Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland

Do you know if you are docking or anchoring?

The majority of cruise ships anchor in the lee of Bressay lighthouse and tender ashore.
That introduces uncertainty as you can't be sure what time you will be ashore, or need to be back.

With only 4 hours you would need to make hard choices on where to go. That is just enough to go to Sumburgh Head, time there and return. You also need to give time to explore the town of Lerwick and in particular the Shetland Museum.
Nor does that give time for Tingwall and Scalloway, let alone the North end of the main island.
That is really hard to know what to do with so little time.

Are any of you fans of the TV show Shetland? You can easily walk to the house they used for the exterior shots. The structures are built out into the water and called the Lodberries.

https://shetlandwooladventures.com/lodberries/

I agree with the Shetland Museum suggestion if you just have 4 hours, plus a walk down the main shopping street.

I am visiting both Orkney and Shetland again this summer but I'm doing a multi-day tour. On Orkney I've hired a birding guide but for my days on my own on Shetland I'll just putter around town. Here's a link to a website with a list of tour guides that might be of help.

https://www.shetland.org/visit/do/trips

We've been the Shetland twice, for three and four days, and plan to be there for eight more days next May, and all the trips are pretty fast paced, and we'll still have missed some of our bucket list.

All the cruise passengers are in Lerwick in one short window, so there will be crowds. Seeing the Museum, walking the waterfront (and Lodberrie) and I'd add Town Hall to see the amazing stained glass windows will be a large bite. Maybe you'd have time to see Clickimen Broch, which is close to town.

Here's a 1:07 walk that covers the above. That is just the walking, not the visiting. Lodberrie is just walking by, but the Broch and Town Hall each need 30-45min, and the Museum is fabulous and could be your only stop.

There's so many amazing things to do and see, in addition to outlying islands, that four hours will just whet you appetite to return for a real visit.

Somewhere else to visit in Lerwick which I never see mentioned here is Fort Charlotte- it is very close to the Town Hall- https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-charlotte/history/

And just round from the Shetland Museum, behind the Mareel Centre is an interesting piece of WW2 history- a plaque to two motor torpedo boats (both Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy) which exploded there- MTB 626 and MTB 686- https://secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/HMSFox

@jjgurley, I thought about Clickamin Broch as well. It's a neat site and you are free to walk around and into the restored Iron Age structure.

It kind of depends on the answer to Stuart's first question as to whether you know if your ship will be docking or anchoring. The dock is a further walk to the sites and Clickamin might be pretty far to go. If you anchor and are tendered in the docks where they land would be easier to get to Clickamin.

BTW, I doubt you will need anything from the grocery store but there is a big Tesco SuperStore just a block away, lol.

My vote would be a visit to Clickimin Broch. It is easily reached from Lerwick, is free and an interesting site to wander round. I've been to Fort Charlotte but was disappointed as there wasn't a lot to see there.

The walk suggested by jjgurley is well worth doing (lerwick is an interesting town to explore on foot) and can be extended if time allows round the headland of the Knab with some fine coastal scenery and views. Full details and map here.

The Museum is excellent, although it does seem a shame to be inside if it is a nice day!

The dock is a further walk to the sites and Clickamin might be pretty far to go

I'm not sure that is the case at all. I've gone to the Broch both from the modern ferry/cruise terminal and the town Centre (the tender quay/old ferry terminal) and it is about the same distance, both on the map and in terms of the actual walking distance. From the ferry terminal you turn right at the road junction just before the Toll Clock shopping centre.

It would be silly not to call in to Fort Charlotte if you are walking straight past it to the Town Hall, as you would be, My guesthouse used to be straight below Fort Charlotte, down the steps. I am surprised that the town hall was mentioned and the Fort not. And the police station used in external views in 'Shetland' really is the town Police Station- opposite the town hall.

Also the Lerwick Town circular bus service #1 goes straight up there from Holmsgarth ferry terminal at 20 minutes past each hour.
The other way round the circuit the bus starts from the Esplanade at the top of each hour straight up to the Broch past the hospital.

Many other buses also go past Holmsgarth heading north, to as far as Unst and Fetlar islands. Every southbound bus to as far as the Airport and Sumburgh Head also calls at the Broch, so a pretty frequent service if you get tired.

Another interesting bit of war history is in St Magnus Episcopal Church- a plaque (with QR codes for more information) to Canadian Airmen who served in Shetland and lost their lives in a flying accident. There is also a memorial in the Cemetery at the Knab to the lady who died when Skerries lighthouse was bombed (her grave). From memory there is signage at the Cemetery Car Park to that and other interesting graves up there.

I mentioned Town Hall and not Fort Charlotte, because we found the Fort to be underwhelming. There was little to see and we were in and out in 15 minutes. It is on the way, and popping in loses nothing. On the other hand, when we went to the Town Hall, it was closed for a wedding, but the janitor that was setting up tables gave us wink and brief tour with explanations of all the stained glass. We thought it was really special.