Could Do List – Shetland in August 2026

August is a super month to visit Shetland to see the best of the weather. The month is ideal for outdoor activities including orca watching, taking a boat trip to see the gannets of Noss and for sailing to Mousa Broch. However August is also a fantastic month for Shetland events; Here are some suggestions for what you could do in August.

The month starts with Shetland Fiddle Week, which runs from Monday the 3rd to Saturday the 8th of August 2026. Organised by two Shetland fiddlers, Jenna Reid and Lynda Anderson offers a week of fiddle classes suitable for all abilities, teaching the unique Shetland fiddle style and tunes. Concerts and sessions will also take place across the week. Check out the website for more information.

There are some fine agricultural shows to attend in Shetland in August. As well as seeing some prize-winning animals, there will also be entertainment, food, drink, competitions and stalls. The show dates are as follows:

Walls Show (8th August 2026)
Cunningsburgh Show (12th August 2026)
Unst Show (30th August 2026)
Yell Show (5th September 2026)

Warm up your lunchtime with Soup and a Show in Mareel’s Auditorium! On Thursday the 6th of August from 1-1.40pm Kansa will deliver a high-impact lunchtime gig designed to bring live music into the middle of the working day and create a relaxed, social atmosphere for all ages! You can book here.

If you enjoy rock and alternative music then the Rising North Music Festival held over 4 days in Shetland from Thursday the 13th to Sunday the 16th will promote Shetland Talent as well as see Northern Irish rockers, Ash, who had a string of hits in the 1990s, headlining the festival this year. Visit their website for more information.

BBC award-winning songwriter Adam Holmes brings his Songs & Stories show to Mareel for a rare and intimate seated evening in Lerwick on Friday the 28th of August 2026 Doors: 7:00pm Show Start: 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased here.

A fantastic place to explore on a sunny August day is the Ness of Burgi – a 2000-year-old Iron Age blockhouse located on a narrow, cliff-bound peninsula in Shetland’s South Mainland. The site is accessed via a 1.5 mile walk from the end of the road near Scatness. The final approach requires crossing a rocky causeway for which a chain handrail is provided. There is a fantastic view of Sumburgh head from the headland.

These are just a few of the things to enjoy in Shetland throughout the month of August. We hope whatever you do you have a fantastic time exploring the islands this Summer.

By Victoria Dixon Orkney and Shetland fanatic, likes to capture life through a lens, loves creating, eclectic taste in music, enjoys being a Mum; would secretly love to be a star of the West End!

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