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Latest Lerwick hotel reviews
leics Says: Brochs are exclusive to Scotland. They date from the Iron Age (roughly 2500 years ago) but their exact function is still the subject of debate. Were they purely defensive structures or were they the houses of the most powerful families? There is debate even about whether...
leics Says: There are several boat-trip operators working out of Lerwick, but I do highly recommend the one I took.The Seabirds-and-Seals boat trip has been running for 20 seasons (mid-May to mid-September, although it can run at other times by arrangement).Dr Jonathan Wills is both...
leics Says: There is a lovely, and very scenic, walk along the cliffside to the Knab, a headland which has excellent views of the Bressay sound, small seabird colonies, WW2 relics and well-placed benches to rest your weary legs whilst watching birds and boats.I walked there in a very...
leics Says: The oldest part of Lerwick (although it is not terribly old, to be honest) is a most pleasant place to wander.Its narrow closses and stone-flagged streets, the occasional imposing building (Victorian pomp, usually) and the variation in building styles make this area...
leics Says: The Shetland Museum and Archive is pretty new (2007) and , imo, extremely well-thought out and designed.It overlooks Hay's Harbour, an old harbour to the north of Lerwick centre. The harbour is named for Shetland's foremost trading company during the late 1800s/early...
Hay's Dock Cafe/Restaurant: Super views....
leics Says: This is the museum cafe, in essence, but it also opens some evenings per week for evening meals.It has a beautiful setting, looking out over the harbour so you can watch birds, boats and seals whilst you eat.I only had a sandwich and a beer, but some other guests at my b&b...
leics Says: This is a newish place, I think, set on Commercial Street (the 'heart' of the town centre) and brightly-painted.Osla's functions as a cafe during the day (an evening) as well as a restaurant/bistro. Everything is freshly-prepared (although some is obviously made and frozen...
Queen's Hotel: The mussels looked good...
leics Says: ...but I didn't try them. Someone else was very much enjoying them!On my first night I was too tired to eat a full meal so wandered into the Queen's Hotel for a bar meal. The dining room was being refurbished (one of two eating places I found which were undergoing changes..I...
The Peerie Shop Cafe: Pleasant little cafe.
leics Says: When I first arrived in Lerwick I was chilly, wet and desperate for something to eat and a hot drink (I'd got up at 0330 to make my flight).The Peerie Shop Cafe seemed welcoming enough, had other people inside and was but a couple of minutes walk from where I'd parked the...
Thule Bar: A taste of the wild
KennetRose Says: The Thule Bar, a basic fishermans pub, can only fairly be described as "rough". But when the North Atlantic fishing fleet is in town, perhaps sheltering from bad weather on the open seas, it's fun to sit and watch the drunken, brawling, jolly fisherfolk being ejected one by...
KennetRose Says: Regular fights from Aberdeen to Sumburgh on the southern tip of Mainland - 50 km from Lerwick. There are also flights from Bergen, Edinburgh, London and other places.
KennetRose Says: The ferry trip to and from Aberdeen on the good ship St Claire takes 14 hours. The boat is well-appointed and the cabins comfortable enough, but the crossing can be a real white-knuckle ride especially in winter in the Atlantic gales. Some crossings call at Stromness or...
Jamieson and Smith: lovely soft wool
margaretvn Says: if you like knitting then a good souvenir from Shetland is wool. A good shop is Jamieson and Smith. All the wool sold comes directly from Shetlands wool producers and no raw wool is purchased from outside the islands. The firm grades, sorts and blends the wool before it is...
Various Shops: Commercial Street
rdo911 Says: Walking around Commercial Street there are various shops.
KennetRose Says: Up Helly Aa, which means something like "end of the holidays" but was simply meant to sound quaint and traditional, is not all that ancient. It was devised by the Victorians as a safer replacement for a much older tradition, in which burning tar-barrels were rolled through...
Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!
KennetRose Says: There are no trees in Shetland, apart from street trees in Lerwick. It's said they've all been blown to Norway! While nesh southern England still talks of the Great Storm of 1987 (winds of up to 120kph), Shetland regularly gets winds of 150kph plus.
KennetRose Says: Prepare to wrap up very warm in winter. It's the winds, and the damp, that are the problem, not the reading on the thermometer, which doesn't usually drop much below freezing. The wind can be a killer though. This is a very exposed part of the North Atlantic. Sweaters in...
leics Says: Lerwick Town Hall is a magnificent example of Victorian pomp and grandeur.Set at the crest of the hill behind Lerwick harbour (the highest point in the town) and facing the 'new' part of Lerwick which was created during the Victorian era, the Town Hall has turrets and Gothic...
leics Says: Wandering cemeteries and graveyards is always a good way of learning a little of a settlement's past history. Lerwick's old cemetery, set into the cliffs above the Knab, has stunning views over the Bressay Sound.Walking this cemetery in the strong early-morning sunshine I...
KennetRose Says: Up Helly Aa, the midwinter fire festival. The men of Lerwick spend all year building a viking ship, which they then carry through the streets in a spectacular torchlit procession, dressed as vikings, nuns, squirrels, beer cans, or whatever. The ship is then set alight....
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Plan a Lerwick vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Lerwick locals
It's a department store, though Harrods it ain't! But it's rambling and very friendly. Quality knitted goods are what to go for. Most things in Shetland are...
9 members live in Lerwick
Q: We will be in Lerwick for one day with a cruise ship. We would like to visit the ruins but at the moment the tours are book. Is...
A: There are local tour guides whom you could contact, yes. This page lists local guides: http://www.island-trails.co.uk/tours.htm and also...
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Lerwick lies in the centre of mainland Shetland and has been its capital since 1708 (before that Scalloway was the capital...and, before that, Tingwall was of central importance). The area has been...
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Mercat cross, or Market Cross, is the traditional marketplace of many Scottish towns. In Lerwick, the Mercat cross is located a block from the harbour.
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We hired a cottage in the southern part of the island and then moved on to Orkney for another week. Orkney is really another MUST do.
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Lerwick - Crossroads of the North Atlantic
Many people have travelled much further afield than I have, but I can always ask knowingly "But have you been to Lerwick in January?"
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This is a good place to base yourself as it is the main town. That said, it's quite small so you get can around on foot quite easily. You will need a car to get about round the mainland though. It...
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