Shetland Islands: When to Go

Weather

The weather in Shetland is delivered via the war of winds going on overhead. Changes occur daily and though very high or very low temperatures are rare, the chill wind can often gnaw at your bones. Thick fog - known locally as haar - can roll across the landscape and stick around, especially during May and July. Winter (October-April) brings unstable and unpredictable weather, where hurricane-type storms are not unusual. Six hours of light during deep winter is reversed in midsummer, with an average 19 hours of daylight. Snow, when it does fall, does not stay long due to the wet weather. On average, February is the coldest month and July is the warmest.