Shetland Islands

You have to immediately like a place where you swoop on to the runway halting traffic on the main road as you go.

Quirky Things

The Shetland islands are an oasis where you constantly find yourself smiling at the quirky things, the differences that make every day here an experience rather than just a holiday. And Shetland’s experiences are manifest, whether it be paddling through the Atlantic rollers on a sea kayak, rambling around some of the most impressive historical sites in Europe or simply reclining by the waterfront in Lerwick enjoying fresh from the boat seafood.

Spectacular Arrival

Shetland may often be relegated to its own little box far removed from the Scottish mainland on many maps, but the main airport is only an hour and a half flight from Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as only an hour from Aberdeen. The arrival is spectacular as the plane skips over the rugged rock outcrop of Fair Isle before rearing around the equally dramatic Shetland mainland coast and on into the landing strip at Sumburgh.

Viking Heritage

Today’s arrivals are in good company as man has been regularly visiting Shetland for around 5,000 years. There are rich legacies of both the Iron and Bronze ages, while Viking remains and names abound and Roman artefacts have even recently been uncovered. Today the visitors do not come only from Britain as many Norwegians are well up on the travel secret of Shetland, as are the passing cruise ship passengers who now nip in for a day and wish that they could stay longer.