- Shetland Mainland is in Shetland, Scotland.
- Shetland
- Check access, weather and local guidance before travelling.
About Shetland Mainland
Shetland Mainland is the largest island of Britain's most northerly archipelago, a windswept land of voes, moor and dramatic sea cliffs. Lerwick, its capital, is a compact stone-built harbour town with a strong Norse heritage that still shapes the islands' identity.
The story of Shetland Mainland
Shetland was part of the Norse Kingdom and remained under Norwegian, then Danish, rule until it was pledged to Scotland in 1469 as part of the dowry for Margaret of Denmark. Jarlshof, uncovered by a storm in the late 19th century, preserves nearly 4,000 years of continuous settlement from the Bronze Age through the Norse period. The annual Up Helly Aa fire festival in Lerwick, held on the last Tuesday of January, culminates in the burning of a replica Viking longship. Mousa Broch, on an island off the south coast, is the best-preserved Iron Age broch tower in Britain.
Visiting with care
The NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen reaches Lerwick overnight, or you can fly to Sumburgh. Hire a car to reach Jarlshof, Sumburgh Head and the west coast cliffs; book Up Helly Aa accommodation a year ahead.
Interesting facts
- Up Helly Aa, Europe's largest fire festival, has been held in its modern form in Lerwick since the 1880s.
- Mousa Broch stands 13 metres tall and is the finest surviving Iron Age broch in the world.
- Shetland lies at the same latitude as southern Greenland and Anchorage, Alaska.
- Sumburgh Head was the site of one of the first radar stations in Britain, operational before the Second World War.
Getting there
Parking and access details — check locally for the latest information.