Lerwick (Norwegian: Leirvik, "clay bay") is the largest town and capital of the Shetland Islands, with a population of 6760 in 2022. It's the obvious base for touring Shetland.
Understand
[edit]The town dates back at least 3000 years, initially centred a little to the west by the freshwater Clickimin Loch. A wooden town grew up but was burned down by the inhabitants of Scalloway in the 17th century, ostensibly because they objected to the drunken immorality of the Lerwick sailors. Their real motive was fear that Lerwick would supplant Scalloway as capital of Shetland, as indeed it did in 1708. Stone buildings came to predominate in the 18th and 19th centuries and Lerwick became a busy fishing and shipping port. It still is.
VisitScotland iCentre is the tourist information centre. It's on Market Cross, south end of the harbour, open Apr-Sep daily 9AM-5PM and Oct-Mar M-Sa 10AM-4PM.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]Sumburgh Airport (LSI IATA) is Shetlands' main airport, 25 miles (40 km) south of Lerwick. Loganair fly from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Kirkwall and Bergen. One flight a day is local, to Lerwick-Tingwall. Bus 6 runs between Sumburgh and Lerwick every hour or two, taking 60 min, and there is car hire at the airport.
1 Lerwick-Tingwall Airport 
(LWK IATA) 4 miles north of Lerwick handles the inter-island flights. These serve Fair Isle, Foula and Sumburgh; day-trips either way are often possible. Flights are operated by Airtask on behalf of Shetland Islands Council, using a couple of BNF Islanders, so they're small and not infrequently grounded by the weather. Bus 21 / 23 (Lerwick to Brae, Hillswick or Toft) and Bus 9 (Lerwick to Walls) pass near the airport, but better take a taxi. By car follow A970 north, turn left onto A971; parking here is free.
By boat
[edit]Northlink Ferries sail overnight from Aberdeen. These carry vehicles and sail every afternoon: on 4 days direct, the other 3 days via Kirkwall in Orkney. See Shetland page for practical info. Ferries no longer sail to Scandinavia, Faeroes or Iceland.
2 Holmsgarth Terminal is the ferry pier, on A970 main road about 2 miles north of Lerwick centre, opposite the Shetland Hotel. Bus 4 (Lerwick to Scalloway) runs past the terminal every hour or so and there are taxis. Cruise ships often visit Shetland in summer and may dock here, or anchor up and bring passengers into Kirkwall by tender.
Get around
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By car
[edit]Most visitors either fly into Sumburgh and hire from the airport, or bring their own car on the ferry: for a family the extra fare is more than offset by the convenience and saving of self-driving to Aberdeen. This means that Lerwick has only a small hire fleet, which also serves the airport, so you need to book. As of 2024 the car hire firms in Lerwick are Europcar, Star, Grantfield Garage, and Bolts who are agents for Avis. They're all open M-Sa 9AM-5PM and closed on Sunday.
By bus
[edit]You're unlikely to use the bus within town, but for Holmsgarth Terminal use Bus 4 hourly towards Scalloway. Bus 1 circles town hourly and runs north near the terminal and south by Broch of Clickimin. Bus 6 hourly to Sumburgh also passes the Broch. For timetables see Zetrans
3 Viking Bus Station is north end of the centre, just beyond Fort Charlotte.
By boat
[edit]The only inter-island ferry from Lerwick is the hourly ten-minute crossing to Bressay. It's a little roll-on, roll-off ferry sailing from the harbour in town centre, not Holmsgarth.
The other inter-island ferries ply from different points around Mainland, but their sailing status is shown on a big display board at the harbour, worth checking if the day looks doubtful. Those ferry piers are sometimes altered in rough weather, and Lerwick is a "port of refuge" for the Out Skerries ferry — don't go visiting in such conditions.
By taxi
[edit]Taxi firms in Lerwick include Sinclair's (☏ +44 1595 696060), Allied Taxis (☏ +44 1595 690069), and Gee's (+44 7827 641222).
There's a taxi rank by Victoria Pier in town centre, and taxis await the ferry from Aberdeen.
See
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- Commercial Street is scenically the best of town, pedestrianised and one block back from the shoreline, which is a sprawl of quays and marine industries.
- 1 Fort Charlotte, Harbour Street ZE1 0JL. Jan M-Th 10AM-4PM, Feb Mar Oct Nov daily 10AM-4PM, Apr-Sep daily 9:30AM-5:30PM. A five-sided artillery fort built in 1665 against the Dutch. Then it was demolished, rebuilt, demolished, then burnt by the Dutch just to make sure. The present structure dates from 1780, raised against American revolutionaries, but never saw action. It's no longer in a commanding position, as it's become hemmed in by modern buildings behind, and reclaimed land has extended the shoreline in front. Free.
- 2 Shetland Museum and Archives, Hay's Dock, Lerwick ZE1 0WP, ☏ +44 1595 695057. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su M noon-5PM. Great modern museum, with the natural history, archaeology, history and anthropology of the islands. Free.
- 3 Up Helly Aa Exhibition, St Sunniva St, Lerwick ZE1 0HL. Mid-May-Aug Tu Th 6:30-8:30PM, Sa 2-4PM. Every February the "guizer" volunteers start building a Viking longship in this shed. By midsummer the work in progress is on display, along with "Jarl Squad" regalia and film and photos of previous events. In late January there's a grand torchlight costumed procession and the ship is ceremonially burned. The ritual goes back to the 1880s when earlier yule torchlight revels were stamped out because of drunkenness and fire-raising. Adult £3.
- 4 Clickimin Broch, South Road, Lerwick. Daily Apr-Sep 9:30AM-5:30PM, Oct-Mar 10AM-4PM. An Iron Age broch - a stone and turf fortified dwelling - occupied between 700 BC and 600 AD. It was built on an island in the freshwater loch; the water-level was lowered in the 19th century, so it's now connected to shore by a broad spit and pathway. No parking on the road here, use side streets or buy something at nearby Tesco to use their parking lot. Free.
- 5 The Knab is the breezy headland, small park and golf course south of town. A coastal hiking trail heads off in both directions. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- 6 Shetland Textile Museum, Böd of Gremista, Lerwick ZE1 0PX, ☏ +44 1595 694386. May-Oct Tu-Sa 11AM-4PM. A böd is a traditional fisherman's booth. This one, built in 1780, houses the textile museum. Much of the work is for sale. Adult £3.
Do
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- Up Helly Aa events are held around New Year in several locations in Shetland, but by far the biggest and most spectacular is in Lerwick. The name means "end of holidays" but it's slipped back in the calendar to attract more visitors, and is nowadays on the last Tuesday in January. The programme starts with a morning procession at 9AM, followed by a civic reception before the "guizers" embark on a series of visits to schools, care homes and the hospital. The evening torchlight costume procession starts at 7:30PM (by which hour it's black night in Shetland), culminating in burning the Viking longship. The guizers are then entertained at a series of "Halls": private receptions to thank volunteers for their work over the year.
- 1 Mareel, Gutters Gaet ZE1 0WQ, ☏ +44 1595 745500. Tu-Su 10AM-11PM. Multi-purpose entertainment venue on the waterfront, with a music venue, cinema, conference rooms and educational facilities.
- Screenplay Film Festival is held at Mareel, late Aug to early Sep.
- And see Shetland Islands#Do for multi-venue events.
- Garrison Theatre is on Market St behind Fort Charlotte.
- Golf: Shetland GC is 3 miles west on A970. It's 5562 yards, par 68, visitor £32 per day.
- 2 Clickimin Leisure Complex, North Lochside ZE1 0PJ (north end of Clickimin Loch), ☏ +44 1595 741000. M-F 7AM-10PM, Sa Su 9AM-8PM. Shetland's largest leisure centre with swimming pool, steam room, gym and other facilities. Good for kids and reasonably priced.
Buy
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- Lerwick has the best shopping in Shetland, since it's the only shopping.
- Coop is at the ferry terminal, open daily 6AM-10PM.
- Anderson & Co, 60 Commercial Street ZE1 0BD, ☏ +44 1595 693714. M-F 9AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Range of knitware clothing.
- High Level Music, 62 Commercial Street ZE1 0DL, ☏ +44 1595 692618. M-Sa 10:30AM-5PM. Music including tuition, instruments, accessories, CDs and books of music.
- Island Larder (formerly Shetland Fudge Company), 97 Commercial St ZE1 0BD, ☏ +44 1595 694324. M-Sa 9AM-P4M. Very nice fudge, locally handmade. Care to try the "puffin poo"?
- The Wine Shop, 113 Commercial Street ZE1 0DL, ☏ +44 1595 693580. M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa Su 10AM-20PM. Wines from around the world and a good selection of whisky.
- Harry's Department Store, 2 Charlotte Place, Esplanade ZE1 0LL, ☏ +44 1595 693097. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. Department store selling a good range of items.
- Westside Pine, Esplanade ZE1 0LL, ☏ +44 1595 696003. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Gift shop with items made from pine wood.
- 1 Toll Clock Shopping Centre at 26 North Rd has some two dozen shops within. Open 9AM-5:30PM, a good refuge if the weather turns bad.
- Tesco is on South Rd near the Broch, open daily 7AM-11PM.
Eat
[edit]- C'est la Vie, 181 Commercial St ZE1 0HX (by ferry terminal), ☏ +44 1595 697154. M-Sa 10AM-9:30PM. Small bistro with French / Iberian cuisine.
- Peerie Shop Cafe, Campbell's Close, Esplanade ZE1 0LL. Tu-Sa 8AM-4PM. Tiny place with a couple of outdoor tables, good coffee and brownies.
- Fort Cafe, 2 Commercial Road ZE1 0HY. M-F noon-9PM, Sa noon-7PM, Su 4-9PM. Fish & chips takeaway.
- Great Wall at the bus station is Cantonese, open M-F 11:30AM-2PM, 4:30-11PM, Sa Su noon-11:30PM.
- Raba opposite the bus station is Indian, open Th-Tu 4-10PM.
- Phu Siam is now within Glenorchy Hotel, open noon-3PM, 6-9PM.
- No 88 Kitchen and Bar, 88 Commercial St ZE1 0EX (in pedestrian precinct), ☏ +44 1595 692139. W-Sa 11AM-10PM. Great reviews for their modern British cuisine. Reservations recommended.
- The Dowry, 98 Commercial St ZE1 0EX (in pedestrian precinct), ☏ +44 1595 692373. M-Th 9:30AM-10PM, F Sa 9:30AM-11PM. Scandi-style bistro.
Drink
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- Thule Bar, Esplanade ZE1 0LL. Daily 11AM-1AM. Not the most salubrious of bars but busy at the weekend. Boilersuits and work boots are perfectly acceptable dress. Pool tables.
- The Lounge Bar, 4 Mounthooley St ZE1 0BJ. Daily 11AM-1AM. The bar downstairs is very basic. Upstairs the lounge bar is more comfortable. Often has live traditional music.
- Trench Bar, 13 Commercial Rd ZE1 0LX. M-Th 3PM-1AM, F Sa 3PM-3AM. Cocktail bar and late spot.
- Douglas Arms (Marlex), 67 Commercial Street ZE1 0NL (by museum), ☏ +44 1595 693787. M W Th 3PM-1AM, F-Su Tu noon-1:30AM. The public bar is basic, the lounge bar is more cosy with dark wood tables and a fireplace, occasional live music.
- Grand Hotel and Shetland Hotel have bars, see Eat and Sleep.
- Lerwick Brewery is 2 miles west of town on Ladies Drive and has tours.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Islesburgh House Hostel, Islesburgh House, King Harald Street ZE1 0EQ, ☏ +44 1595 745100. 64-bed hostel open Jan-Nov. It's run by the local council, affiliated to SYHA, book by email or phone. Oct-Mar is cheaper, but Up Helly Aa in Jan is peak rate.
- Solheim Guest House is at 34 King Harald St just south of Islesburgh House.
- Shetland Hotel, Holmsgarth Road ZE1 0PW (opposite ferry terminal), ☏ +44 1595 695515, reception@shetlandhotel.co.uk. Slabby building, but comfy 3-star, handy for ferry and a short walk to town. B&B double £160.
- 2 Grand Hotel, 149 Commercial St ZE1 0AN, ☏ +44 1595 697425. Elderly baronial building but comfy rooms and friendly service. B&B double £160.
- 3 Queens Hotel, 24 Commercial St ZE1 0AB, ☏ +44 1595 692826. Creaky but pleasant old hotel just south of the harbour. B&B double £180.
- Aald Harbour is a B&B at 7 Church Rd, 50 yards south of Queens Hotel.
- Varis House B&B is at 26 Church Rd, by the roundabout.
- Eddlewood is a B&B at 8 Clairmont Place, 100 yards west of Varis House.
- 4 Glenorchy Hotel, 20 Knab Road ZE1 0AX, ☏ +44 1595 692031. Needs a good clean but comfy enough. B&B double £110.
- 5 Lerwick Hotel, 15 South Road ZE1 0RB, ☏ +44 1595 692166. Comfy mid-range hotel south side of town. B&B double £180.
- Kveldsro House Hotel, Greenfield Place, Lerwick ZE1 0AQ. This remains temporarily closed.
Connect
[edit]- As of September 2024, there is 4G in Lerwick from all UK carriers, but the signal is patchy, with little coverage on the approach roads. 5G has not reached Shetland.
- 1 Shetland Library, Lower Hillhead ZE1 0EL, ☏ +44 1595 743868. M Th 10AM-8PM, Tu W F Sa 10AM-5PM. 16 computers in the Library Learning Centre, you need to register to use them.
Go next
[edit]Most of Shetland can be visited on a day-trip from Lerwick. Highlights include:
- Jarlshof, the prehistoric settlement at Sumburgh, next to the main airport 30 miles south.
- Scalloway, Shetland's second largest town and home to Scalloway castle, is a 6-mile drive.
- Noss is a small island nature reserve with spectacular sea-cliffs, reached via the island of Bressay, a short ferry-ride from Lerwick.
- Yell and Unst are the two islands north of Mainland, linked by short ferry crossings; here you reach the north tip of the British Isles and UK.
Further out, Foula and Fair Isle vie with each other for the title of "Britain's most remote habitation". So they need a longer stay; nevertheless by air a day-trip may be possible.
Otherwise, return south (perhaps via the Orkney Islands) to the Scottish mainland. You have to return there to reach other island groups such as the Hebrides.