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A mini guide to
Scalloway & the West Mainland: getting there
Stops, stations and how to reach Scalloway & the West Mainland
Stops and stations
Getting to Scalloway & the West Mainland
Choose the stop closest to where you are going.
| Stop or station | Services | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Lerwick to Scalloway bus | Local bus | Buses run between Lerwick and Scalloway through the day; check ZetTrans for times |
| Tingwall Airport | Inter-island flights | Used for inter-island flights, not flights to mainland Scotland |
| A970 and A971 | Roads | The A970 links Lerwick and Scalloway; the A971 heads west towards Walls |
Walking from nearby areas
- Lerwick & Bressay: 13.9 km from Scalloway & the West Mainland, better by public transport
- South Mainland: Sumburgh, Jarlshof & Mousa: 28.2 km from Scalloway & the West Mainland, better by public transport
- Northmavine, Yell & Unst: 47.7 km from Scalloway & the West Mainland, better by public transport
Reaching Shetland
Official travel information
Shetland is reached by the NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen or by Loganair flights to Sumburgh Airport. Always check the operator for current times, fares and weather disruption.
- Promote Shetland (shetland.org) → — the official visitor site
- NorthLink Ferries → — Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick sailings
- Loganair → — flights to Sumburgh
- Sumburgh Airport (HIAL) → — airport information
- Shetland Islands Council: ferries → — inter-island timetables, fares and bookings
- ZetTrans → — bus timetables
- Driving around Shetland → — single-track roads and fuel
Times, fares and disruption change: use the operator pages above for live information.
Plan your journey here
Enter your starting point and Google Maps will show routes to Scalloway & the West Mainland. Public transport is selected; change it on the map. Check operator sites for live disruption.
While you are here
Things to see in Scalloway & the West Mainland
A few of the sights in the area. The Things to do page lists them all, with directions and official links.
Walls
Village at the head of Vaila Sound on the West Mainland, sheltered by the islands of Linga and Vaila.
Scalloway Castle
Tower house of the late 1500s built for Earl Patrick Stewart, who was accused of using forced labour to build it in 1599.
Scalloway Museum
Community museum beside the castle, opened in 2012, on Scalloway and the wartime Shetland Bus to Norway; closed in winter until spring.
Shetland
More areas to explore
Northmavine, Yell & Unst
Esha Ness cliffs, Ronas Hill, the islands of Yell and Unst, and Britain's most northerly sights
Open the mini guide →
Lerwick & Bressay
Shetland's harbour town: the museum, Fort Charlotte, Clickimin Broch and the ferry to Bressay
Open the mini guide →
South Mainland: Sumburgh, Jarlshof & Mousa
Prehistoric and Norse sites, the Mousa broch, puffin cliffs and the St Ninian's Isle tombolo
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Burra: Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Scalloway & the West Mainland (area photo): Robert W Watt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Walls: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Scalloway Castle: Tom Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Scalloway Museum: Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Northmavine, Yell & Unst: Unukorno, CC BY 4.0, source
- Lerwick & Bressay: Florent Abel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- South Mainland: Sumburgh, Jarlshof & Mousa: swifant, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Shetland