Young tourists inspired by Shetland's rugged beauty

It was the desire to find incredible wildlife, scenery and culture that inspired Meggie Williams and Lindsey Maycock to travel to Shetland. And the isles did not disappoint.

Keen traveller Meggie, from Glyn Ceiriog in North Wales, is studying Journalism at Edinburgh Napier University and is creating a travel magazine for one of her modules.

She decided on Shetland as a destination after becoming infatuated. She explained: “It seemed like the perfect adventure. I love wild, remote places.

"After researching a little, I became captivated with the history, folklore, industries and scenery. I knew it would be a fascinating place to write about and my Granny’s parents were from Shetland, so for that reason, I’d always wanted to go too.”

She was not disappointed – experiencing an authentic welcome, exploring Shetland’s incredible archaeology and venturing to the UK’s most remote isle in a week packed with adventure.

‘Puffins only yards away’

Upon her arrival, Meggie immediately headed for breakfast at the Peerie Shop Cafe – one of several eateries serving high-quality local food in Shetland’s capital, Lerwick.

She then proceeded to explore various archaeological sites throughout the isles before flying to Fair Isle for the weekend.

In Fair Isle, halfway between Shetland and Orkney, Meggie was accompanied host Tommy Hyndman who runs the Auld Haa Guest House.

On the itinerary was, “exploring, beachcombing, watching puffins sitting only yards away, watching the sunset with a dram, visiting the Fair Isle museum and churches.”

Back on Shetland Mainland on her final day in the isles, Meggie went swimming at St Ninian’s Isle in Bigton, South Mainland, which boasts the biggest tombolo in the United Kingdom.

Afterwards, she went to the “beautifully curated” Shetland Museum in Lerwick which taught her “so much about Shetland’s history.” To round it off, Meggie went to Mareel – the arts venue yards from the museum – for a slice of cake before making her way to the NorthLink ferry to sail south.

Her only regret? She wishes she had booked “a week longer” as there was still so much of Shetland she hadn’t explored.

But she considers this all the more reason to return, adding: “It’s been one of the best adventures I’ve ever been on and it would be among one of my top destinations for so many reasons.

“I thought all of the museums and historical sites were incredible, it’s absolutely beautiful, the puffins, the food, Lerwick’s high-street, the beaches. I would also say the people played a huge part in my trip.

“I found everyone was so friendly and went out of their way to make sure my trip was the best it could have been. I felt truly welcome which is a lovely feeling.

“It’s impossible to pick a highlight, I genuinely loved every second.”

‘Unique experience’

Like Meggie, Lindsey, 22, has been studying journalism at Edinburgh Napier and graduated with a first-class degree.

Though her graduation was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she was able to treat herself to a holiday in Shetland.

She travelled to the “Bonnie Isle” of Whalsay, the “Friendly Isle” of Yell, and Britain’s northernmost island, Unst. She explored Lerwick and the South, West and North Mainland.

Lindsey had watched wildlife documentaries about the isles and felt compelled to witness it in person. She admitted coming to Shetland was “the first opportunity I’ve had to see amazing animals, as opposed to in a zoo or safari park”, stressing that she could watch puffins “go about their lives for hours.”

Though she had some awareness of what she could expect, the “main surprise” from her adventure was “how diverse Shetland is” noting that there is a “stark difference between the town-like feel of Lerwick versus the totally remote feeling of the north isles.”

She concluded: “The whole experience is totally unique. Even the flight to and from Shetland was totally different.

“I’m used to going to popular city destinations like Paris and Rome, but on this occasion, I decided to go somewhere in a small plane that a large portion of the world’s population haven’t even heard of.

“Coming to Shetland was different because it’s one of those places that you always say you want to go to and then never actually do. It’s the first place I’ve been to other than my holiday house in Argyll that’s really changed my perception of what we mean when we describe somewhere as ‘in the middle of nowhere’.”

Lindsey hopes to return to see Shetland’s glorious sunsets and orcas.

Check out our A-Z of tips for planning a trip to Shetland.