How long is the Shetland: Vikings, Puffins and the Atlantic Edge route?

This route takes 6 days taking in 6 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Lerwick, Shetland to Lerwick, Shetland in Shetland Islands, Scotland.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is May to September.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Active. Moderately active — expect some walking and light physical activity.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car or a campervan.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Relaxed — plenty of time to linger at each stop.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Coastal, Nature, Culture, Scenic, Classic road trip.

Shetland: Vikings, Puffins and the Atlantic Edge

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The route · 6 stops

3 overnight bases · 1 day trip · 2 stops on the way

Lerwick

1 night

Start at Shetland's capital on the east coast. The Shetland Museum and Archives on the waterfront tells 5,000 years of island history including the Viking era and the wartime Shetland Bus. Walk the stone-flagged Commercial Street, visit Fort Charlotte (17th-century artillery fort, free entry), and watch the fishing fleet from the pier.Start at Shetland's capital on the east coast. The Shetland Museum and Archives on the waterfront tells 5,000 years of island history including the Viking era and the wartime Shetland Bus. Walk the stone-flagged Commercial Street, visit Fort Charlotte (17th-century artillery fort, free entry), and watch the fishing fleet from the pier.

Recommendations

On to Sumburgh

Sumburgh

2 nights

Jarlshof packs 4,000 years into one coastal site: Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch, Viking longhouses and a laird's farmhouse. Sumburgh Head RSPB has one of Shetland's most accessible puffin colonies (April to August). Book the seasonal Mousa Broch boat trip from Leebitton pier to see Britain's best-preserved Iron Age broch.Jarlshof packs 4,000 years into one coastal site: Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch, Viking longhouses and a laird's farmhouse. Sumburgh Head RSPB has one of Shetland's most accessible puffin colonies (April to August). Book the seasonal Mousa Broch boat trip from Leebitton pier to see Britain's best-preserved Iron Age broch.

Recommendations

Day trip from Sumburgh

3
Bigton (St Ninian's Isle)
A day trip from Sumburgh: The UK's finest tombolo connects the mainland to St Ninian's Isle via a sweeping double beach of shell sand. The crossing offers calm turquoise water to the east and Atlantic swell to the west. On the island, a ruined chapel marks where a Pictish silver hoard was discovered in 1958; replicas are in Lerwick Museum.A day trip from Sumburgh: The UK's finest tombolo connects the mainland to St Ninian's Isle via a sweeping double beach of shell sand. The crossing offers calm turquoise water to the east and Atlantic swell to the west. On the island, a ruined chapel marks where a Pictish silver hoard was discovered in 1958; replicas are in Lerwick Museum.
Recommendations

On the way

Scalloway
Quick stop
Worth a stop on the drive: Shetland's original capital until 1708. Scalloway Castle (1600), built by the tyrannical Earl Patrick Stewart, is now a roofless but atmospheric ruin. The Scalloway Museum beside it covers ancient Scalloway and the wartime Shetland Bus, a secret WWII operation that ran agents between here and Nazi-occupied Norway.Worth a stop on the drive: Shetland's original capital until 1708. Scalloway Castle (1600), built by the tyrannical Earl Patrick Stewart, is now a roofless but atmospheric ruin. The Scalloway Museum beside it covers ancient Scalloway and the wartime Shetland Bus, a secret WWII operation that ran agents between here and Nazi-occupied Norway.
Recommendations

On to Eshaness

Eshaness

2 nights

Volcanic cliffs formed 395 million years ago drop to the North Atlantic on one of Britain's most exposed coastlines. Walk the headland from the lighthouse to the Grind o' da Navir, where storm waves have hurled boulders 50 metres inland. The Kirn o' Slettans blowhole plunges to the sea below. Two nights here allows day trips into north Mainland.Volcanic cliffs formed 395 million years ago drop to the North Atlantic on one of Britain's most exposed coastlines. Walk the headland from the lighthouse to the Grind o' da Navir, where storm waves have hurled boulders 50 metres inland. The Kirn o' Slettans blowhole plunges to the sea below. Two nights here allows day trips into north Mainland.

Recommendations

On the way

Lerwick
Quick stop
Return to Lerwick for the overnight ferry to Aberdeen or a flight from Sumburgh Airport. The drive from Eshaness takes around one hour via the A970. If time allows, stop at Clickimin Broch on the south edge of town.Return to Lerwick for the overnight ferry to Aberdeen or a flight from Sumburgh Airport. The drive from Eshaness takes around one hour via the A970. If time allows, stop at Clickimin Broch on the south edge of town.
Recommendations

Shetland: Vikings, Puffins and the Atlantic Edge