Shetland Islands

Recently hailed as one of Lonely Planet's Best in Europe for 2019, the ruggedly handsome Shetland Islands comprise around 100 different islands with just 15 inhabited. On Mainland the capital, Lerwick, has a good range of shops, restaurants and pubs as well as the outstanding Shetland Museum and Archives and a thriving music scene. In nearby Scalloway an excellent museum tells the story of the top-secret WWII Shetland Bus operation. Further south on Mainland is Sumburgh Head, an ideal spot for twitchers with unobstructed views of the seabird colonies; Old Scatness, a recently excavated Iron Age village; and the Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse settlements, with archaeological treasures from over 4,000 years.