Travel to and around Shetland

By road

If you wish to take your car to Shetland, drive to Aberdeen where you can take your vehicle on the ferry.

Once in Shetland, you can drive along the quiet roads to explore the islands. If you haven’t brought your car, you can hire one or a bike once you arrive. There are also taxi firms on the islands. If you plan on travelling by bicycle, take a look at our information on cycling in Scotland.

You can find up-to-date traffic information from Traffic Scotland and plan your route with Transport Direct.

By air

There are several options for flying to Shetland - the best way to find the most competitive fares for flying around Scotland is to search on comparison sites such as SkyScanner, Travel Supermarket and Cheapflights.

There are regular Flybe flights to Sumburgh Airport which is operated by Loganair and is 25 miles south of Lerwick. Direct flights to Shetland are available from Aberdeen (1 hr), Edinburgh (1 hr 30 mins), Glasgow (1 hr 30 mins), Inverness (1 hr 5 mins) and Kirkwall in Orkney (35 mins).

Within Shetland, there are inter-island flights with Direct Flight which take off from Tingwall airstrip, seven miles west of Lerwick. These flights go to Fair Isle, Foula, Papa Stour and Outer Skerries.

By train

Travel by train to Aberdeen, where you can get a ferry to Shetland from the nearby harbour. More information on train timetables can be found on the ScotRail or National Rail websites. 

By bus

There are a number of bus services which go to Aberdeen, where you can get the ferry to Shetland.

Once in Shetland, there are local bus services which can take you to different locations throughout the islands. In Lerwick, the bus station is less than a mile from the ferry terminal. For up-to-date timetable information, check Shetland's transport Zetrans sites. 

By ferry

There is a Northlink ferry between Aberdeen and Lerwick which runs seven days a week. The overnight journey lasts around 12 hours, generally arriving at your destination by 7am. Cruise ships also often stop off in Shetland’s ports, including Lerwick, Fair Isle and Scalloway.

There are also inter-island ferries which are used by visitors and locals alike. At peak times, it can be advisable to book tickets in advance. Check the timetables to arrange your journey.

Find out more about travel to and around Scotland.