Lerwick & Bressay: Lerwick's waterfront buildings reflected in the harbour on a calm day

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Lerwick & Bressay

Shetland's harbour town: the museum, Fort Charlotte, Clickimin Broch and the ferry to Bressay

Welkom in het gebied

Shetland's harbour town: the museum, Fort Charlotte, Clickimin Broch and the ferry to Bressay

Lerwick is Shetland's main town and port, with a population of 6,709 in 2022, and the most northerly major settlement in the United Kingdom. Commercial Street runs behind the old waterfront, the Shetland Museum and Archives stands at Hay's Dock, and Fort Charlotte, begun in 1665 during the Second Dutch War, overlooks Bressay Sound.

Clickimin Broch, on the edge of town by Clickimin Loch, shows more than a thousand years of settlement. Across the sound, the island of Bressay is a short council ferry crossing from the town centre, with Gardie House and Bressay Lighthouse; boat trips run to the seabird cliffs of Noss beyond it. Lerwick is also the home of Up Helly Aa, held each January.

Hoogtepunten

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Op de kaart

The map shows Lerwick & Bressay and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.

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Insidertips

Voor vertrek

1

Check the ferry before you sail

NorthLink and the council ferries publish service updates. Weather can delay or cancel sailings, so check on the day before setting out to Bressay or the north isles.

2

Book Up Helly Aa stays early

The festival is a single day in late January in Lerwick, and the town is small. Look for accommodation well ahead if you plan to see the procession.

3

Pick up timetables

Buses outside Lerwick can be infrequent. ZetTrans publishes the timetables for buses and inter-island ferries; plan day trips around them.

4

Check seasonal opening

Several sights outside town, such as Sumburgh Head and the Mousa boat, open mainly from April to September. Lerwick's museum and fort make good winter visits.

Tips van de Britlens-redactie

Fotoverantwoording

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits