10 Best Things to Do in Lerwick – Shetland

Anybody who spends time in Shetland is going to visit Lerwick at some point. It makes a perfect base to explore Scotland’s most northerly archipelago, but it’s more than just somewhere to lay your head. Any time I’m lucky enough to be in Shetland, I dedicate at least a day in Lerwick.

It’s not a big town but it’s a bustling place, rich in history, shaped by the sea, and full of character. If you’re looking for things to do in Lerwick, whether you have a single day or week to fill, here are my personal highlights.

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Grab The Expert’s Guide To Shetland

No doubt, if you’re spending the day in Lerwick then you’re going to have at least a few more days to explore Shetland. While I have my own blog post about visiting these islands in winter, there’s no substitute for local knowledge. That’s why I’d highly recommend grabbing a copy of the Essential Shetland Guide Book by Laurie Goodlad.

You may have already come across Shetland with Laurie in your research and as a Lerwick local who guides visitors around the islands for a living, I can personally vouch for her expertise!

How to Get to Lerwick

Getting to Lerwick is part of the adventure, one of the things that attracts visitors to Scotland’s northernmost town. There are two ways to reach the Shetland Isles and flying with LoganAir is by far the quickest option. You will then need to get from Sumburgh airport to Lerwick though. If you’re thinking about hiring a car then here’s the best place to do that. If you’re nervous about driving here, this article might help you!

I prefer to bring my own car with me since there are so many other places to visit in Shetland! That means getting the overnight Northlink Ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick. Trust me, you’ll want to book a cabin if possible! The journey takes either 12 or 14 hours, depending on if it stops in Orkney along the way.

Where to Stay in Lerwick

There are plenty of great places to stay in Lerwick, from small guesthouses to larger hotels or self-catering apartments. The town is small enough that you can walk to most places fairly easily, but I usually aim to stay pretty central anyway.

Here’s a few options for places I’ve stayed in the past:

Norlande Guest House – Very central for the procession and great quality spot!

Carradale Guest House – Another comfortable option with good access and plenty of rooms!

Varis House – A great wee place with very welcoming hosts, my tour guests thoroughly enjoyed it here.

Lerwick Hotel – A bit more of a walk away but with plenty of rooms and its own restaurant!

Isleburgh House Hostel – My favourite budget option, this hostel is great for groups who want to book a whole dorm room to themselves!

Quick History Of Lerwick

Before I start exploring all the things to do in Lerwick, I think it’s important to set the scene with a little history. Forget most of what you know about Scotland, the Northern Isles are entirely different and there’s a very good reason for that! Until the middle of the 1400s, this wasn’t part of Scotland at all!

The Vikings stopped here on their way to burn, pillage and conquer their way across the British Isles and they didn’t see any reason to leave. Shetland was absorbed into the Kingdom of Norway until James III of Scots took control after a dodgy dowry deal! That’s why so many placenames in Shetland have Norse roots, Lerwick meaning clay/muddy bay.

There was very little here when the Scots took over, the main Norse settlement had been at Tingwall. Even then, it was the settlement of Scalloway that became Shetland’s most important town. Lerwick wasn’t as fertile, was further away from good fishing spots and didn’t have a great water supply.

It’s rise came mostly thanks to Dutch traders and enterprising smugglers! In the 1500s, foreign fishing boats were making good use of this sheltered harbour as they caught and processed herring. Those sailors would land and trade with locals who began setting up small stores along the shore. Lerwick began to get a bad name for lawlessness and drunkenness, so the good folks of Scalloway had it burnt to the ground!

Even that couldn’t stop the rise of Lerwick and by the 1800s, it became the capital of the Shetland Isles. The Dutch fishing began to fade but the local fleet took over and the town’s connection to the sea is still obvious today!

This isn’t somewhere stuck in the past, there are plenty of modern things to do in Lerwick, but I love wandering the old streets and narrow lanes to imagine how this place has grown over the centuries!

Explore Lerwick’s Historic Waterfront

For lovers of both history and modern TV shows, the highlight of any day in Lerwick will be at the waterfront. Not far from the centre of town, you can visit the Lodberrie aka the home of Jimmy Perez from the Shetland detective show! It’s pretty much an essential stop for all visitors to Lerwick today, but be aware that this is still a private house!

It does have a fascinating history though, the name Lodberrie actually describes a type of building once prevalent here. They were essentially part shop, part warehouse, part pier, built right on the seafront. Merchants could transfer goods straight from the boat directly inside, without needing to pay somebody to cart things from a harbour!

There are even underground tunnels leading from some of the old Lodberries, perfect for when those merchants were landing something that was heavily taxed! Not many of them are still on the waterfront sadly, the new esplanade and pier cut them off from the sea. Today, you can find them repurposed as cafes or bars, but at least the most famous of all has barely changed since 1772.

Walk On Bain’s Beach

Just beside The Lodberrie you’ll find Bain’s Beach. You’ll actually have to pass this wee sandy haven on your way to reach the popular picture spot. It’s an unexpected sight right in the heart of the town and a reminder of what this place once was.

I’ve often seen people swimming here early morning or beachcombing for sea glass. It’s a beautiful wee sheltered spot, but just be careful if you head down the slippery steps here. Sunning yourself on Bain’s Beach might be a relaxing thing to do in Lerwick, but the way back up does get cut off with the tide!

Shetland Museum and Archives

No visit to Shetland is complete without spending time at the Shetland Museum and Archives, easily on of my favourite things to do in Lerwick! Located at the other end of town from the Lodberrie, the museum tells the story of these fascinating islands from prehistoric times through the arrival of the Norse and onto modern day.

There is no better place to get a full overview not just of the town, but of the entire archipelago. It’s an enormous place with incredible displays. If you had the time, you could easily spend half of a day in Lerwick here. The best part is that it’s entirely free, so makes a cheap way to entertain the family.

Walk Up to Fort Charlotte for Views and History

For another interesting historical spot in Lerwick, overlooking the town stands Fort Charlotte. This star-shaped fortress began life in the 1600s to defend the Bressay Sound during the Anglo-Dutch wars. It was entirely rebuilt in the 18th century to the star-shape we have today, although no shots were ever fired in anger!

There’s no cost to walk in the grounds and it’s a peaceful place for a wander. Take in the excellent views across the water and imagine you’re one of the early garrison, practicing your cannon fire on the island of Bressay!

Experience Shetland Culture at Mareel

I might be a lover of history, but that’s not the only thing to do in Lerwick. This is a place for culture too and there’s no better spot for that than Mareel. This award-winning arts venue has a live-performance hall, cinema, creative spaces, rehearsal spaces, recording studio and much more! It’s also been named as one of the most beautiful movie theatres in the world!

Shetland has a very strong tradition of music and storytelling, so this has been an incredible addition to Lerwick since 2012. It’s well worth checking what’s on during your trip to Lerwick to catch some proper, local culture while you’re here.

Step Back In Time At Clickimin Broch

Just on the outskirts of town, you can step back 2000 years in Lerwick’s past! Clickimin Broch is a spectacular place, its ancient stone walls rising on a little peninsula surrounded by a small loch. There are over a hundred brochs scattered around the Shetland Isles, but none this accessible.

Clickimin is now around 5 metres tall, although may have been twice as high in its prime! These mysterious drystone towers can only be found in Scotland and their purpose puzzles archaeologists to this day. Unfortunately, many are now piles of rubble, with much of the stonework pinched for boundary walls or recycled into local cottages.

Clickimin is a little different though. It was badly robbed of stone in the 19th century by an unsympathetic butcher called Hugh Mackay before being rebuilt by well-meaning antiquarians. Amazingly, it was Hugh the butcher’s son who became the first official warden for the broch after it was rebuilt!

What we’re left with is a structure that might not be entirely accurate, but visiting it is still one of my highlights of a visit to Lerwick! Get inside, imagine life in Iron Age Shetland and the amount of effort that must have gone in to constructing something of this size and intricacy.

Take A Tour Out Of Town

Even if you have your own transport, there are a few good reasons you might want to take a tour from Lerwick! The biggest reason is one of the things these islands are best known for – Shetland Ponies! This tour gets you up close with the ponies for just £25, where you’ll learn about their history and cultural importance to Shetland! – Book your tickets here!

If you have a few more hours, I’d recommend this tour of the south Shetland mainland. You’ll pass some of Shetland’s iconic scenery, get a good view of Mousa Broch and stop at Sumburgh Head. That’s where you’ll start a hunt for another icon of local wildlife – the Puffin! Sightings can’t be guaranteed, but if you want to take your chance then Book a ticket here!

For those looking to get out and about Shetland with more flexibility, there are a couple of different options. This tour of a few hours with a Shetland local is an affordable option and can be tailored to your interests. If you want to go a bit deeper and have longer, I can highly recommend a tour with Adventure Shetland!

Take A Short Ferry To Bressay

Since it’s been staring right at you ever since you got to Lerwick, it would be rude not to take a trip to Bressay! It’s easy enough to get there under your own steam, this ferry goes back and forward across the sound and only takes a few minutes. You’ll get a great view of Lerwick as you leave it behind too!

Once you arrive on Bressay, you’ll find it a very quiet place and a particularly nice spot to walk. There’s lots of history and scenery around the island, but you might struggle to fully appreciate it on your own. That’s why it might be worth booking onto this tour from local archaeologist and crofter Chris!

As somebody who arrived as an outsider, Chris is a great person to explain crofting and life on Bressay. He runs tours of Garths Croft and I would highly recommend a visit. I think we could have spent my entire 5 days chatting about everything from his beautiful heritage Shetland sheep to drystone walls and how he fits everything in around the day job.

Aside from the fascinating croft, Bressay has lots to offer and Chris is the man to tell you about it. Pictish stones, Viking longhouses, brochs, beautiful views and even enormous WWI gun emplacements. If those things sound like something you might be interested in, book a tour to Bressay here!

Experience Up Helly Aa

If you happen to visit Lerwick in late January, you may witness one of Scotland’s most spectacular winter fire festivals – Up Helly Aa. This famous event, on the last Tuesday in January, celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage and marks the end of the long winter nights.

A thousand torchbearers march through the streets before setting fire to a full-size Viking longship in a dramatic blaze. The festival dates back to the 19th century but draws inspiration from Shetland’s Viking past. It’s something incredibly special to witness first hand and you can watch my 2026 visit there below!

Enjoy Some Live Music

While you won’t find many bagpipes around the Shetland Isles, there’s still a strong musical tradition here. The fiddle is the prime instrument and if you spend a bit of time in some pubs during your visit to Lerwick, I’m sure you’ll find that out first hand!

I’ve been lucky enough to witness some locals striking up a tune in both the Douglas Arms and the Noost before. However, there are lots of spots with regular events and the best place to find out what’s happening is the Shetland Music Live page!

Where to Eat in Lerwick

I always get frustrated when people try and make fun of food in Scotland, usually because they’ve never been here! The food scene across the country is superb and Lerwick is right up there with some incredible places to eat! You won’t be surprised to hear that there’s lots of fresh seafood, but that’s not all on offer.

Just take a look at the supplier map from my favourite Lerwick restaurant No 88! Doesn’t get much more local than that.

There are lots of other great spots to grab a bite though. Here are my favourites:

No 88 Shetland – My ultimate place to eat after a day in Lerwick – never disappointed!

The Peerie Shop Cafe – Where I usually start the day with breakfast or grab a coffee on the go.

Fjara Cafe – Just on the outskirts of Lerwick with an amazing menu of seasonal food, all day long.

C’est La Vie – A mixture of French and Shetland cultures makes the perfect combination for a restaurant!

If you’re thinking about visiting Lerwick and want to know more about the stories of the Shetland Isles, grab a copy of the Scotland’s Stories book here!