Lerwick Shore Excursions

Scenic Shetlands
Duration: Approx. 3.5 hours

Shetland is the crossroads of the northern seas and unlike anywhere else in Scotland. The sight and sound of the sea is almost always present, woven into the island’s maritime heritage. Spectacular vertical stacks coated with seabird colonies, cliffs and coves curtained with wild flowers, hidden white beaches on an endless coast, small crofts and settlements sheltering by the sea edge: all these are typical Shetland scenes, and the pollution-free air has an unbelievable clarity beloved of photographers and painters.

After a short sightseeing tour of the town with its narrow main street and small shops, we leave Lerwick, passing the Pictish Broch at Clickimin, drive through Gulberwick and Over and head in a westerly direction through small agricultural areas. The distinctive black and brown Shetland sheep grazing in pastures enclosed by neat dry-stone walls are a feature of the landscape. The panoramic tour continues to the islands of Trondra and Burra, which are linked by bridges, before a brief photo stop is made at Hamnavoe. We then travel across heather-clad hills to Scalloway, former capital of the Shetlands and an important fishing village on the western side of Shetland. We will see Scalloway Castle, a forbidding ruin dominating the town, built by Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600 using forced local labour. Stewart was a notorious despot who tyrannised Orkney and Shetland, but his cruelty eventually led to his downfall and, in 1615, he and his son were executed in Edinburgh. Built in a medieval style, the roofless shell with corner turrets and gables stands on a narrow promontory by the water, and today stands a silent sentinel alongside the busy fishing port.

Our route then takes us northwards toward the fertile Tingwall valley, the site of the old Norse parliament or ‘Ting’ as it was known in Shetland. It is an area of uninterrupted views across farmland, small lochs and streams. The road passes a collection of farm buildings, and then suddenly there are belts of trees, the only ones of any significance on Shetland, rising abruptly amongst the barren hills. Our return drive will take us through the scenic areas of Whiteness and Weisdale before we arrive back at Lerwick.

By coach, subject to a minimum of 45/maximum of 180.