A small Shetland Guide
While we don't know all places in Shetland, here are a few that we know and like, we will update the list as time permits.
Gil is not eating a lot of fish and does not eat shellfish at all, Kareene is vegetarian, so apologies for probably missing on quite a few good seafood places in Shetland!
Where to eat
Near the house
Ces't La Vie Cafe, Fantastic gourmet food in the heart of Shetland, about 6 minutes walk from the house, towards the end of commercial street.
No. 88 Kitchen and Bar, excellent local food, 4 minutes walk on the street.
Tea Amore, great cart noodles, (different types of noodles, broths, etc...), 7 minutes walk right at the Viking bus station.
Saffron, Excellent Napalese/Indian food, about 8 minutes walk.
Gurkha Kitchen, Excellent Nepalese/Indian food, about 10 minutes walk.
Phu Siam, Nice Thai restaurant, 3-5 minutes walk.
Fjara Coffee, Unique location with excellent views (although one gets used to it staying at the South Lodberrie!), about 15 minutes walk.
Maryfield House Hotel, Although technically not on the mainland, it's a short walk + ferry from the house, excellent restaurant.
The Dowry, Great local food, 4 minutes walk on the street.
Outside Lerwick area
St Magnus Bay Hotel, Wonderful historic hotel with excellent food, also a great base for excursions in the north.
Da Haaf at the North Atlantic Fisheries College, opens only on Fridays and Saturdays.
Katja's Cakes at the Sumburgh head lighthouse, excellent cakes, breathtaking views and tons of puffins (during season).
Things to see, Things to do
This is by no means an exhaustive list, it's simply our pick and the list will hopefully grow as we do more and can recommend, you can see more here.
When it rains
Shetland Museum and Archives, Excellent museum showcasing Shetland's history and heritage.
Shetland Textime Museum, Don't miss it if you like knitting and textile!
Shetland Arts (Including the Mareel cinema)
Boat Tours
Seabird and Seals, Prepare your camera! Excellent tour to Noss, a must for bird lovers.
Mousa Boat, The tiny island of Mousa holds the most preserved Broch in existence, an excellent visit
Day trip to Foula, beautiful cliffs, puffins up close and an insight into one of the most remote islands in the UK.
Hikes
Eshaness, Probably the most dramatic scenery in Shetland, amazing and beautiful cliffs in this easy-moderate hike.
Hermaness, the most northernly part of the most northernly isle: Unst. A moderate hike in a beautiful reserve, filled with birds and an excellent view to Muckle Flugga
Many more hikes are available here.
Shopping
Shetland has pretty much everything you need available to purchase locally.
The vast majority of the stores will offer very good prices, especially for brick and mortar stores, making shopping in places such as Amazon relevant only for specific items.
We do our best to buy everything local.
Right on commercial street or very close to it you could find the a lot of stores with everything you might need.
Camera Centre where you could get batteries, power adapters, sim cards, printing services, cameras, lenses, etc...
Harry's will have everything you need for the house, gift wraps, small knicknacks.