On Shetland, one of the extremities of the British Isles, Norse culture thrives and life revolves around the sea. At some times of year, the Northern Lights are visible, and Viking longhouses litter the landscape.
If you’re exploring the British Isles, Shetland is a phenomenal place to visit. But how do you get there? One way, of course, is to fly. But this isn’t the best way – flights can be very expensive. In fact, most tourists take the NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen. And, with direct train connections to London, it’s possible to get all the way from the south without flying.
So, if you’re interested in travelling from London to Shetland without flying, here’s my full guide, with some suggested stops along the way.
Start: London
Your start point will, of course, be London! There are a few ways you can get from the big smoke up to Scotland.
There’s the option to take a high-speed train and whizz up to Aberdeen, or do a road trip through the north of England and south of Scotland. I’d recommend camping if you do the latter – Just make sure you have the right camping equipment to see you through cooler nights, as the weather can be variable!
Trains from London to Aberdeen
First up, my preferred mode of transport would be the Caledonian Sleeper. This is an 11 hour night train that leaves London Euston Station just after 9pm and trundles up to the north of England, crossing the border and calling in at Edinburgh and ultimately Aberdeen.
When I travelled from London to Shetland without flying, I took this sleeper train, and although I had a few complaints (the WC in my carriage wasn’t working, which isn’t ideal for someone with an overactive bladder!), I enjoyed the experience as a whole.
If you don’t want to travel at night, Kings Cross has direct trains to Aberdeen – although many require a change in Edinburgh. You could of course stop off overnight or longer in Edinburgh – I’ve heard it’s worth a visit!
Bus from London to Aberdeen
If you’re feeling intrepid, there is the option to take a bus from London to Aberdeen. There aren’t any direct ones; the bus from London to Edinburgh will take around eight hours, and then it’s a further four hours to the northern city.
Again, you can stop in Edinburgh for the evening if you fancy!
Driving from London to Aberdeen
If you have a car (and want to use it on Shetland), you could drive from London to Aberdeen!
It’s a 9.5 hour drive, but of course, you don’t need to do it all at once.
Places that are worth a stop on the way include:
- The Peak District
- The Yorkshire Dales
- The Lake District
- Glasgow
- Dundee
The cost of this can be very variable, depending on how often you stop, how many detours you make and where you stay. To keep costs down, I’d opt for campsites over lodges and invest in some outdoor cooking equipment so you don’t have to eat out all the time.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen gets a bit of stick, but I quite liked the granite city. Attractions include the free Maritime Museum, Provost Skene’s House which tells stories of Aberdeen characters, the Hogwarts-esque Aberdeen university buildings and one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to, Rishi’s Indian Aroma.
I stayed in Aberdeen for a night before hopping on the NorthLink ferry, which would take me over to Lerwick in Shetland!
Click here to see my YouTube video with things to do in Aberdeen!
NorthLink ferry
The NorthLink ferries are genuinely among the best I’ve been on. Cabins are comfy, they have kettles with tea and coffee, the catering is tasty and at decent prices, and the ship is spacious, BUT…
It can be ROUGH. This is the North Sea after all! Take some travel sickness tablets – the only member of our party who didn’t was very sick on the return journey.
The ferries usually leave at around 6pm and arrive into Lerwick around 7am. If you sail in the summer, you’ll enjoy gorgeous views into the evening. We went in February, so it was very dark, but we got a gorgeous sunrise over Shetland as we arrived!
Arrive in Lerwick!
After a (hopefully not too bumpy) crossing, you’ve arrived into Lerwick!
You’re on Mainland, the largest and most populous island – and home to Shetland’s only town. I’d recommend staying here, unless you want a real rural experience! We rented an Airbnb in someone’s garden for a week and drove all around Mainland, up to Unst and got the ferry over to Bressay.
To see our time on the islands and some of the things that you can get up to here, I’d recommend checking out my Shetland YouTube video.
