Port of Lerwick

About Lerwick, Guide and Tourist Attractions
(Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK)

Lerwick is the most northerly town in the United Kingdom and is a popular tourist destination in the summer months.

The town is located in the centre of Mainland, Shetland, and boasts many historic attractions, while the rest of the island is unspoiled and beautiful with stunning countryside and beautiful beaches.

What to do in Lerwick

Without doubt, the most endearing part of the Shetland Islands is the gorgeous scenery and you won't have to drive far out of Lerwick to find it. In fact Lerwick itself is situated in an outstanding setting, lying on the beautiful Bressay Sound.

The long daylight hours in the summer are an added bonus for tourists to Lerwick, allowing more time to explore the city's sights and a greater amount of time for yachters to enjoy the islands' coastline.

Tourist Attractions

Lerwick has a long history and ancient forts can be seen throughout the city. The city is compact enough to be explored in a single day. Seventeenth century Fort Charlotte is Lerwick's main attraction, a five-sided artillery fort built in 1665 to keep out the Dutch. The Dutch eventually captured Lerwick and burned the fort a few years after it was built, however, and it was rebuilt in 1781.

If you want to learn more about the history of Lerwick and the Shetland Islands, visit the Shetland Museum, with its exhibits on past and present life on the islands and many artefacts from archaeological digs. There are also exhibitions of Shetland maritime history and contemporary art displays.

The tourist information office in Lerwick will point tourists to the Bod of Gremista, a 200-year-old fishing booth; Clickimin Broch, featuring Bronze Age and Iron Age architecture; and the so-called Lodberries merchants' houses and piers.