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About Shetland

Shetland is comprised of over 100 individual islands (although only 15 are inhabited) located in the northern sector of the North Sea, at its crossroads with the Atlantic Ocean.

Location

Located on the latitude of 60 degrees north, the Islands are an almost equal distance (around 180 miles) to the north of the Scottish Mainland and west of the Norwegian coastline and only a 100 or so miles south of the Faroe Islands. View our location on Google Maps

Landscape

Dore HolmDore Holm

Shetland has a rugged beauty all of its own. Perhaps the most common observation from the first time visitor relates to our almost total lack of trees, a feature which sets the landscape apart from many of our other near neighbours, while the furthest you can get from the sea on the islands is only three miles.

Another surprise for many is, that although Shetland is hilly, there are no mountains. Our highest hill, Ronas Hill, located at the north of the Shetland mainland is 450m high.

People

The islands total population numbers around 22,000 inhabitants, 7500 of whom live in the capital, Lerwick.

Shetland is an industrious and thriving community where fishing, fish farming, the oil industry, tourism and agriculture (sheep out-number people by a ratio of almost 10-1) all play a cruical role in the local economy.

And then of course there's music...

Find out more

visit.shetland.org - Tourist and visitor information

www.shetland.org - Thinking of relocating to Shetland?

www.shetland.gov.uk - Shetland Islands Council

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk - Website of the Shetland Times, the local weekly newspaper

www.shetland-news.co.uk - Online news magazine

www.shetlopedia.com - Shetland specific online encyclopedia

www.shetlink.com - Shetland's online community

 
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Latest News

The late Shetland musician Peerie Willie Johnson has been entered into the Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies (ODNB).
The Seventh Shetland Blues Festival will take place between Friday 3rd September and Sunday 5th September with gigs in Lerwick, Scalloway, Brae and Sandwick, features six nominees for the British Blues awards. Visiting artistes this year are Connie Lush and Blues Shouter, Guy Tortora Band, Hokie Joint, Baby Isaac, Kris Dollimore, Dale Storr and Bad Taste Blues Band.
The second Vunk Fest, Shetland's alternative music and art festival fires off this weekend with a packed line-up of local and visiting bands and artists.

 

Hom Bru
Cooper's Reels
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Shetland Fiddlers
The Delting Set
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Shoormal
Camera Obscura
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Cullivoe Fiddlers
Da Ferry Reel Set
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Fiddler's Bid
Da Shaalds
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Jenna Reid
Summer Island March
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Fridaray
Unst Boat Song
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Chris Stout
Hillswick
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Jillian Isbister
Desperado
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Jordan Ogg
The Prettiest Birds
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Jukebox tracks are in MP3 format. Click to listen, or right-click to save to your computer.

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