Make the most of your cruise visit to Shetland

From spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife to a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant arts scene, there’s plenty to see and do on our idyllic islands.
Shetland welcomes up to 100 cruise ships and over 90,000 cruise passengers every year.
Cruisers' Choice cruise critic 2019 award

Situated in the far north of the British Isles, Shetland is made up of over 100 islands, 15 of which are inhabited. We're a warm and friendly community, welcoming visitors from all over the world – and we look forward to welcoming you.

To make your time here as pleasurable and stress-free as possible, we’ve pulled together all the information you might need. Whether it’s planning a day trip, visiting an attraction, booking an activity, or simply some practical visitor advice, you’ll find it all here.

We hope you enjoy your visit.

Shetland Cruise Ports

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Lerwick

Scalloway

Fair Isle

Baltasound

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Shetland Attractions

Whether it's exploring rugged coastlines, delving into history at a world-class archaeological site, checking out the local arts and crafts scene or wildlife spotting with experts... Shetland offers something for everyone.
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Find Your Shetland Activity

Go to the Activity Finder page to search for Shetland activities. Make your visit memorable.
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Shetland Itineraries

Looking for inspiration? We’ve collated some of Shetland's most popular visitor attractions into a collection of handy itineraries, so you can maximise your time here and enjoy the best of what our islands have to offer.
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Information
For Crew Members

  • There are four banks in Lerwick town centre, which are generally open from Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm. ATMs are situated outside all banks, at the Toll Clock Shopping Centre and the Tesco supermarket in Lerwick.

    If you are docking in Scalloway, there's an ATM located at Scalloway Meat Company and you can withdraw money from the post office, both of which are located on Main Street.

    Visitors to Baltasound, Unst, can do banking at the post office next to Skibhoul Stores or withdraw money from the ATM at The Final Checkout.

  • Police Scotland: 101

    Emergency: 999

    Lerwick Health Centre: +44 (0)1595 693201

    Family Dental Clinic: +44 (0)1595 695225

    Dental Shetland: +44 (0)1595 695553

    NHS Shetland Public Dental Service: +44 (0)1595 743200

    Scalloway Health Centre: +44 (0)1595 880219

    Unst Health Centre: +44 (0)1957 711318

  • There are three pharmacies in Lerwick. The most central is Boots on Commercial Street. You can find Freefield Pharmacy on Burgh Road and Laing’s Pharmacy on Kantersted Road, in the Sound area of town. Note that there are currently no pharmacies open on Sundays.

    Scalloway also has a pharamacy located on Main Street, which is open Monday to Saturday.

    For more details on pharmacy, dentist and optician opening times visit the NHS Shetland website.

  • Lerwick Post Office is situated in Conochies on Commercial Street and is open:

    • 9am-5pm Monday, Thursday, Friday
    • 9.30am-5pm Tuesday
    • 9am-12.30pm Saturday

    There’s also Freefield Post Office in the Toll Clock Shopping Centre, open 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

    Scalloway Post Office is open:

    • 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
    • 10am-1pm Saturday

    Baltasound Post Office is open:

    • 8.45am-5.15pm Monday, Tuesday and Friday (closed between 1pm-2pm for lunch)
    • 8.45am-4pm Wednesday (closed between 1pm-2pm for lunch)
    • 8.45am-1pm Thursday
    • 9am-1pm Saturday

    Fair Isle Post Office is open:

    • 9am-5pm Monday (closed between 12.30pm-2pm for lunch)
    • 9.30am-12.30pm Tuesday and Saturday
    • 9.30am-4.30pm Wednesday and Friday (closed between 12.30pm-2pm for lunch)

  • The Post Offices in Lerwick, Baltasound and Scalloway offer MoneyGram services. Note: there is no Western Union branch in Shetland.

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Frequently
Asked Questions

  • Visit Scotland's Lerwick iCentre is located in the centre of Lerwick at the Market Cross. As well as help with your visitor queries, the centre also stocks a range of Shetland's finest locally made crafts, from Fair Isle knitting to silver jewellery. Open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.

  • You can exchange currency at the Post Office located inside the retail shop Conochies on Commercial Street and the Freefield Post Office at the Toll Clock Shopping Centre, situated on North Road.

  • You can access free WiFi at the arts venue Mareel, the Shetland Museum and Archives and the Shetland Library. Most cafes also have free WiFi, providing you purchase something to eat or drink on the premises. If you’re out and about, you can also access free WiFi on the Esplanade, next to the Bressay Ferry Terminal.

  • Shuttle buses pick up from Mair’s Pier and Holmsgarth and drop off at Harrison Square in the town centre. Please note, the shuttle buses are exclusively for passengers travelling to and from their ships and are not guided tour buses. They typically run up to 45 minutes prior to a ship's departure.

  • When ships berth in Lerwick there can sometimes be as many as 4,000 passengers on-shore at one time, meaning most trip and tour operators may already be very busy. To avoid disappointment, it’s advisable to book in advance. Book directly through your cruise provider or use the Activity Finder tool on this website to find an excursion to suit you.

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Learn More About Shetland

... and much more about life in Shetland on the shetland.org website.

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