Scotland guide
Our Scotland travel guide reveals a land full of wildlife, and mountainous and marine magnificence.
Best time to visit Shetland
Winters are long and dark in Shetland, which is why locals brighten them up with a bang in Jan at the Up Helly Aa Fire Festival, with dancing ‘til dawn. Summer days are long if not exactly warm, averaging 15°C in Aug. Shetland gets half the amount of rain as mainland Scotland, and the driest months are Apr-Aug. The Apr Folk Festival is an archipelago-wide event, the moors are covered in wildflowers in May, Jun brings almost no darkness, known as ‘simmer dim’ and seals deliver their pups in autumn. If you are really lucky, you may see orcas passing through in May-Aug.
Shetland islands Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
1
5
131
FEB
1
5
90
MAR
1
6
111
APR
3
8
71
MAY
5
10
61
JUN
8
13
60
JUL
9
14
62
AUG
9
14
78
SEP
8
12
116
OCT
6
10
132
NOV
3
7
141
DEC
2
6
137
Our top trip
Orkney & Shetland self drive vacation, Scotland
Self-drive island-hopping through the Northern Isles
From
£1085 to £1195
7 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
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SHETLAND TRAVEL ADVICE
Itinerary tips
Robert McKinlay from our leading Shetland vacations supplier, McKinlay Kidd, shares his Shetland travel tips for those heading north:
“With its painted wooden houses, sea-carved landscape, long boats and sometimes wild climate, Shetland provides a taste of Scandinavia, but you’re still – just – in the UK and everyone speaks English! Go even further north – experience the strong identity and history of the far-flung islands of Yell and Unst and bag a whole list of ‘Britain’s most northerly’… castle, lighthouse, gin, tearoom etc.”
“With its painted wooden houses, sea-carved landscape, long boats and sometimes wild climate, Shetland provides a taste of Scandinavia, but you’re still – just – in the UK and everyone speaks English! Go even further north – experience the strong identity and history of the far-flung islands of Yell and Unst and bag a whole list of ‘Britain’s most northerly’… castle, lighthouse, gin, tearoom etc.”
Getting there & around
“Regular flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen take just over an hour, providing a much quicker way to arrive than the overnight ferry, though you may have less of a feeling of the distance travelled. Shetland is larger than you might think, so do allow plenty of time to explore; public transport is quite limited so ideally you need to hire a car or book day tours with a guide.”
Accommodation tips
“Accommodation is welcoming but on the simpler side – you won’t find any luxury spa hotels!”
Background reading
“Get in the mood for a trip by reading Ann Cleeves’ books, upon which the BBC TV series “Shetland” was based. The descriptions of the place and even some of the local characters are very true to life. Fortunately, though, the grizzly crimes are figments of imagination!”
Best time to go to Shetland
“My favorite time to visit is in late June for the Simmer Dim, when it never really gets dark. Or, in complete contrast, the midwinter fire festivals are spectacular.”
Tips from our travelers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Shetland travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Shetland travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
If you are wanting to see the puffins, dolphins etc. go before September. It was fantastic to see the contrast in both isles and to see the nature, unspoiled beauty.... ![]()
- Moira Parker on our Orkney and Shetland self drive vacation
“For the time of year we went, which was mid October, make sure you have got warm, thermal clothing. If you are wanting to see the puffins, dolphins etc. go before September. It was fantastic to see the contrast in both isles and to see the nature, unspoiled beauty. The wealth of wildlife and to see them in a nature environment. The wealth of history and to see how the areas have evolved throughout the years. Also the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights.” - Moira Parker on our Orkney and Shetland self drive vacation
More Shetland Islands articles
Our Shetland travel guide doesn’t cover all 100 of these islands, just the highlights; think of it as our starter menu - we hope it whets your appetite.
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