Are you ready to be enchanted by Shetland?

Start your island journey today

Living and working in Shetland

Sports and leisure

Watch & Discover More

A Shetland Commute

A year in Shetland

Blog

Powering ahead - Shetland's strongest community

Aly Bain at 80: virtuoso, pioneer, ambassador

A career shaping Shetland's psychology services

Be inspired by others to explore Shetland

Share your favourite pics using #inspiredbyshetland, #visitshetland and #ShetlandTrueNorth!

Eighty years old. Still the finest fiddle voice these islands have ever produced.⁠ ⁠ Aly Bain didn't just play traditional music — he took it to the world, and brought the world back to Shetland. Read his story on the blog, link in bio! 🎻⁠

Thank you for all your entries and congratulations to Erin, winner of our 2026 Up Helly Aa giveaway. Erin won a return trip to Shetland for four, including cabin and car with @northlink_ferries, and a Viking Voyages tour with @adventure.shetland. Erin said, “So pleased to have won the trip to Shetland - particularly since I’ve been dreaming of a visit there since I was a child. The best part is that I’ll now be able to take my own children along with me too!” We hope you have the most amazing trip to Shetland Erin!

Could you describe Shetland Folk Festival in just one word? We can hard believe it’s been a whole week since it ended, roll on 2027!

In Shetland, the sea has always shaped the way people live and work. It feeds communities, drives the economy and inspires generations to build careers connected to the water. ⁠ ⁠ Now, a new wave of study opportunities is opening up, giving people the chance to turn that connection into something more. Read the blog via our link in bio!

This is what can make dressing for Shetland weather a little… difficult?

Shetland sits where the Atlantic meets the North Sea, right on the edge of the continental shelf. Cold, nutrient-rich waters support vast quantities of fish — which bring the bigger hunters. Orca, minke, humpback, pilot whale, Risso's dolphin.⁠ ⁠ Shetland and Orkney are the most important areas in the UK for killer whales, with some pods returning year after year. But the thing that surprises most people? You don't need a boat. Whales come close enough to watch from the shore.