Shetland Transportation

  Play area
by leics
 
  • Play area
      Play area
    by leics
  • Tiny terminal
      Tiny terminal
    by leics
  • A bit of local history
      A bit of local history
    by leics
  • TV and seating
      TV and seating
    by leics
  • Can you spot the road? 2
      Can you spot the road? 2
    by leics
 
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates

Sponsored Links

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Driving

by leics

To see Shetland properly you really do need a car. The bus services is limited both in services and in operating times, and although walking and cycling are wonderful ways to explore, mainland Shetland is a big place.Driving in Shetland is easy and very enjoyable. One goes back to an earlier time, when roads are mostly empty and stress is minimal.There are no traffic lights (except a few pedestrian crossings in Lerwick) and only a couple of roundabouts (also in Lerwick). Road surfaces are exceptionally good, even on the smallest roads.The main A970 will get you swiftly from the airport to Lerwick in around 30 minutes: its a fast, clear road where you can easily average 50mph. There are plenty of places to stop on the way, with parking laybys provided at particularly scenic spots.Many of the island roads are single-track (room for one vehicle only) but all have ample passing places, where...

Tip Photo
Sumburgh Airport

by leics

Sumburgh airport may be tiny but it's busy with planes and helicopters. Make sure you have your coat with you, because you'll walk from the plane to the terminal building (possibly in a gale and driving rain, as I did!).The terminal building is rather nice. There's a shop, cafe and a bar, a TV area (the TV showing BBC news), a children's play area (I've never seen one of those in any other airport) and plenty of seating.Staff are pleasant, friendly and courteous and checking-in/getting through security (just as tight as anywhere else) takes hardly any time at all. There's an on-airport car hire firm as well as a near-airport firm which will collect you and take you to your car.Plenty of car parking...and it's free!

Tip Photo
Arriving

by leics

The main Shetland airport is Sumburgh, and that is almost certainly where you will arrive. It's less likely that you will be able to take a direct flight to Shetland, although Loganair does operate some direct routes from major Scottish cities such as Aberdeen and Edinburgh, to Orkney and to Bergen in Norway. Flying from Birmingham (UK) I had to change at Aberdeen, booking the flight through Flybe with my bags checked right through to Sumburgh. But this is not a major problem; flight times to Sumburgh are only an hour or so.Loganair uses 36-seater planes, so you should be aware of their cabin baggage restrictions...they are smaller than many other airlines. Staff are very helpful and pleasant (both cabin crew and ground staff) and you'll get a free cup of coffee or ea on your flight.Sumburgh is very exposed, and Shetland weather very changeable, to don't be surprised if your approach and...

Tip Photo
public transport

by margaretvn

Shetland is wonderful and although a car does give you more freedom to move about, these two sites will help you with buses and ferries. Walking is also great there I know you can get a multi ticket for the ferries. http://www.zettrans.org.uk/bus/LerwickBressay.asphttp://www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries/I have put my Shetland tips on my Scotland page for the moment but if I can help do let me know.

Ferry or plane?

by BOB_B

Ferry is of course cheaper, however if you don't live in Scotland then you have to get there first. There are scheduled flights now from Stansted to Sumburgh which makes things easier. We got connecting flights which didn't work out cheap but this is a special place and we didn't mind paying a bit extra.One word of warning: if you get even slightly seasick think carefully about using the ferries between Orkney/Shetland and Aberdeen. The North Sea is very choppy. My mate was bad for 5 hours. I didn't feel brilliant myself but could eat/drink ok. You can go on the rear deck outside (where smoking is permitted) to get fresh air. Sometimes they close the other outside decks due to weather conditions.Of course taking the plane is much quicker (45 mins from Shetland to Aberdeen).

Tip Photo
Hire a car

by BOB_B

Buses do exist on Shetland but if you're limited for time you'll really going to need to hire a car. We paid about £30/day. Of course you could bring your own, but are then limited to ferries only. You really have to weigh up costs and think about how much time you're going to spend on the main land. You can cycle however it is constantly windy and quite hilly so it's not really a favourable option. Driving is easy as there's little traffic on the road and speed limits are sensible. There are some great walks however you're going to need to get to and from these places.

with Northernlink to Shetland

by wroclawiak

I travelled to Shetland by ferry. I like travelling by ferries. Some times the journey can be very romantic. The journey lasts 12 hours. The staff was nice and very helpful, meal prices in the selfservice bar were reasonable. Coffee or tee from about 1 pound and the main courses from about 5 pounds. If you on the budget take only the sleeper seat. It's quite comfortable.There are comfortable benches where you can sleep too.For more details visit the norhlinkferries's site.

Tip Photo
Bolt's Car Hire

by supercarys

Bolt's Car Hire is a cheap but quality car rental business. I was supplied with a Vauxhall Corsa for 2 days and it was an excellently kept car. They will pick you up from the airport and drivce you out to your car. You can either drop the car off at their headquarters again and they'll drive you back in to the airport or you can just leave it in the airport car park.I would recommend this business to anyone wanting to hire a car in Shetland

Local airports

by kathymof

Many of the islands have regularly SCHEDULED air transportation a couple days a week. The airports are not staffed and there is really no baggage handling. In fact on Fair Isle the volunteer fire department does a sweep of the runway prior to a landing to get all the sheep off. A few years ago there was a collision between a plane and a sheep - word spread in moments - and most of the islanders showed up to see what a sheep looked like after taking on a plane. They still affectionately refer to it as the "Kamakazi Sheep". Well here is the airstrip on Fetlar complete with airport building. Nice change from the likes of Heathrow.

Tip Photo
Take a ferry between islands

by kathymof

Shetland Inter Island Ferry SystemShetland has a very good ferry system between its many islands. The main crossings have several ferrys a day while the less used crossing, such as to Fair Isle travel just two days a week. ALWAYS make a reservation if you are traveling by car as these are small ferries and you will have a potentially long wait if you can't get on. They pack cars/trucks/busses on these ferries with real precision - it is like a can or sardines. Most people get out of their cars and socialize or just look at the beautiful scenery. The ferry to Fair Isle, The Good Shepherd IV, takes only 12 passengers and a max of two cars that are hoisted onto the ferry. The Good Shepherd is the only ferry I have ever seen that has seat belts. Apparently the crossing can get pretty rough. You really do not need a car on Fair Isle as you can walk everywhere and hitch a ride with a local if...

Tip Photo
Getting Around Shetland

Top 3 Hotels in Shetland

The Kveldsro House Hotel  Lerwick

 12 Opinions

 Hotels in Lerwick

Sumburgh Hotel  Sumburgh

 34 Opinions

 Hotels in Sumburgh

Queens Hotel  Lerwick

 40 Opinions

 Hotels in Lerwick

6 Hotels in Shetland
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of Shetland attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Shetland sightseeing.

Experience Shetland
Transportation: Cities in Shetland
  1. Lerwick Transportation
  2. Fair Isle Transportation

More Cities in Shetland

 

Questions and Answers

vidyalr profile photo

Q:  Hi All I am traveling to UK and Scotland in Sept this year with my 3 year old and was wondering if it would be a good idea to... 

KakapoTheParrot profile photo

A: The seabirds that nest on Shetland will be long gone by that stage, which is a shame because particularly on Fetlar the Great Skuas are amazing (and pretty intimidating)... 

Read 2 Replies

postQuestion_button

Click here for best deals for

Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates

Sponsored Links