How to explore Shetland without a car

Shetland might seem like a destination that’s difficult to explore without driving, but after spending five days travelling around the islands using buses, ferries and a bit of walking, I found that you can actually see a lot without having a car.

If you visit between mid-April and mid-August, there’s a good chance of seeing puffins here. This was my first time seeing them in the wild, and watching them flying between the sea and the cliffs was one of the highlights of my trip

From puffins and dramatic sea cliffs to ancient archaeological sites and remote nature reserves, I managed to visit some of Shetland’s best-known places entirely by public transport.

So, if you’re planning a trip to Shetland without a car, here’s how I travelled around and some of the places I’d recommend adding to your itinerary.

Travelling to Shetland by ferry

I travelled from Aberdeen to Lerwick on the overnight ferry with NorthLink Ferries. It’s one of my favourite ways to travel because you can board in the evening, have dinner, get some sleep and wake up in Shetland the following morning.

There are food options available onboard, including vegan-friendly choices, so you can have dinner before settling into your cabin for the night.

Arriving in Lerwick by ferry also makes things particularly easy if you’re travelling without a car, as Lerwick is Shetland’s main town and an important hub for the island’s bus network.

Using public transport in Shetland

The easiest way to travel around Shetland without driving is to combine the local bus network with the inter-island ferries.

I chose to stay in Lerwick for my entire trip, which made getting around much easier. The main bus station is in the town, with services connecting Lerwick to different parts of Shetland.

I’d recommend downloading the bus timetables before heading out each day, particularly as mobile phone signal can be limited in some more remote areas. Planning your return journey in advance is also important, as buses can be less frequent outside Lerwick.

Lerwick itself is worth exploring too. You can wander around the historic town centre, visit Fort Charlotte and Shetland Museum & Archives, browse the independent shops or walk around 20 minutes from the centre to Haar Sauna.

Sumburgh Head and Jarlshof

One of my favourite days in Shetland was travelling south to Sumburgh Head. You can take Bus 6 to Grutness Junction and then walk for around 30 minutes uphill towards the lighthouse and cliffs at Sumburgh Head.

If you visit between mid-April and mid-August, there’s a good chance of seeing puffins here. This was my first time seeing them in the wild, and watching them flying between the sea and the cliffs was one of the highlights of my trip. I would recommend going early in the morning for the best chance of seeing them on land.

From there, you can also walk to Jarlshof, one of Scotland’s most important archaeological sites, with remains spanning more than 4,000 years of history. You can see prehistoric houses, Iron Age structures, Viking settlements and medieval buildings at the same site. It’s incredible to walk around knowing that people have lived in this landscape for thousands of years.

Mousa Broch

Mousa was another highlight of my trip and is surprisingly easy to visit without a car. Take Bus 6 and get off at Thistle Cottage, from where it’s around a 10-minute walk to Sandsayre Pier. The passenger boat to Mousa departs at 11:30am and costs £18 return. I’d recommend arriving 20-30 minutes before departure.

The crossing to Mousa is short, and the island is home to Mousa Broch, an Iron Age structure built around 2,000 years ago. It’s considered the finest-preserved Iron Age broch in the world and is an incredible example of prehistoric stone construction.

You can walk around the island, see Shetland ponies and seabirds and explore the area around the broch before catching the boat back at 2:30pm.

There can be a wait for the next bus after returning to the mainland, but there’s a free waiting room and a small museum beside the pier, so you don’t have to stand outside waiting.

Bressay and Noss National Nature Reserve

For wildlife lovers, I’d definitely recommend adding Noss to your Shetland itinerary. First, take the short ferry from Lerwick across to Bressay. The crossing takes around 10 minutes. Once on Bressay, you can either walk for just over an hour to reach the Noss ferry or take a bike across with you. If you want to cycle, bikes can be hired in Lerwick from the Shetland Community Bike Project. Standard bikes cost £20 per day, while e-bikes cost £40 per day.

The passenger ferry from Bressay to Noss takes only around three minutes and costs £10 return. 

Noss National Nature Reserve is particularly famous for its seabird colonies. More than 60,000 breeding seabirds nest here during the summer, including one of Europe’s largest colonies of gannets.

You can also spot puffins, fulmars and other seabirds around the cliffs. If you want to complete the full circular walk around the island, allow around four hours.

Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary

Another place you can reach without a car is Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, Shetland’s only wildlife sanctuary, where rescued seals and otters are cared for and rehabilitated with the aim of returning them to the wild where possible. Take Bus 21 to Hillswick which takes around an hour. 

The buses on this route are less frequent, so this is definitely somewhere where I’d recommend checking the timetable carefully before setting off. If you have time before your return bus, you can explore some of the surrounding coastline, visit the local art gallery and browse the Soap & Sweet honesty boxes.

Where to eat in Shetland

One of the things I always have to think about when travelling is where I’m going to find vegan food, and I found several good options around Shetland. 

A few of my favourites were:

• The Peerie Cafe – vegan cream cheese for bagels and several vegan cakes.
• The Dowry – cauliflower wings and a veggie burger.
• Golden Coach – mock duck and mock chicken dishes.
• Magno Cafe – pizza that can be ordered with vegan cheese.

Independent shops to visit in Lerwick

If you want to pick up something local during your trip, Lerwick has some lovely independent shops. 

I particularly enjoyed visiting:

• Peerie Shop
• Ninian
• The Shetland Bookshop
• Aurora Orkney Jewellery

Where to stay in Shetland

I stayed in two different places during my time in Shetland, mainly because accommodation was already booking up when I planned my trip. So if you’re visiting during the summer, I’d definitely recommend booking your accommodation in advance.

For the first two nights, I stayed in an Airbnb in Lerwick that’s actually an old lifeboat station right in the harbour. It was such a unique place to stay, and being right on the waterfront meant I could walk straight out into the town and harbour each morning.

For the rest of my trip, I stayed in a private room at Islesburgh House Hostel which is also in Lerwick. It was a really comfortable place to stay, with a big common area and a well-equipped kitchen which is especially useful if you’re on a budget and want to cook your own meals. It was also within walking distance of the centre, which was great as I was relying on public transport for the whole trip.

Can you travel around Shetland without a car?

Yes – and I was surprised by just how much I managed to see.

Travelling around Shetland without driving does require a little more preparation. You need to check bus and ferry times, allow extra time for walking between stops and plan your return journeys. But the combination of buses, ferries and walking makes it possible to experience a huge amount of Shetland without hiring a car.

For me, travelling this way also meant slowing down and experiencing the islands differently. I could spend more time looking out of the bus window at the landscape, walk along quiet roads and coastal paths, and enjoy the journey rather than worrying about driving.

So if you’ve been wondering whether Shetland is possible without a car, my answer is definitely yes. With a little planning, you can explore everything from ancient archaeological sites and remote islands to puffin colonies and dramatic coastal landscapes – all without getting behind the wheel.

Read Three Days exploring Orkney Without a Car

By Marisa Vogiatzi Marisa Vogiatzi is a travel content creator who shares guides about travelling Scotland and beyond by public transport. She’s passionate about solo travel, sustainable tourism, the outdoors and uncovering hidden gems.

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