The capital of the Shetland Islands, Lerwick, is located right in the centre of the main island of Mainland. Lerwick used to be an old fishing port but has seen recent improvements which have brought it up to date, whilst still keeping its charm. It is a large and busy port with ferries running to Aberdeen, Kirkwall, Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands.

Northlink ferries operate sailings between Lerwick and Aberdeen twice daily, at 18:00 and 23:45. Northlink took over the routes from Lerwick to Aberdeen and Kirkwall in 2002 and now have much larger and more comfortable ships. They also offer services to Scandinavia, the Faroe Islands and Iceland.

All ships have 100 onboard cabins as well as a large vehicle deck which includes an additional car deck. The rest of the onboard facilities are of a high standard, including numerous bars and restaurants and upbeat entertainment on the 14 hour overnight journeys.

P&O Scottish Ferries also provide a service between Lerwick and Aberdeen with onward connections to destinations in Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands.

All Northlink’s ferries have four specially designed cabins for disabled passengers, which have doors that open electronically for convenient access. Disabled toilets are also provided on board and wheelchair access is good on all ships. Assistance with boarding is also available if you ask staff.

The road network in the Shetlands is good and the islands are small so travelling around them is easy. The port is well signposted from the town centre. There is a scheduled bus service which runs across the island operated by John Leask & Sons, which also stop at the port. There is however no rail network on the island. Located just 25 miles south of Lerwick, at the tip of the island, is Sumburgh Airport which offers scheduled flights to mainland Scotland.

Tags: Aberdeen, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Lerwick Port, P&O Scottish Ferries, Scandinavia, Scotland, Shetland Islands, Shetlands