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Shetland Islands

Updated 04.14.2006

Gannets at Noss Brassay lighthouse St Ninia's Tombolo

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These over 100 islands and skerries, only 15 inhabited, out of the north east of Scotland, represent  the northernmost part of  British Islands. The climate is temperate oceanic and influenced by the gulf stream. Wildlife here is almost unspoiled, nevertheless the recent (1993) shipwreck of oil tanker Brae west of Sumburgh Head. It is a great place to see sea birds and mammals. Shetland wool and knitwear are  worldwide famous. There are also a lot of historical and archeological sites to visit. 

How to arrive: 

By ferry from Aberdeen 
By air from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall 

Accommodations

There are a lot of fine and quite cheap Bed & Breakfast and Guest Houses that are probably the best solution for a short stay, instead you can tray self catering. For an exhaustive list take a look at:  http://www.visitscotland.net  and http://www.shetland-tourism.co.uk/. You can also obtain for free a selection of travel brochures filling the Tourism Office request form 
I can just suggest you two places I loved:

Spiggie Lodge, Scousburgh, in South Mainland, a fine traditional cottage with pleasant old furniture and a great location.
Almara, Hillswick, in North Mainland, here you will meet one of the kindest persons of the lovely Shetland people, great cooking.

Where to eat

Just 3 interesting addresses:

De Haaf Restaurat, North Atlantic Fisheries College, Scalloway. Great sea food.
The Booth, Hillswick. A vegetarian restaurants that supports a reeducation center for sick seals. Just try it.
Spiggie Hotel, Scousburgh.

Transports

I strongly suggest you to hire a car, there are a lot of wonderful place to visit that are too isolated to be reached with public transports

  Bolts Car Hire Ltd 
  Star Rent-A-Car 

The inter islands ferries are quite cheap, frequent and efficient 

Dare Holm East Burra gannettery at Hermaness
 

Musts

walking around St Ninian's Island and the magnificent Tombolo  and cliffs.
walking around Mousa (you have to take a ferry) don't stop only at the magnificent broch (a well preserved iron age tower), but follow the track all around the isle and visit west and east pools that harbor common and gray seal colonies.
walking to Fethaland, a lovely inhabited deep sea fishermen village in the far north of Mainland.
walking around Sumburgh Head and behind the lighthouses, one of the best place to see puffins in UK 
walking around Eshaness  lighthouse, to see the magnificent Holes of Scraada, a blow hole created by the collapse of the vault of a subterranean cave, linked to the sea by a natural tunnel, and the magic Dare Holm, a glorious stack with a magnificent natural arch.
Visit the Noss natural reserve.
Visit the Hermaness natural reserve. The last two may be visited also from the see with an unforgettable boat trip organized by Shetland Wildlife Tours, I strongly recommend it.
gannetts at Out Stack and Muckle Flugga gannets Eshaness lighthouse
puffins at Sumburgh Head Fethaland Fethaland

 

Holes of Scraada blackfaces Mousa broch

 

Books and guides:

Walks on Shetland by Mary Welsh, Westmorland Gazette.
Shetland Official Tourist Guide, Shetland Islands Tourism.
A guide to Shetland breeding birds by Bobby Tulloch, The Shetland Times Ltd.
Where to watch birds in Shetland by Hugh Harrop.
Official Tourist Map Shetland and Orkney, Estate Publications.
Michelin - Great Britain and Ireland

Useful links

Shetland Islands Tourism
Accommodations
Restaurants
northisles-weather.co.uk/
wildlife.shetland.co.uk/
Fair Isle Observatory
British Airways
Bolts Car Hire

Have a good stay.

If you want to share your impressions and addresses E-Mail me.

E-Mail address

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If you are searching for travel information and good addresses about these islands just click at the links below or go to Home where you will find a search engine to scan this site or the web for you. All the addresses and the suggestions made in these pages were personally tested.

Azores, click and go Azores (Açores) Sao Miguel, Terceira, Fajal and Pico

Outer Hebrides, click and go Outer Hebrides Lewis and Harris

Ouessant, click and go Ouessant and Sein Brittany, France

Belle Ile, click and go Belle Ile en Mer Brittany, France

Chausey, click and go Chausey Normandy, France

Porquerolles,  click and go Porquerolles and Port Cros French Riviera

Texel, click and go Texel a birds paradise in the Waddenland (The Netherlands)

Whalewatching, click and go Whale watching at the Azores

La Réunion, click and go La Réunion a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean

Islands, click and go islands index

Ferrara Agriturismo Le Occare FarmhouseBirding at leoccare.com 

Have a good trip.

I'll be glade if you want to share with me your experiences about islands you visited and addresses you think worthy to be added.

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Last revised: 04.14.2006.

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