Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Strong influences from Viking settlers define the Shetland Islands

Lerwick Harbour (Getty)
Lerwick Harbour (Getty)

IN the most northerly corner of the British Isles lies Shetland. The bustling main port town of Lerwick welcomes sailors and tourists as they disembark from their boats. 

Lerwick’s old masonry style buildings are home to local crafters selling Shetland-made jewellery and the world famous Fair Isle jumpers that are a staple in any Shetlander’s wardrobe.

Jamieson’s of Shetland is the shop to go to if you’re looking for unique, colourful knitwear alongside cardigans boasting more traditional patterns.

The town of Lerwick has a plethora of places to stay, including Eddlewood Guest House. This is a quaint and rustic hotel situated in one of the prime spots in the town. A mere two-minute walk away from Lerwick town hall (and five minutes from all the busy shops) the friendly staff and central location make Eddlewood Guest House a great place to stay during a visit.

The scenery of nearby town Scalloway is beautiful, with mountains and quarries as the backdrop to the calm sea. The town has its own port, filled with fishing cages for catching mussels and lobsters, alongside a variety of boats to the ruins of Scalloway castle. The castle lies beside the local museum filled with information on how the town came to exist and the tale of the King who built and lived in the now part-destroyed structure.

Scalloway’s De Haaf restaurant, inside the NAFC Marine Centre, is also a must! Thanks to its prime location, the seafood in Shetland can’t be beaten – with fresh scallops and salmon served daily.

Other fine dining establishments around Shetland include Lerwick’s Fjara and Da Steakhoose – for those looking to get their teeth stuck into prime steak!

On my journey to this tranquil place, the Northern Lights (or “merrie dancers” to locals) lit up the night sky in Nesting. The glowing greens and midnight blues amongst the many stars shone in the sky, with not a single street light for miles. The full show of purple, blue, pink and green hues will illuminate the sky in winter months, creating an even more magical atmosphere on the island.

Lerwick town center (Getty)
Lerwick town center (Getty)

Among the many distinctive sights and sounds in Shetland, the most noticeable has to be the Nordic influences, from the local dialect and the style of houses to the historic landscape from the time of the Vikings.

If you want to learn more about the region’s Viking settlers, don’t miss the Up Helly Aa exhibition where local members of the Jarl Squad work to build an old Viking galley, torches and authentic costumes throughout the year – ready to burn at the annual fire festival of Up Helly Aa in the last Tuesday of January.

A lot can be packed into a week-long visit to Shetland. From walks and wonderful history to wildlife discoveries at Sumburgh Lighthouse, this island will keep you entertained.

For more information on what to pack into your Shetland trip visit www.shetland.org

With rooms starting from £80 per night, book your trip with Eddlewood Guest House here: www.eddlewood.wordpress.com


READ MORE

How the ‘Shetland Bus’ became a wartime lifeline

It would be a CRIME not to visit the amazing Shetland Islands