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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom

Lerwick

Leirvik

Base in Lerwick for 2 nights: it is the only town in Shetland with a full set of beds, shops and buses, and most island day trips start here.

Lerwick is the capital of the Shetland Islands and the only place in the archipelago with a real town centre, a museum, a hospital and a bus station. Most visitors use it as a two-night base and spend the days out at Sumburgh, Scalloway or the north isles. The town itself is small and walkable: Commercial Street, the museum, Fort Charlotte and the Clickimin Broch fill a wet afternoon.

LondonAbbots LangleyAbbots LeighAbbotsburyAberaeronAbercastleAberdareAberdaronAberdeenAberdourAberdyfiAbereiddyAberfeldyAberffrawLerwick200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
United Kingdom
Local name
Leirvik
Best months
May–Sep
Avoid
Nov–Feb (short daylight, storms); Up Helly Aa week books out a year ahead
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
GBP
Money
Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
Daily spend
Budget £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
Emergency
Police, fire, ambulance 999 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
Plugs
Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
Tipping
Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
Water
Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
Toilets
Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee and a cake£4–7
Fish and chips takeaway£10–14
Bistro main course£15–24
Pint of beer in a pub£5–6.50
Museum or exhibition entryFree–£3
Taxi across town£6–10
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£8–15

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

LSI · Sumburgh Airport
40 km (25 mi) south of Lerwick; Loganair from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Kirkwall and Bergen; Bus 6 to Lerwick takes about 60 min
LWK · Lerwick-Tingwall Airport
6 km (3.7 mi) north; inter-island flights to Fair Isle, Foula and Sumburgh on small Islanders, often grounded by weather; take a taxi, buses 21/23/9 pass nearby

Typical fares

Sumburgh Airport → Lerwick, Bus 6
about £4 one way, about 60 min
Lerwick → Bressay ferry, foot passenger
about £3 one way, 10 min
Taxi Victoria Pier → Holmsgarth terminal
£8–12
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

The centre is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. Buses: Bus 4 hourly to Scalloway via Holmsgarth, Bus 6 hourly to Sumburgh via the Broch, Bus 1 circles town. Car hire in Lerwick is a small fleet (Europcar, Star, Grantfield, Bolts/Avis), open Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM, closed Sunday: book ahead. Taxis rank at Victoria Pier and meet the Aberdeen ferry.

See and do

Known for

  • Up Helly Aa fire festival
  • Shetland Museum and Archives
  • Commercial Street and the harbour
  • Clickimin Broch
  • Knitwear and fudge shops

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Sumburgh and JarlshofBus 6 from Viking Bus Station, about 60 min, or drive the A970 southAbout 1 h 15 min
ScallowayBus 4 hourly from Viking Bus Station, about 20 minAbout 30 min
BressayRoll-on roll-off ferry from the town-centre harbour, about 10 min, roughly hourlyAbout 30 min
YellDrive north on the A970 to Toft, then the ferry to UlstaAbout 1 h 30 min
UnstTwo ferries: Toft–Ulsta then Gutcher–Belmont, or fly from Tingwall2.5–3 h
Fair IsleAirtask flight from Tingwall, or the Good Shepherd ferry from GrutnessAbout 30 min by air

Sleep

Town centre (Commercial Street and Esplanade)
Hotels, B&Bs, pubs and the museum within a 10-min walk; best for a short stay without a car.
Holmsgarth (ferry terminal)
Shetland Hotel is opposite the NorthLink pier; 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the centre, Bus 4 runs past hourly.
South Road and Knab Road
Mid-range hotels and guesthouses 5–10 min south of the centre, near the Clickimin Broch and Tesco.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
HelloHellostandard English; Shetland dialect is Scots-based
Thank youThank youta is common locally
Where is the bus station?Where is the bus station?Viking Bus Station, north end of the centre
Is the ferry running today?Is the ferry running today?check the harbour display board
Can I pay by card?Can I pay by card?yes in most shops and cafés
Is there a table for two?Is there a table for two?book ahead in summer

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
  • Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
  • Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
  • Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
  • Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
  • Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'

Scams and watch-outs

  • Car hire is limited and closed on Sundays: reserve weeks ahead and check the fuel and ferry rules.
  • Inter-island ferries can be moved to other piers in rough weather; check the harbour display board before a day trip.
  • Up Helly Aa (last Tuesday in January) sells out accommodation in Lerwick about a year ahead.
  • Mobile signal is patchy on the approach roads; 5G has not reached Shetland.
  • Summer daylight runs past 11PM in June, but winter gives under 6 hours of light: plan indoor days from November to February.

Lerwick is a low-crime town and safe to walk at night. The real risks are weather and distance: wind and rain change fast, single-track roads need care, and a missed last bus or ferry can strand you.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Lerwick yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Up Helly Aa fire festival
  • Shetland Museum and Archives
  • Commercial Street and the harbour
  • Clickimin Broch
  • Knitwear and fudge shops

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

LerwickLeirvik

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • NHS non-urgent111
  • Police non-urgent101

No embassies in Shetland; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh and most other countries keep embassies in London.

Print or screenshot this card: mobile signal is patchy outside Lerwick.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/lerwick). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.