Shetland Islands Scotland United Kingdom
60.346957,-1.23566

Shetland

Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the northeast of Orkney, 110 mi (170 km) from mainland Scotland and 140 mi (220 km) west of Norway. They form part of the border between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. Their total area is 1,467 km2 (566 sq mi), and the population totalled 23,020 in 2022. The islands comprise the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament. Shetland forms one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is the Shetland Islands Council. The islands' administrative centre, largest settlement and only burgh is Lerwick, which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708, before which time the capital was Scalloway. The archipelago has an oceanic climate, complex geology, rugged coastline, and many low, rolling hills. The largest island, known as "the Mainland", has an area of 373 sq mi (967 km2), and is the fifth-largest island in the British Isles. It is one of 16 inhabited islands in Shetland. Humans have lived in Shetland since the Mesolithic period. Picts are known to have been the original inhabitants of the islands, before the Norse conquest and subsequent colonisation in the Early Middle Ages. From the 10th to 15th centuries, the islands formed part of the Kingdom of Norway. In 1472, the Parliament of Scotland absorbed the Lordship of Shetland into the Kingdom of Scotland, following the failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark. After Scotland and England united in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, trade between Shetland and continental Northern Europe decreased. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted Shetland's economy, employment and public-sector revenues. Fishing has always been an important part of the islands' economy. The local way of life reflects the Norse heritage of the isles, including the Up Helly Aa fire festivals and a strong musical tradition, especially the traditional fiddle style. Almost all place names in the islands have Norse origin. The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets, who have often written in the distinctive Shetland dialect of the Scots language. Many areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the local fauna and flora, including a number of important seabird nesting sites. The Shetland pony and Shetland Sheepdog are two well-known Shetland animal breeds. Other animals with local breeds include the Shetland sheep, cow, goose, and duck. The Shetland pig, or grice, has been extinct since about 1930. The islands' motto, which appears on the Council's coat of arms, is "Með lögum skal land byggja" ("By law shall the land be built"). The phrase is of Old Norse origin, is mentioned in Njáls saga, and was likely borrowed from provincial Norwegian laws such as the Frostathing Law.

Distance between:

London to Shetland 614 Miles / 989 Kms
Liverpool to Shetland 486 Miles / 782 Kms

Postal Code



Woman tries to leave Germany with Shetland pony in a Fiat Panda! - Lonely Planet
Shetland shines as 2011's Best in Travel - Lonely Planet
Adventures on the edge of Britain: highlights of Shetland – Lonely Planet
Shetland celebrates midwinter Viking fire festival - Lonely Planet
Why you may start to see Scotland's Shetland Islands in a new light
Up Helly Aa: Shetland’s Viking fire festival - Lonely Planet
For sale: idyllic Scottish island but no running water or electricity - Lonely Planet

art gallery Nearby

Vaila Fine Art

museum Nearby

Unst Heritage Centre
Fetlar Interpretive Centre
Old Haa Museum
Pier House Museum
Shetland Museum & Archives
Shetland Textile Museum
The Cabin Museum
Tangwick Haa Museum

parking Nearby

Hermaness National Nature Reserve car park

tourist attraction Nearby

Hamars & Harps
Skaw Beach
Most northerly house in Britain - Skaw
The Skidbladner
Easting Beach
Hermaness National Nature Reserve
Unst Boat Haven
Gateway To Hell
Fetlar
Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve
Breckon Sands
Shetland Reel at Saxa Vord Distillery
Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement
Old Scatness Broch And Iron Age Village
Fort Charlotte
Culswick Broch
Broch of Mousa
Shetland Amenity Trust
Scord of Weisdale Viewpoint
Liegeplatz Wikinger-Schiff
Scalloway Castle
Stenness Beach
Beorgs of Housetter, Standing Stones
The Glebe
Cunningsburgh beach - Shetland
Clumlie Broch
Foula Lighthouse
Bressay Heritage Centre
Lea Gardens
Quendale Mill
The Hollanders Graves
Bressay Lighthouse
Eshaness Lighthouse
Market Cross
St Ninian’s beach
RSPB Mousa
Red Pool, Virkie