I have just returned from 2 weeks on the Shetland Islands. We experienced all types of weather from snow and horizontal hail through to bright sunshine and fog. Wind was a feature on most days and on one or 2 days it was gale force and you had to hang on to the car doors when opening or closing them to prevent damage to their hinges.
I visited 30 islands in all, of which 23 were new to me. In some cases I wasn't previously aware of the existence of some of the small tidal islands but came across them by chance on our travels around the islands. The roads on Shetland are almost without exception excellent and virtually pothole free - unlike most places on mainland Britain. We met lots of friendly Shetland residents and highly recommend the Isleburgh House Youth Hostel in Lerwick for cheap but comfortable and well equipped accommodation, a warm welcome in a quiet location but one which is within a few minutes walk of Lerwick town centre.
The Shetland Islands Council have produced a comprehensive series of leaflets on different topics and on each island or area of Shetland Mainland, which we found invaluable. They include historical information and also list places to visit, shop and eat. However quite a lot of the cafés have closed down since the leaflets were printed and on several days we were unable to find anywhere to sell us a cup of tea or coffee and a slice cake. This was good for the waistline but not great if you are a hungry or thirsty visitor. In comparison to Orkney or the Hebrides there was definitely less of an emphasis on tourism, although there are plenty of information/interpretation boards around the island. The tourist season seems to start officially at the beginning of May, so several heritage centres were not open at the start of our visit. However museum fatigue sets in after a while and there are more than enough museums from which to choose. The Shetland Museum in Lerwick is open all year, it is free and is well worth a visit.
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