Just finished watching the BBC crime drama called Shetland. For those who want an idea of the landscape that these islands offer, it is a great opportunity. The filming occurs on Shetland and in Glasgow but the scenery scenes are all Shetland. If anyone is interested in going there, just message me. We went in 2015 and fell in love with it.
Bill
We just returned from Scotland where we made it as far as the Orkney islands, but we just couldn't stretch our time to get to the Shetland Islands. However, we definitely plan to visit there either during another trip to Scotland or in conjunction with a trip to Scandinavia. I'd be interested in hearing about your trip and any recommendations you have for specific places/islands to visit (as well as from anyone else who has been there). Also, it is feasible to drive/ferry to Shetland from mainland Scotland, or is flying a more realistic way to get there? Thanks!
Hi bill-
So thrilled to see your post. My great- great grandfather inkster came from Shetland with his mom and sister. He founded inkster Michigan and is buried in Kalamazoo mi. His mom and sister is buried in rochelle il. My sister and my dad 's cousin(my first cousin once removed) went to Shetland in 2010 for the hamerfarin celebration. We stayed on burra island where he was from. We met our 5th cousins who live in scalloway and the other on burra. We were there for about 10 days. It was so awesome and beautiful. I would go back in a heart beat. If anybody wants info, pm me. We flew into aberdeen and took North link ferry to lerwick.
Kim
The Orkney's were lovely but I have to say I enjoyed Shetlands better. We travelled via air from Edinburgh to get there. Alternatively, you can travel by ferry from Aberdeen. It is an overnight ferry run by NorthLink. Because the Shetland Islands are very long, I broke the week trip into 3 different hotel stays. We focused on the southern section, the northern section and then middle (Lerwick). We travelled by ferry from Shetland to Orkney to spend a second week on the Orkney Islands. Since the ferry left from Lerwick, we did the middle section last. The visit Shetland webpage shows a good idea of the different sites to see. The only thing we didnt have time to see was the Fair Isle. I would recommend August. We travelled in September and missed the puffin migration by about 2 weeks.
Since Orkeys's are closer to mainland, they get more travellers. That is part of the charm of Shetland. People were just amazed that we went all the way there and spent a week on the island. But the natural landscapes, historical sites just couldnt be beaten.
I stayed at the Sumburgh Hotel, Baltasound Hotel, and Lerwick Hotel. All lovely and different.
I hope to go back in either 2018 or 2019 but to also do the Hebrides. Hope that helps
MANY INKSTERs on the island! That's great Kim. The world offers so many places to see. Once I go somewhere, I often think ok, where to next. However, some places make me wish for a longer visit. Shetland was such a place for me.
Glad you had such a great visit, ECU Bill!
To danareed802,
on our visit in 2013, we flew (on flybe air) from Edinburgh (mainland, of course) to Lerwick (Shetland), had a rental car for our time on Shetland, then returned via ferry from Lerwick to Kirkwall (Orkney Islands), sailing past the impressive Fair Isle on the way . The Orkneys are just off the mainland coast, and you can ferry or fly from there to reach mainland Scotland.
Thanks for this information. I definitely plan to get there soon and the information is very helpful.
