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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Brae
Breiðeið
Stay 1 night in Brae only as a ferry or oil-terminal stop; with no car, skip it and base in Lerwick instead.
Brae is a straggling village on a wide isthmus in Shetland's North Mainland, 23 miles (about 37 km) north of Lerwick. It grew in the 1970s around the Sullom Voe oil terminal and is the practical gateway to Northmavine and the Toft ferry to Yell. There is little to see in the village itself, so it works as a one-night stop with a car, not as a base.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Breiðeið
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips | £12–16 |
| Pub main course | £14–20 |
| Draught beer, pint | £5–6.50 |
| Bus Lerwick → Brae | about £5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LSI · Sumburgh Airport
- Shetland's main airport, about 97 km (60 miles) south (check); drive to Brae takes roughly 1 h 15 min (check)Shetland's main airport, about 60 miles (97 km) south (check); drive to Brae takes roughly 1 h 15 min (check)
- SCS · Scatsta Airport
- 3 miles northeast; serves the oil terminal and offshore rigs, no public flights
Typical fares
- Bus Lerwick → Brae
- about £5, 50 min (2026 estimate)
- Ferry Toft → Yell
- check the current fare and timetable
- Taxi in Brae
- check locally; book ahead
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need wheels. Bus 21/23 runs Mon–Sat roughly every two hours from Lerwick via Tingwall and Voe, about 50 min to Brae; Bus 21 continues to Hillswick (frequency check) and Bus 23 turns to Sullom Voe, Mossbank and Toft for the Yell ferry. The village straggles, so walking covers only the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Mavis Grind isthmus
- Sullom Voe oil terminal
- Gateway to Northmavine
- Toft ferry to Yell
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mavis Grind | Drive or cycle west from Brae (route and distance check) | About 15 min by car (check) |
| Muckle Roe | Drive south across the bridge, then walk the east-side road and coast path | About 30 min by car |
| Hillswick | Bus 21 (frequency check), or drive north | About 45 min by bus (check) |
| Lerwick | Bus 21/23 from Brae, or drive the A970 south | About 50 min by bus |
| Yell | Drive or Bus 23 to Toft, then the ferry | About 1 h 30 min to Ulsta |
Sleep
- Brae village centre
- Brae Hotel, Drumquin Guest House and Frankie's are all within a few minutes' walk.
- Busta Voe shore
- Busta House Hotel and Burravoe Wigwams sit west of the village; you need a car.
- Valleyfield, 1 mile south
- Guesthouse on the Lerwick road; handy if you arrive late by bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorrysame as English |
| Thank you | Thank yousame as English |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where is the bus stop?same as English |
| How much is it? | How much is it?same as English |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card?same as English |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet?same as English |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Mobile signal is patchy: as of Sep 2024 you might manage a call in Brae with EE, and there is no signal elsewhere in the district or with other carriers.
- Buses are Mon–Sat and roughly two-hourly: check the last return before you commit to a day out.
- Fuel and food options thin out fast north of Mavis Grind; fill up and shop in Brae.
- Winter daylight is short and exposed roads can close in wind and ice.
Brae is a quiet village and feels safe; the practical risks are weather and distance — plan around short winter daylight and check road and ferry conditions before you set out (check).
One and two days
No timed day plan for Brae yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mavis Grind isthmus
- Sullom Voe oil terminal
- Gateway to Northmavine
- Toft ferry to Yell
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shetland Islands Council — transport and ferries: www.shetland.gov.uk/
- VisitScotland — Shetland: www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/shetland
- Wikivoyage: Brae, revision 5101344 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5101344
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BraeBreiðeið
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Brae; the nearest consular help is in Edinburgh or London. US citizens: check the US Embassy in London.
English is spoken throughout; Shetland dialect words appear on signs but standard English works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/brae). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.