Destination: Shetland Islands

Dazzling coastlines, quilted moors made for hiking, Viking longboats, and a fabulous craft trail showcasing local artists

First glimpse of the Shetland Islands.

Sometimes a destination beckons not for its proximity to culture but because of its distance from it. A few Augusts ago, I needed to get out of Los Angeles and was firmly set upon a destination where woolens and weather-resistant jackets would supersede bathing suits and sarongs. Iceland was a possibility but the packed summer crowds made me hesitate. I wanted somewhere less peopled and more exotically remote, somewhere wild and primitive where I could hear the hum of the earth and reset my soul.

The Shetland Islands it was.

Unst coastline.

Lying roughly 170 kilometers north of Scotland, this little archipelago of ancient isles huddled between Orkney, Iceland, and Norway fit the bill. From Aberdeen, overnight ferries run direct to Lerwick on Mainland, the biggest of the Shetland Islands.

Going to sleep in the North Sea. Waking up to the coastline of Mainland.

NORTH SEA FERRY

The 14-hour overnight ferry from Aberdeen was an unexpected thrill with berths that were petite Scandinavian perfection: beds with heavy cotton duvets, perfectly placed nightlights, and a spotless bathroom that ticked every box. The endless summer sun kept us riveted to the tremblings of the cold dark sea visible from our porthole.

Lerwick, the largest town on Mainland.

LERWICK

Ferries arrive early in the morning to Lerwick, so it’s basically like having an extra day of sightseeing. Walkable and friendly, you can wander the narrow stone lanes of the old town, visit the Shetland Museum of Cultural History (admission free), and stroll up to the 17th-century fortress Fort Charlotte. But the real wonders of Shetland lie beyond Lerwick. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the islands are rich in ancient ruins, windswept rugged beaches, and exotic wildlife, like famous long-haired ponies, sheep, puffins, and sea mammals.