A Travel Guide to the Shetland Islands

The Shetland Islands are a rewarding holiday destination for anyone with a passion for wildlife, spectacular landscape, archaeology and traditional music. Built upon beautiful and dramatic ice carved landscape, bursting with history that dates back generations.

Things to do in Shetland:

The Shetland Islands are located in Scotland, famed for their remote beauty. There are over 100 of the islands, set more than 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland, enough distance away to give them unique character and attributes of their own.

Mainland is the largest of the islands, with an area of 374 square metres and it is here that most visitors base their stay. Visitors that visit the islands can spend their days exploring the rugged landscape which fringe the North Sea.

Alternatively visitors can explore the history and tradition of the islands, taking in the deep sense of intricate heritage, beauty and powerful spirit. Due to the cultivation of the islands, there are vast amounts of undisturbed archaeological remains, providing a huge attraction to the wild landscape.

There are many archaeological sites, museums and heritage centres that are worth visiting while on these spectacular islands, whether it’s the Prehistoric and Norse Settlement, consisting of ancient settlements dating back to the 16th century. Or the Broch and Iron Age Village, that includes reconstructed Iron Age dwellings, and features an exhibition with living history demonstrations.

Useful information about Shetland Islands:

One of the things that make these islands so distinctive is the changeability of the light. They are variously illuminated at different hours of the day, cutting a dramatic setting for the surrounding glens, hills and lochs, and providing an amazing display of scenery.

Activity family holidays are popular on the island, there’s something for everyone-from trout fishing, mountain biking, golfing and scuba diving and with the 19 hours of midsummer daylight, you can enjoy all that Shetland has to offer for longer.

A trip to Shetland wouldn’t be complete without a taste of the variety it has to offer. To really explore all the possibilities that are on offer you can hire a car to drive around the picturesque landscape, hire a bike and enjoy the more local surroundings or take one of the Shetland transport services available, which provide a comfortable safe mode of transport.

Whether your interests lie in bird life, sea mammals, archaeology, hill-walking, spectacular sea cliffs, wild flowers, arts and crafts or simply exploring some of the most remote and beautiful islands in Britain, Shetland can offer you a lifetime of possibilities.