle visiting Shetland. The ferry takes 10 hours. The islands looked bleak and beautiful.

Oh I didn't know about that show! Will check it out, thank you!

My great grandad was born on Shetland so there's a bit of a family connection!

I used to live in Orkney. Apart from the fact that i think you should go to Orkney instead () I would say the ferry can be very bumpy and a plane is a good option. Most islands have a plane service and the planes from mainland Scotland usually stop at both Shetland and Orkney.

The plane tickets are too expensive unfortunately! Looks like it'd be over £1k just for them if we flew.

True they are right enough. It's a long while since I went back to be fair

I've been a few years ago - DH's grandpa was from there so he has random cousins/aunts etc still living in Shetland. It's beautiful in a very wild and remote way. We flew, as DH and MiL get seasick so the ferry was a no go. It's a loooong ferry journey though, so I'd probably get a cabin (no idea how much that would add to the cost).

We stayed in a self-catering cottage in Walls, which was very nice. If you want to explore the islands be prepared for a fair bit of driving! We didn't go to the smaller islands except Hamnavoe, which is connected by bridge. I believe there are some tiny planes that fly to the more remote islands.

The main thing I would say is consider carefully the time of year you go! It may sound stupid but it really is much further north than even Durham, and in the winter the days are extremely short. It doesn't snow much but is very wet and windy. In the summer it never gets particularly warm, though can be quite pleasant and sunny. Still windy. Summer days are also verrry long - we went in early July and it was still dusky around 11pm, and then broad daylight again by 3am. Locals call it "simmer dim". If your kids aren't great sleepers I'd definitely take some blackout curtains!

We'll definitely go back one day, but probably when my kids are a bit older.

Very cool, wish I could visit

Thank you! It would probably be spring/early summer when I went.

The ferry is overnight - with small kids you will need a cabin.

If you sail from Aberdeen, definitely get a cabin. The cabins are pretty nice and good value. The food on the ship (a meal is included in the price) is also excellent.

I wouldn't even consider just booking a seat or a pod with children - it's really hard to sleep even in the pods, and if the crossing is rough you'll be glad of the chance to lie down in a cabin!

We went in May and the weather was pretty good but windy. We had a lovely time. The locks were very welcoming and the islands are beautiful. If you want to explore the islands you'll do a lot of driving, but the views are great. We visited Yell and Unst. You can prebook island ferries or just turn up.

We stayed on campsites in our camper van. Most sites also had wooden pods which looked good if you're not up for full-on camping.

Highlights: spotting bits of Shetland from the series 😳, exploring Lerwick, Eshaness, the most northerly tearoom on Unst (great cake), a replica Viking ship also on Unst, but best of all was the tombolo at St Ninians Isle. Unmissable.

Locals, not locks.

I did the ferry trip to Shetland in the 90's and still have nightmares about it now. It was not fun and we did have a cabin. I spent most of the time praying as I felt so ill and I sail small boats so thought I would be fine. I would love to go back but would only do it flying (although watching the planes land at the airport did not inspire me as they have to fly around the high headland prior to landing), or I would go via Scrabster and Orkney which is a shorter ferry trip.

I loved Shetland once there, it was a lovely place and dad and I always hoped to go to see Up Helly Aa. I still havent forgiven my DH who was in Lerwick for work at the time and didnt watch it as it was too cold!

@Lucienandjean which island is the tv show filmed?

All over! There are lots of places you'll recognise in Lerwick: down by the harbour, Bains beach, Perez' house (the Lodberry), the police station, Commercial Street...

But also Bressay, St Ninian's Isle, Eshaness.

@Pericombobulations

I did the ferry trip to Shetland in the 90's and still have nightmares about it now. It was not fun and we did have a cabin. I spent most of the time praying as I felt so ill and I sail small boats so thought I would be fine. I would love to go back but would only do it flying (although watching the planes land at the airport did not inspire me as they have to fly around the high headland prior to landing), or I would go via Scrabster and Orkney which is a shorter ferry trip.

I loved Shetland once there, it was a lovely place and dad and I always hoped to go to see Up Helly Aa. I still havent forgiven my DH who was in Lerwick for work at the time and didnt watch it as it was too cold!

Oooh yes, the flight in was quite exciting! Small plane, quite bumpy, then on the approach to the airport it looks like you're going to land in the sea/crash into the headland until the last minute! Would definitely like to go and watch Up Helly Aa at some point.

Thank you! Looks like it would be in the £1-1.5k range for the full trip so I'd better start saving. The ferry is the biggest cost unfortunately!