Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland

On a cruise around the UK, we stopped at Lerwick on the Main Island of Shetland, Scotland.

For many, the island has come alive in the Shetland book series written by Ann Cleeves. Also, a visually rich TV series is based on the books or Cleeves' characters and features many scenes throughout the island.

We were anchored off shore and arrived by a shuttle boat into Lerwick harbour where we saw the view above.

The harbour itself is an attractive scene before even viewing the picturesque island.

 

We were planning to visit Scalloway Castle but learned it was closed so we took the local bus  south to  the amazing ruins at Jarlshof. There's a lot to see so I created a separate post for Jarlshof.

See the amazing Jarlshof villages.

Near Lerwick harbour is Fort Charlotte.

Here's a brief  video overview Fort Charlotte.

Signboards tell the story of the Fort with a 350-year history guarding the Bressay Sound.

For lunch, I wanted fish 'n chips. When I attempted to place my order at the first chippy, the woman peered out the window and said the haddock hasn't arrived yet. Truly a place where you can get a fresh catch of the day. So, I walked away from the waterfront and had a nice bit of fish from the shop below as I watched the tourists and locals.

As an aside, the shop is featured in one of the Shetland TV episodes.

As a fan of the Shetland series, I couldn't resist a photo of the police station where detective Jimmy Perez and his team solve many mysterious crimes.

Lerwick Police Station/ Sutton 2022

Nearby is the Town Hall--often seen in Shetland stories.

Town Hall, Lerwick

A local shop, Shetland 2022

Of course, the courthouse is critical to Shetland crime stories.

Court/ County Buildings Lerwick/ 2022

This war memorial on Hillhead in Lerwick is near the police station and often seen in the background in Shetland stories. The memorial commemorates WWI and WWII Shetlanders who killed or missing.

The memorial was completed 6 January 1924.

War memorial in 2022

Lerwick's Library was once St. Ringan's United Free Church built 1885-1886. The change to a library was completed in 2002. The photo below is from my 2022 visit. Most of the stained glass windows were in the church. The library is another fine building adding character to the Shetland stories.

St Ringan's Church, Lerwick

Lerwick Methodist Church

A typical Shetland scene includes water, hilly landscapes, and sheep.

Leaving Shetland

Learn more about Shetland at https://www.shetland.org/

Notes

Shetland is 123 miles north of the Scottish Mainland and 222 miles west of Bergen Norway.

There's evidence on the islands of early settlers from the Stone Age. 

The bus service is reliable and a good value.

There is a special cultural event in Lerwick, which you'll read about in the Shetland novels called Up Helly-Aa (Up Holy Day), which is celebrated the last Tuesday of January ending the Yule season.

For a summary and review of the Shetland Book series, see my reviews.

You'll find some of the Shetland and Scots vocabulary in Mind the Gap

available on AMAZON    and   GOOGLE BOOK STORE

Visit my website  suttong.com

Visit other places in Scotland

and

the United Kingdom