Things to do in Shetland Islands
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Shetland Museum
This modern museum is an impressive recollection of 5000 years’ worth of culture, people and their interaction with this ancient landscape. Comprehensive but never dull, the display covers everything from the archipelago’s geology to its fishing industry, via a great section on local mythology – find out about the scary nyuggles (ghostly horses), or use the patented machine for detecting trows (fairies).
The Pictish carvings and replica jewellery are among the finest pieces here; the museum also includes a working lighthouse mechanism, small art gallery, and – what great smells! – a boatbuilding workshop, where you can watch carpenters at work restoring and re-crea…
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Queen’s Hotel
The dining room in this slightly run-down hotel wins marks for its harbour views – book one of the window tables. While some of the roast-pork-with-fish combo platters are a bit strange, the seafood here is pretty good – the catch of the day is reliable, and the Queen’s stew is a feast of molluscs and crustaceans. Portions are generous, too.
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Peerie Shop Cafe
If you’ve been craving proper espresso since leaving the mainland, head to this gem of a spot, with art exhibitions, wire-mounted halogens and industrial-gantry chic. Newspapers, scrumptious cakes and sandwiches, hot chocolate that you deserve after that blasting wind outside, and – more rarely – outdoor seating give everyone a reason to be here.
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Monty’s Bistro
Though well hidden away behind the tourist office, Monty's is far from a secret and Shetlanders descend on its wee wooden tables with alacrity. The happily orange upstairs dining room is fragrant with aromas of Gressingham duck and local mussels from the short, quality menu, and the wine list has some welcome old friends.
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Brae Indian Takeaway
The town’s only restaurant, Brae Indian Takeaway, is an offshoot of the Raba Indian Restaurant in Lerwick. The chefs’ considerable culinary skills give diners a choice of excellent curries. You will need somewhere to chow down as there’s no dining on site.
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Clickimin Broch
This fortified site, just under a mile southwest of the town centre, was occupied from the 7th century BC to the 6th century AD. It’s impressively large, and its setting on a small loch gives it a feeling of being removed from the present day – quite unusual given the surrounding urban encroachment.
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Böd of Gremista
This house was once the headquarters of a fish-curing station, and was also the birthplace of Arthur Anderson, who went on to found P&O Ferries. The friendly custodian is a delight, and will show you around two rooms restored to how they were 200 years ago, and an exhibit on the history of the whitefish industry.
The building also houses the Shetland Textile Working Museum, with displays on the knitted and woven textiles and patterns that take their name from the islands. The böd is a mile north of the town centre, overlooking the small-boat harbour.
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Hay’s Dock
The upstairs cafe-restaurant in the Shetland Museum sports a wall of picture windows and a fairweather balcony that overlooks the harbour. Its clean lines and pale wood recall Scandinavia, but the menu relies on carefully selected local and Scottish produce. Lunch dishes range from smoked-salmon sandwiches to seafood chowder, while the evening menu concentrates on seafood and steak.
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Captain Flint’s
This lively bar – by some distance Lerwick's best – throbs with happy conversation and has a distinctly nautical, creaky-wooden feel. There’s a cross-section of young ’uns, tourists, boat folk and older locals. There’s live music some nights and a pool table upstairs.
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La Piazza
Upstairs from Osla’s Cafe, La Piazza is where you’ll discover the joys of Italian cooking. Authentic, thin-crust pizzas are just like Papa used to make…well, almost.
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Da Haaf Restaurant
Being part of the North Atlantic Fisheries College, it’s no surprise that Da Haaf Restaurant specialises in seafood – and excellent local seafood at that. It’s solid value, but ring ahead to check if it’s open.
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Booth
Booth serves vegetarian food in a hippy crofters’ house – actually a 300-year-old former Hanseatic trading-post house and one of Shetland’s oldest buildings.
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Sea Kayak Shetland
A reliable, professional operator that caters for beginner and expert alike, offering guided kayaking trips from various points around Shetland.
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Lounge
A hospitable local bar patrolled by Andy Capp characters during the day, Lounge features a variety of live music performances several nights a week, including informal jam sessions.
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Karibuni
Best spot in town for freshly roasted coffee. It also does paninis, bagels, tasty pitta breads and wraps with a variety of fillings.
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Spiders Web
It’s worth dropping in here as much for a chat as for the store’s excellent array of hand-knitted garments, which are very high-quality.
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Scalloway Museum
After years of delays, Scalloway's museum has finally moved to new, purpose-built premises next door to the castle. The main exhibit celebrates the town's role in WWII's Shetland Bus operation; other displays cover Scalloway's people, industries and maritime history.
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Baroc
A slick spot that becomes the island’s lounge bar at nights, there’s plenty of the younger set around to keep you on your toes.
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Fort Charlotte
Fort Charlotte, built in 1781 during a time of war with France and Spain, occupies the site of an earlier fortification built in 1665 to protect the harbour from the Dutch navy. The five-sided fortress never saw action, but today houses the local Territorial Army (volunteer units) and provides excellent views over the harbour.
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Fort Café
Lerwick’s salty air often creates fish-and-chip cravings. Eat in, or munch down on the pier if you don’t mind the seagulls’ envious stares.
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Posers
At the Grand Hotel, Posers is Lerwick’s only nightclub. Show the locals your latest moves to the booming, dated dance music.
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Jamieson’s Knitwear
You’ll find real Fair Isle sweaters with the distinctive OXOXO pattern here.
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Havly Cafe
Offers cappuccino and carrot cake, and lunch dishes based on quality Shetland produce such as seafood, lamb and homebaked bread. Has a childrens's play area.
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Up-Helly-Aa Exhibition
This exhibition provides the background to Shetland's bizarre, annual Viking fire festival, with photos and videos documenting the event, and displays of the galleys and costumes from the last 10 years.
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Raba Indian Restaurant
Highly recommended curry house; Sunday buffet is a bargain at £9.50.
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