Out and About in Shetland: Free Family Fun

Finally, spring has sprung! Ok, so it might still feel like winter, but the days are much lighter and for Shetland families, this means one thing: more time to be spent outside!

You can’t guarantee the weather will be fine, but let’s face it – we live in Scotland, not Spain, and waiting for a sunny day will most likely mean missing out.

Being cold is no fun and it’s hard to enjoy even the most exciting adventure or beautiful beach if you’re shivering. But with proper outdoor clothes – a good waterproof, a fleece lined suit, or waterproof trousers over a regular warm outfit, and welly boots, hats and gloves, and you’ll be all set for exploring outside, however far you choose to venture.

Besides, children usually love being outside regardless of the weather, and doing so – getting out and about even on dull or dreich days – is a good habit to instil in them. It’s not just for the benefit of the kids, though. Being outside in the fresh air and catching whatever Vitamin D and fresh air that you can is essential to keeping a healthy mind as well as a healthy body.

It goes without saying that, as a relativity wild rural place, Shetland has a lot to offer those keen on the outdoors. Yet finding places to take children (and especially young children) isn’t always straightforward, nor are the best places immediately obvious. Lots of the coastline can be a bit hazardous for toddlers - notoriously prone to run off at any given moment – to be safe around, and heathery hills can be a big ask for little legs to tackle.

There are however plenty of wonderful places you can safely take your bairns to play and explore. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourites.

Perhaps an obvious first choice, Michaelswood is a brilliant day out for young and old alike. A young woodland with a path winding its way through the trees, it was developed by the parents of a young Aith musician, Michael Ferrie, who died from cancer in 1996 aged just 21, as a tribute to their son.

It may have sad beginnings, but Michaelswood is certainly a very happy place: features such as a Teddy Bear’s picnic, a small playhouse and Captain Blackbeard’s ship and a dinosaur trail, with giant dinosaurs to find, all nestled among a huge variety (over 60 different species) of trees and shrubs, flora and fauna, make this a great place to play.

Shetland boasts plenty of beaches with easy access. In the south Mainland, St Ninians is a popular choice, its huge tombolo providing ample space to run around in, but there are dozens more – check out our page on Shetland’s best beaches.

There are plenty more than on this list, and some other gems include Reawick beach; Gulberwick beach (and the brilliant nearby playpark); Levenwick; and Sands of Sound, Lerwick.