By air to Sumburgh Airport

There are daily flights from several Scottish airports, including Glasgow (90 mins), Edinburgh (85 mins)  and Aberdeen (55 mins). These all connect with London and other major European and international cities. There are also flights from Inverness and Kirkwall in Orkney.

There is a Tourist Information Welcome Point at Sumburgh Airport. The airport bus to Lerwick takes around 40 minutes. Hire cars and taxis are available at the airport. It can be busy so booking in advance could be advisable.

By sea to Lerwick

Daily sailings from Aberdeen and four times a week from Orkney. The ferry takes around 12 hours overnight from Aberdeen, leaving in the early evening.

NorthLink’s cruise-standard fleet of ferries provides a high standard of comfort and meets and exceeds all the latest safety requirements. Your sea voyage will be a safe and enjoyable experience.

The ferry docks at the Lerwick Ferry Terminal, which is less than a mile from the centre of Lerwick. There is a Welcome Point at the ferry terminal with tourist information and the main Tourist Information Office is at the Market Cross in the heart of old Lerwick.

Yachting

Sail to Shetland by yacht and explore the dozens of sheltered, natural harbours – many with good piers, slipways and marinas. Explore the deserted beaches, stunning red cliffs and amazing rock formations around Northmavine. The pure, clean seas around Northmavine are home to seals, otters, whales and dolphins, as well as gannets, skuas, oystercatchers, puffins and other less common species.

Moor in Hillswick and Ura Firth in Northmavine, enjoy a meal or drink at the newly opened St Magnus Bay Hotel overlooking the bay, or nip up the road to the Braewick Café in Eshaness.  The Collafirth Marina has toilets, showers and washing machines for sailors.

The cliff coast from Hillswick Ness to Uyea Isle is breathtaking. The Drongs stacks and Dore Holm lead onto the basalt cliffs of the Skerry of Stenness, where there is a huge cave. North of Eshaness lighthouse is another Hamnavoe (meaning – safe harbour). Ronas Voe is Shetland’s longest sea loch with an excellent anchorage at the head. The marina and pier at Collafirth was built in 1988 on the site of an old Norwegian whaling station where the fishing industry lives. Electricity can be arranged at the marina and the approach poses no problems at any stage of the tide.

There is a new marina at the head of the voe at Brae, situated near to the Delting Boating Club.