As a gateway for approaching 160,000 passengers annually, Lerwick Harbour makes a major contribution to Shetland's important tourism industry.

It has long been a port-of-call for cruise ships which have arrived in record numbers over the last decade. With nearly 50 ships in a single season, Lerwick is one of Scotland's top cruise ship destinations.

It is ideally located as a midway port on cruises between Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway and the Scottish mainland and Europe.

Cruise ships up to 205 metres in length can berth alongside at the port. Larger ships anchor in Bressay Sound, with passengers just five minutes by launch from a floating pontoon in a sheltered dock close to the town centre. The small 1.7 metre tidal range facilitates transfer.

2006 saw the introduction of a new pontoon system for tenders from the largest cruise ships accommodated at anchor in the sheltered harbour. This new facility has greatly improved the speed of transfer of cruise passengers.

On days not used by cruise ships tenders, the new pontoon provides expanded berthing for yachts that already enjoy modern pontoon berthing equipped with integral water and electricity points across the street from the Town Centre.

Spring 2007 will see a fantastic new museum complex open on the Lerwick waterfront. It is situated at a restored historic dock. You can visit http://www.shetland-museum.org.uk/project2/index.htm for further details.

In addition, Lerwick Port Authority supports an initiative launched in 2004 by VisitShetland whose representatives go on board each cruise ship to provide a 'meet and greet' welcome and information to passengers. This project includes a welcome in the Town Centre by local guides in costume, together with musicians playing tradition music on the quayside on arrival of tenders ferrying passengers ashore and coaches transporting passengers from ships berthed at the Port's Holmsgarth facility which is approximately 1Km from the Town Centre.

Around 460 yachts a year call at Lerwick with many of the crews exploring Shetland's 900 miles of coastline, while long-established events bring yachts from numerous clubs, including Norway and Holland.

There are daily overnight roll-on roll-off ferry services by NorthLink for passengers to-and-from Aberdeen, with calls at Kirkwall, Orkney. Smyril Line's year-round roll-on roll-off services include the Faroe Islands, Norway and Denmark, with summer connections to Iceland.

Shetland's location at the 60th parallel means the hundred or so islands enjoy long daylight in summer.

Fleets of modern coaches and trained guides fluent in various languages take visitors on tours of the many attractions - natural, historical and manmade, including:

• Spectacular seabird cliffs
• Seal colonies
• Shetland ponies
• Iron Age brochs and Viking settlements
• Lerwick waterfront and Fort Charlotte
• Knitwear and crafts
• Shetland seafood

Click on map to view large scale map

LINKS

VisitShetland

Shetland Tourism.com

Choose Shetland

Island Vista

Island Trails - Guided Walks & Tours around Shetland

Seabirds-and-Seals

Shetland Wildlife Holidays

Cruise Europe