A family adventure in Shetland

The full size Grey Seal jumped up on to the edge of the boat. Huge brown eyes looking pleadingly, hoping for one of the silvery fish the captain kept on board for such visits. He dived back in to the clear Shetland water, effortlessly gliding, sideways swimming, our constant companion. The children squealed every time his head peeked above the water’s edge, teasing us with his presence that was just beautiful, especially so close. It was our last day on these entrancing Scottish islands and the arrival of the seals was the culmination of a week of amazing experiences with wildlife, history and beautiful sights. Our family adventure in Shetland just fizzed with excitement from the start and was everything you could want from a Shetland holiday.

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Taking the ferry – A family adventure in Shetland

Travelling to Shetland is undoubtedly part of the adventure.

We checked in to Northlink Ferries, docked proudly in Aberdeen, the Viking illustration on the side looking defiant and resplendent and ready for whatever the North Sea might throw at her.

We excitedly explored the ship. Heading first to our cabins which were cosy and comfortable – full size mattresses, proper duvets and bathrooms with showers.

The cabins sleep four and we organised ourselves into our groups, the oldest with me and the younger two with Mr G.

We left our luggage and made our way up to the main deck to check out our home for the next 14 hours.

Hjaltland is a really sweet ship which has plenty going on to keep everyone occupied.

There’s a bar and cafe for drinks and baguettes, a shop selling local gifts from across Shetland and Orkney and a cinema with different films being shown every couple of hours.

There’s also a main restaurant for all your meals when you’re on board.

Most importantly there’s also the main outer decks where as soon as we realised we were pulling out of port we headed and watched Aberdeen’s iconic architecture and surrounding pale green fields fade into the distance.

The air was chilly and the sea grey but we stood for a while, the children waving at the people gathered on the cliff tops to watch us gently sail past.

Aberdeen was fading fast and we were just contemplating heading in to dinner when we heard shouts from the top deck and saw outstretched arms pointing toward the sea.

That’s when we spotted the dolphins. A small pod jumping gracefully out of the water, swimming alongside us, arching and diving.

It was a wonderful sight. The perfect start to our family adventure in Shetland and only a glimpse of the beautiful wildlife that was to come.

We settled down to dinner on board . A macaroni cheese for me and fish and chips for the rest of the family followed by an Orkney fudge cheesecake. And we chatted the evening away as we glided on.

The crossing was incredibly smooth and relaxed and after a last drink together we headed back to bed.

We all slept really well on board Hjaltland. I woke briefly as we pulled in to Orkney half way through the night and drifted off again to wake in Shetland when the call went out for car drivers to return to their vehicles.

It was wonderful to come up in the morning and discover Shetland laid out in front of us.

The colours were perfect. There was a Scandinavian tint to everything (Shetland belonged to Norway until the 15th century and is just over 200 miles from the Norwegian coast).

We ate our breakfast on board looking out excitedly at the Scottish landscape beyond.

Exploring Shetland

We disembarked from the boat quickly. Straight into our hire car, which was waiting for us in the small port car park, and then we were off, driving around the capital of Lerwick. Not really knowing where we were going but just wanting to explore.

We did a loop through the town with the sea ever present to the side. Bunting throughout the town flapping in the breeze.

We found ourselves out at Clickimin Broch. A broch is a stone built roundhouse and tower found only in Scotland.

This one dates from around 1000 BC and the whole site feels very atmospheric.

The children loved running around here, clambering up ancient steps and weaving in and around the stone circle. It was the perfect place to burn off some energy.

Then it was on to Burra Island. Just 25 minutes outside of Lerwick it was something we had all been looking forward to – a chance to spend some time with Shetland Ponies.

Seeing Shetland Ponies in Shetland

The Shetland Pony Experience was the perfect start to our trip on the islands.

Seeing these gorgeous ponies (there were even two-week-old foals) was just so sweet. The children had a chance to groom them and ride them in their centre.

My favourite part though was a guided walk down to a picturesque private beach. Here the icy blue waters lapped gently and the white sand looked like something from a picture book.

The children each had a pony to lead, carefully treading through the stones and on to the sand, guiding their new-found friends alongside them. It was lovely to watch and be a part of.

Exploring Scalloway, Shetland

Afterwards we stopped for lunch at The Scalloway Hotel. Here we dug in to the tastiest roasted cauliflower soup and platefuls of Shetland halibut and the best sticky toffee pudding.

It was the perfect place to stop and rest and talk about all the things we were excited to see on Shetland over the coming week.

We had a relaxed afternoon exploring Scalloway which was the ancient capital of Shetland until 1708.

Today it is quiet and picturesque, somewhere to come and enjoy the few shops and little playground.

A visit to the local Scalloway Museum filled us in on the history of the area, including the vital role the islands played during the Second World War.

The children ran their fingers over old Fair Isle knitted jumpers, peered in at terrifying looking implements from Shetland’s whaling past and played at steering their own boats.

I loved the little gift shop here full of local crafts and little pieces of Shetland to take home.

In the grounds of the museum, Scalloway Castle stood empty but with staircases to wind our way up and long extinguished fireplaces to imagine over, it’s a really evocative castle, especially for a ruin. It’s perfect for getting the children’s imaginations spinning with all the history and dark hallways to wander through.

I love exploring castles like this with the children. With no “please don’t touch” signs or perfectly positioned interiors they can run free and allow their imaginations to recreate the past.

As evening beckoned we headed back to Lerwick for some supper.

Lerwick has a fantastic, buzzing foodie scene, with plenty for vegetarians too and there are some wonderful restaurants here, we were spoilt for choice.

We woke up early at Easterhoull Chalets. Our home for the first couple of days on Shetland, the sun already high and eagerly pushing us on.

The chalets were a really comfortable place to stay with enough space to relax. They had some gorgeous views down to Scalloway Castle and the sea beyond.

We stopped off for some breakfast at Mackenzies in Cunningsburgh.

The children immediately spotted milkshakes on the menu and asked eagerly if they could have one.

If you can’t have milkshake for breakfast when you’re on holiday then when can you?

They greeted them with massive smiles as we settled back with a hot breakfast, the perfect way to start the day.

The simply stunning St Ninian’s Beach

With full tummies we drove on to St Ninian’s beach which is like something from an Enid Blyton novel.

A mythical tombolo (sea on both sides) beach that is seen on all the tourist photos but when you see it in real life you still can’t help but gasp.

It’s beautiful in a “surely it’s not real” way.

That treasure was found on St Ninian’s by a schoolboy in the 1950s, a silver hoard in a box marked with an ‘X’ under what was believed to have been the site of a Medieval church, adds even more mystique and allure to this most picturesque of islands.

The sun warmed through the air and we played on the beach. Watching the waves gently crash either side we scrambled up sand dunes, where long willowy grass danced happily to the side.

The children ran alongside the waves that were crashing. The 12 year old skimmed tactile flat stones and the seven year old searched for his own treasure.

There was only a handful of other visitors when we were there and it felt like such a special place. Somewhere that has to be one of my favourite beaches in the world now.

We reluctantly tore ourselves away, ambling back to the car with constant gazes back to the beach that was so bewitching.

Boat trip to the island of Mousa

Having had so much fun on St Ninian’s we were late for the boat trip to Mousa and raced through the gentle landscape.

Luckily there was very little traffic on the Shetland roads and we quickly made our way to the port of Sandwick. Here the sweetest boat was gently bobbing and filling up with passengers eager for the trip out to another of Shetland’s islands. This one si uninhabited but an RSPB maintained haven for numerous birds.

The water around Mousa lapped at the boat. It was dark like petrol and with a shine like gloss paint, coloured by the peat that was thick on the land surrounding it and which stained the water making it dark and dense but so interesting to look at.

So different from the turquoise hues of the water around St Ninian’s.

We bobbed up and down on the somewhat choppy water but the trip was only fifteen minutes long and the island of Mousa was always in sight.

We landed on the little wooden pier, looking down at spiky purple sea urchins, colourful and full of texture.

Then we were off, picking up a small map of the island with details of the circuitous walk we could take and the sights we could see.

I loved Mousa. There was something beguiling about it.

A barren island landscape but with a couple of significant ruins, showing how a few had made it home through the centuries.

Today Mousa is a haven for thousands of nesting birds, particularly the Storm-Petrels who come here specifically to breed.

The grass was littered with eggs successfully hatched, their blue and white shells laying cracked on the ground.

It was wonderful to see all the birds, eyeing us with little beady eyes as they sat on their nests amongst the landscape, sleepily contemplating the day, safe in their Mousa island haven.

The children seemed to sense the peacefulness of the place, carefully walking, scanning the landscape, excited to see what we might discover.

The broch here is the largest in all of Scotland. A tall tower which spouts up towards the sky, curving beautifully as it does so.

It’s the perfect place for scrambling over, ducking in to stony caves within its walls, hands trailing across ancient stones.

We tip-toed up the tiniest Iron Age steps, perhaps the oldest staircase in the UK still able to be used.

Torches are provided in a small wooden box. The children took charge of one each, the beams of light weaving backwards and forwards as we gripped the handrail (one of the few later additions) and carefully made our way to the top.

Here the views across Mousa were spectacular.

The island is laid out in front of you, the sea, dark and brooding and foaming slightly as it crashes amongst the rocks.

Having taken in the views and squeezed passed the few other visitors on the ledge at the top we went back down. Slowly, carefully retracing our steps to the bottom.

This was an enchanting place to explore,. To wonder at what it was used for, to imagine the characters who would have lived and worked here and imagine at what life must have been like.

Then our walk continued.

Past the empty ruins of the Pyper family house, the Haa, which I just couldn’t stop staring at.

The woman (the second wife of James Pyper) who fell in love with Mousa and made her home on this isolated island in the 18th century, fascinated me.

I wondered at what her life must have been like, of the rich furnishings that once decorated the space and at the sparse remains of the property today.

The seven year old raced about Mousa, collecting up the soft, fluffy wool that lay like whipped cream over the green landscape.

He stuffed his pockets with it until they were bursting, “I’m going to make you a pair of mittens” he told me proudly, “and then I’m going to make myself a pair”. His eyes shone brightly, he was entranced by Mousa too.

As the boat took us back to the Mainland I found myself staring at the old wreck of the house, the Haa, on the shoreline. Wishing those crumbled walls could tell me the stories of the lives that were now just ghosts of the past and all but forgotten.

Visiting Sumburgh Head Lighthouse – family adventure in Shetland

After a hastily thrown together lunch of oat crackers and Orkney cheese, which we’d picked up earlier from Mackenzies, we wound our way up to Sumburgh Head Lighthouse.

Here the views of tropical style beaches of white sand and turquoise sea abound. Contrasting perfectly with the craggy cliffs filled with colourful, delicate flowers and nesting sea birds.

We spotted plenty of Guillemots, peppering the tops of rocks, clinging happily to their posts.

There were Fulmars swirling about and then a couple of Puffins poking orange beaks out and diving downwards.

We were so happy to see our first Puffins, they are the sweetest looking birds.

This is the perfect lookout spot for whales passing by who are on the hunt for seals to eat but unfortunately these beautiful creatures remained elusive to us when we visited.

It’s such a great point to peer out at all the wildlife though and to see the island of Fair Isle, hazy and almost mythical in the distance.

The Sumburgh Head lighthouse is an interesting place in itself with tales of lighthouse keepers come and gone, and of a signal room that detected 60 German Luftwaffe bombers heading for British ships in Scapa Flow, Orkney in April 1940.

This vital alert gave the British ships 25 minutes to prepare for the attack, preventing a catastrophic loss of life and ships. To stand in that room, where the aircraft would have first appeared on the radar was eery. You can definitely feel the past here.

Exploring historic Jarlshof

Next door was Jarlshof. A unique site where over 4000 years of continuous occupation sit side by side (from the Neolithic people through to the 16th century inhabitants).

The children played a game of hide and seek amongst the ruins of an Iron Age broch and wheelhouse, Viking longhouse and Medieval farm house as we wandered through. Taking in the different styles and shapes of dwellings, all found clustered together in this waterside spot.

Jarlshof provides such an intriguing insight into how communities and family life has changed through the eras.

We headed back to Lerwick for dinner in the Scandi style restaurant The Dowry. Here we feasted on plates of charred corn with parsley and garlic infused Shetland butter, deep-fried arancini balls and roast sage and garlic squash with whipped feta and hazelnut dukkah.

We loved this spot where as a family we could share food along with the tales of the day. “Do you remember that Puffin I spotted at the lighthouse?”; “Will we see whales tomorrow?”; “I can’t wait for another boat trip”.

Visiting the island of Unst

After a final night at Easterhoull Chalets we were packed up and out early for a drive across the Mainland to the small car ferry at Toft.

These ferries are dotted all over Shetland, making it easy to travel through this island landscape.

Our first ferry journey was twenty minutes over to Ulsta on Yell.

We climbed up to the small lounge on the top and looked out across the rolling hills of this beautiful setting before scampering back downstairs to get to the car before we docked.

Then we were off again, this time on the long island of Yell. The second largest island after Mainland and which I wished we had time to explore.

Yell appeared browner to me, with rich peat soil and heather-like terrain.

As we sped through the countryside we peered over at deserted beaches that looked as beautiful as it’s possible for a beach to look and tumbledown cottages, abandoned homes.

Yell was intriguing but there was no time to stop. We got to the port of Gutcher where the next boat would take us in just 10 minutes over to the island of Unst.

Unst is as bewitching as an island landscape is possible to get.

It’s the most northerly, inhabited island of the UK and there’s something intriguing about that in itself.

It’s on the same latitude as Greenland and just 12 miles long by five miles wide.

Absolutely peppered with Viking remains there’s something mythical about Unst and, even as dark skies gathered above us, we felt the magic of this island.

A family adventure in Shetland – visiting Hermaness National Nature Reserve on Unst

Our first stop was up to the top of the island and the Hermaness National Nature Reserve. Here we met the wonderful Mike Pennington, a bird expert from the visitor centre.

We felt in safe hands from the start as we walked up the board walk, across the landscape and he pointed out carnivorous plants and heath spotted orchids.

It was brilliant to have someone talk to us about the different birds and the peculiarities of each of them. The children enjoyed hearing his tales of ways the local people had used the nature here in the past, like taking the fluffy cotton-wool like plants to fill their pillowcases.

After walking for nearly an hour we suddenly appeared at the top, the sea rolling beneath us, crashing at the craggy cliffs which were dotted with thousands of white sea birds, the top of the Muckle Flugga lighthouse just peering out in the distance.

It was the perfect place to watch the natural world just move around us.

There was so much going on and the children loved looking through the binoculars to see these gorgeous birds up close.

We sat here for a while, the 12 year old excitedly pointing out a Puffin nearby who we watched as he hopped about, eyeing us cautiously.

Gannets and Fulmars swept past effortlessly, gliding through the sky, swooping and circling. It was the most beautiful sight.

But Mike had an even bigger surprise and took us higher up across the fields, rambling onwards, the wind whipping our faces a little.

The elements were worth it though as suddenly the landscape gave way to yet more cliffs absolutely teeming with sea birds.

The sight was overwhelming.

We looked at each other with mouths wide open and eyes large. Thousands upon thousands of birds, jostling for position on the cliffs, perched precariously on the edge of jagged rocks, the air full of feathers drifting past as birds flew gracefully around us.

The whole of our vista was full of this incredible sight. It was one of those moments you almost can’t believe you’re seeing and even as you snap those photos to take home as a memento you know it can never capture the moment, the sensation, the sight in the same way as standing there and seeing them for ourselves.

This was such a fantastic experience for the children, one they won’t forget.

As we wound our way to the bottom of the hill again we were all so excited about everything we had seen on the cliff tops of Unst.

It really is a special place, right at the top of the United Kingdom, as far as it’s possible to go and there to be presented with such absolute beauty. The natural world is a truly wonderful place.

Having said goodbye to Mike we made a quick stop off at Haroldswick where a reconstructed longhouse and Skidbladner long boat sit close to the water’s edge.

It was fun to run around these. Unst is well known for its Viking remains, they are dotted all over the island and it was great to see how these structures would have looked a thousand years ago.

My ten year old daughter is studying Vikings in her class and she was so excited at going back to tell everyone what she had seen.

Then it was on to Victoria’s Vintage Tea Rooms for some sandwiches and soup and chance to warm up.

Victoria’s is the perfect spot, looking out across the sea and with hearty food to fill us up. We ate well and stayed a little longer as their cakes looked too good to pass us by (the chocolate Guinness cake was delicious).

There’s a little gift shop here too which provided the perfect opportunity for us to pick up a decoration for our Christmas tree as we like to do on our travels.

The weather was very tumultuous when we were on Unst. Blue skies appearing suddenly, the sun warming our cheeks before thunderous clouds arrived, threatening and sending icy hail stones over us and at one point even thick snow (which the children thought was the best thing ever and the back seat of the car launched into “Jingle Bells” at an incredibly high, happy volume. Given it was May it was all very surreal).

After lunch we drove around Unst a little, looking for Viking remains and coming across Bobby’s bus shelter which is a real Unst institution.

The bus shelter came to attention when six year old Bobby, a local school boy petitioned the council for a new bus shelter.

When this one was constructed new things started appearing within it including a sofa, television and art work.

This quirky sight has become quite a tourist stop off and we couldn’t resist looking around. It changes decor regularly and when we visited was themed around space with books by Carl Sagan, an ironing board turned in to a rocket and slightly randomly, a puffin dressed as Emily Pankhurst.

As we continued our island drive we came across a sign for Sandwick Beach which I’d remembered Mike mentioning as one of his favourites.

The single file road twisted its way to a deserted car park where we parked up and walked the rest of the way, across the field and down to the most beautiful beach.

Completely empty, possibly because of the changeable weather, Eastings beach (Sandwick on all the maps) is stunning with turquoise waters and white sand.

We walked along the water’s edge and just marvelled at how beaches like this even existed here. “It looks like the photos you see of the Caribbean”, said the 12 year old and it really did.

A castle made for a scoundrel – Muness Castle, Unst

Back in the car we headed further on to Muness Castle which was built for the 15th century Shetland leader Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie.

By all accounts he was a most disliked leader and was eventually ousted from the islands after numerous complaints of his stealing and general corruption.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this little ruin but I loved it.

We wandered through rooms that felt so evocative, little archways, details on the stonework, fireplaces and turrets.

In the rooms underneath you could see where the kitchen would have roared in to action, a little sink still there and the fireplace in the corner.

There was something about this sweet little home of a dastardly leader that made me fall in love with it.

The weather closed in once again. With a sky looking dark and brooding as if Laurence Bruce himself was chasing us away and we quickly jumped back in to the car to drive across the island to Saxa Vord and a series of ex MOD houses that have been turned in to self catering accommodation.

We cooked up a storm here. All the little treats we’d bought as we’d been travelling through from some vegetarian haggis to more Orkney cheese on delicious oat crackers and some Tunnock’s tea cakes.

Saxa Vord provided all the space we needed to stop for the night and relax.

Seeing otters in the wild in Shetland – a family adventure in Shetland

When morning came and with it calm skies we headed back across Unst.

We retraced our steps, taking the ferry on to Yell, back across the island with its rolling landscape and gorgeous beaches, to the ferry at Ulsta and back then on to the Mainland.

We were heading for the seven year old’s highlight of the trip.

For years now he has loved otters and every wildlife park or zoo we visit he rushes to see them and for the last couple of years he hasn’t managed to see one. They’re always asleep and out of sight.

So the prospect of seeing otters in the wild had him jumping from foot to foot in excitement. We were meeting Richard Shucksmith, a wildlife photographer who runs tours on Shetland and who didn’t want to promise us we would see otters but said there was a good chance.

This was the seven year old’s dream come true.

We headed out with Richard across land he knows like the back of his hand. Not only the land but also the animals that live in it and he knew exactly where to go to spot these beautiful, elusive creatures.

We crunched across pebbled beaches, jumped wooden fences, rambled across land, Richard scanning the landscape as we went until suddenly he spotted them.

My heart leapt at the possibility we would actually get to see them up close. We walked quickly, fingers over lips, “Shhh”, the message passed backwards down the line as we snaked across the top of the hillside.

Richard had worked out the direction of the wind and where our scent would carry which would immediately alert the otters. We crept along until there was the unmistakable shape of an otter swimming in the sea, close to the land.

We watched as two babies played together in the water, before one of them paddled furiously to the shore with the spiky silhouette of crabs legs sticking out of its mouth.

It was just wonderful to watch as they played, the mother otter keeping watch and catching her own treats.

We heard their distinctive cry as they called out to each other and then watched as they curled up, camouflaged against the brown seaweed on the beach for a nap.

My seven year old was beside himself. His favourite animals here in the wild.

Seeing them as they are supposed to be seen, keeping our distance, watching carefully, silently. It was magical.

We left the otters to their slumber and waved goodbye to Richard as we headed to our last accommodation stay of the trip and this time we were glamping.

Glamping in Shetland

Set high up overlooking the beautiful bronze coloured cliffs and the tall pillars of the Drongs, the colourful wooden wigwams of Braewick Cafe and Caravan Park were the perfect location for breathing in the beautiful Scottish air and really relaxing.

It was awe-inspiring landscape here. Looking out over seas that sparkled and I could understand why some people come and can’t bear to leave.

As we travelled through Shetland we met people from Devon, the Midlands and Kent who had come for a visit and never gone home.

We finished our day at the award-winning Frankies fish and chip shop, the most northerly of fish and chip shops in the UK.

As we tucked in to huge portions of local fish with chips smothered in salt and vinegar and some battered mushrooms for me we felt really sad that we’d come to our last night.

It had been a jam-packed trip and we’d seen and done so much but it wasn’t over yet.

The sun was high when we drove along the cliff tops back to our wooden wigwam.

It wasn’t even June but the light in Shetland is like something else, glowing through the evening, warming, comforting, reassuring. Shetland summer evenings really are the best.

We slept well in our little wooden home for the night. It was cosy and comfortable and we emerged into morning ready for our last day.

An adventure on board – a boat trip to Noss – family adventure in Shetland

We decided to go out on a high though and our final trip was probably my favourite of all.

We headed down to Lerwick jetty ready for a boat trip to the island of Noss with Shetland Wildlife Boat Tours.

Noss is an uninhabited island and has been a National Nature Reserve since 1955.

The sky was bright and the seas calm as we headed towards the cliffs of Noss. Noss is known to be a haven for birds and it really is the most amazing place to see them.

Here we watched thousands of gannets with charcoal tipped wings hypnotically swirl around us.

There were flashes of pastel tangerine as their heads, coloured like little helmets, ducked and darted.

They were gliding easily, feet tucked in, bodies solid and wings wide over the liquorice coloured sea which moved mysteriously, constantly turning in on itself.

We found ourselves close to a whole flock of Arctic Tern who were so agile. Their beautiful flicked tails moving as they high dived into the water, appearing again with sand eels effortlessly plucked and devoured.

We watched as Fulmars with their sharp beaks tore an unfortunate Gannet to pieces. The children watching this gruesome display with absolute fascination.

The cliffs of Noss were coloured white with the guano the smell of which hit us hard.

Like the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle the birds were perched all across the cliffs here in the most uncomfortable looking spots, backs towards us as they pushed their eggs inwards, away from the precarious, rocky edge.

Away from the main colonies of birds the cliffs were green and orange. This ancient sandstone peppered with the pinks and whites of early emerging wild flowers.

We spotted Puffins too, moving at a furious pace, their wings flapping as if their lives depended on it.

It felt the most wonderful way to finish the wildlife extravaganza that this trip to Shetland had been.

Packed full of stunning vistas and beaches to swoon over.

And then, just as we turned to head back to the port the first of the grey seals announced itself by jumping on to the back of the boat.

Three seals followed us in. Swimming beautifully alongside us, wide eyes innocently pleading. Frank the captain throwing them a fish which was swallowed in one.

When we arrived back in Lerwick the seals were still there, jumping up, demanding to be adored.

I whispered to my children, “Now we’ve seen seals like this it will be hard to see them in a zoo won’t it?”. They nodded slowly, thoughtfully.

Having this opportunity to see so much wildlife up close and absolutely in the location it should be seen is something none of us will ever forget.

Shetland bewitched us. Its nature is just outstanding with so much variety and so many beautiful sights. The islands were positively alive with wildlife.

The food, the people (with their Scottish accent with an undeniable Scandinavian lilt), the landscape, the air was unlike anywhere we have ever been before.

As our Northlink ferry glided out of Lerwick, taking us back to Aberdeen and away from this scattering of islands and magical world we couldn’t tear our eyes from watching them fade in the distance.

Shetland is such a special place and it’s out there, right now, ready for more people to fall under its spell. We can’t wait to visit again.

If you’ve enjoyed this post then check out our guide to Shetland with kids with all the information you need to plan your own trip.

Itinerary for a week in Shetland

The best things to do in Shetland with kids