6 guidebooks to help plan your visit to Shetland

Pocket Shetland: British Breaks

Written and researched by Owen Morton, edited by Rachel Lawrence. Published by Rough Guides (Apa Publications), available at £9.99.

One of the most recently published guides to Shetland, this fits a lot of information into a pocket-sized package, and purchasers can download an e-book version. It includes helpful advice about what to see and when to visit, practical information, and independent reviews of hotels, eateries, and B&Bs.

Different areas of the Mainland, and many of the smaller islands, get their own section. The book also includes accommodation listings and details about Shetland’s various festivals, heritage, archaeology, and nature. This useful little guide is a handy resource to keep with you from the moment you start planning your trip, through to exploring Shetland.

Shetland: Your Essential Travel Guide

By Laurie Goodlad, published by 60 North Publishing, available at £25.

The title of this book, written by local tour guide and heritage expert Laurie Goodlad, says it all. And what makes this comprehensive guide stand out is that it is solely about Shetland, its culture, identity, dialect, heritage, and why the archipelago is such a special place to visit.

There is valuable guidance on getting to and around Shetland, where to eat and drink, and off-the-beaten-track adventures. And, of course, there is lots of information about Shetland’s year-round festivals, including the famous Up Helly Aa celebrations. Whatever aspect of Shetland you’d like to know more about, this book will almost certainly have the details you need. Get more insight about the book here.

Shetland Islands: 15 short walks

By Graham Uney, published by Cicerone, available at £9.95.

With such varying landscapes, wide open spaces, and hundreds of miles of coastline, it’s no surprise that most visitors to Shetland enjoy exploring on foot. Mountaineer and author Graham Uney is a fan of Shetland, and has compiled a list of 15 straightforward routes in the islands.

This edition sets out 15 of them taking in the southernmost tip of Shetland’s Mainland, right up to the Hermaness National Nature Reserve in Unst. Each comes with a route description, OS maps, images and information about the surrounding area.

If you are planning to enjoy walking in Shetland, this could be the right choice for you.

A Photographic Guide to Shetland’s Wild Flowers

By David Malcolm, published by The Shetland Times Ltd, available at £16.99.

If you enjoy exploring outdoors, there’s a good chance that you will be interested in the flora of Shetland. The islands are home to an incredible range of wildflowers, including some that don’t grow anywhere else. This handy guide is ideal for amateur botanists, with the flowers sorted by colour, making identification simple.

Wherever you walk in Shetland, especially in the spring and summer, there’s a good chance you’ll spot lots of different blooms, and this Malcolm’s book will help you learn about the plants, their English and scientific names, and, where appropriate, the Shetland dialect version of the name. There’s a sister guide in this series, exploring Shetland’s geology.

Exploring Scotland's Islands: A guide to their landscape, history, culture, and nature

By Terry Marsh, published by Bloomsbury, available at £18 (paperback); £16 (e-book).

If your desire to visit Shetland is part of a wider passion for the Scottish Islands, then this book is well worth considering. With colour photography and maps throughout, it provides a great overview of what’s special about the island communities around the coast of Scotland.

And with an in-depth chapter covering Shetland, and one focusing on Fair Isle, there’s plenty of information to help plan your visit here, and inspiration about the attractions that you won’t want to miss.

Discover Lerwick

By Douglas M. Sinclair, published by The Shetland Times Ltd, available at £14.00.

Not a Shetland guidebook, per se, but a comprehensive edition taking the reader on a journey through the capital town, Lerwick. Sinclair was born in Lerwick and was inspired by his hometown. Having trained as a tour guide, this well-researched book answers many of the questions he was asked about the town.

From the lanes of the Conservation Area, through to the stories behind prominent buildings and landscapes, the book is hugely informative and a great companion for anyone wishing to learn more about Lerwick.