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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Bressay
Go for a half-day or one night from Lerwick: 10-min ferry, £2.80 return, walk the cliffs or take the Noss boat (May–Aug).
Bressay is the island you can see from Lerwick harbour, a 10-minute ro-ro hop across the sound. It is farmland and moorland with a handful of ruins, one hotel and a nature reserve on its doorstep at Noss. Most visitors come for a half-day walk or a single night; the ferry runs hourly, so you can treat it as a day trip and still sleep in Lerwick.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Aug for the Noss boat and seabird colonies; Jun is peak
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, weather cancels boats); gales any month
- 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 £35–60 excl. bed · Mid £60–100 excl. bed · High £100+ 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, coastguard 999 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Lerwick–Bressay ferry, adult return | £2.80 |
| Car and driver, return ferry | £16.50 |
| Noss RIB, adult / youth 5–17 | £5 / £3 |
| Coffee or cake at Speldiburn cafe | £3–6 |
| Pint in Maryfield House | £4.50–6 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £6–12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LSI · Sumburgh Airport
- Main Shetland airport, about 40 km south of Lerwick; fly to Lerwick then ferry to Bressay.Main Shetland airport, about 25 mi south of Lerwick; fly to Lerwick then ferry to Bressay.
Typical fares
- Lerwick → Bressay ferry
- £2.80 adult return, 10 min, hourly 07:00–23:00£2.80 adult return, 10 min, hourly 7:00 AM–11:00 PM
- Noss RIB
- £5 adult, £3 youth, May–Aug, weather permitting
- Taxi in Lerwick
- metered; short hops £5–10 (check)
Get around
Roads on the west side are narrow but tarmacked and in good condition; the east road over the hill to the Noss boat is a single track. Public buses are sparse — a bus meets the 09:00 ferry on Mon, Wed and Fri to the Noss landing, and one Tuesday service runs to Lerwick. Walking is the realistic way to see the island: 6–7 km from Maryfield to the Noss boat, then 3 km to the cliffs.Roads on the west side are narrow but tarmacked and in good condition; the east road over the hill to the Noss boat is a single track. Public buses are sparse — a bus meets the 9:00 AM ferry on Mon, Wed and Fri to the Noss landing, and one Tuesday service runs to Lerwick. Walking is the realistic way to see the island: 6–7 km from Maryfield to the Noss boat, then 3 km to the cliffs.Roads on the west side are narrow but tarmacked and in good condition; the east road over the hill to the Noss boat is a single track. Public buses are sparse — a bus meets the 09:00 ferry on Mon, Wed and Fri to the Noss landing, and one Tuesday service runs to Lerwick. Walking is the realistic way to see the island: 3.7–4.3 mi from Maryfield to the Noss boat, then 1.9 mi to the cliffs.Roads on the west side are narrow but tarmacked and in good condition; the east road over the hill to the Noss boat is a single track. Public buses are sparse — a bus meets the 9:00 AM ferry on Mon, Wed and Fri to the Noss landing, and one Tuesday service runs to Lerwick. Walking is the realistic way to see the island: 3.7–4.3 mi from Maryfield to the Noss boat, then 1.9 mi to the cliffs.
See and do
Known for
- Noss National Nature Reserve seabird cliffs
- Bressay Heritage Centre and Bronze Age burnt mound
- Cullingsburgh broch and St Mary's Church
- Bressay Lighthouse
- Shetland ponies on the scattald
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | Ferry from Maryfield to the Albert Building pier, 10 min, hourly 07:00–23:00Ferry from Maryfield to the Albert Building pier, 10 min, hourly 7:00 AM–11:00 PM | About 15 min |
| Noss National Nature Reserve | Walk or bus to the east landing, then the summer RIB | 1.5–2 h from Maryfield |
| Sumburgh | Ferry to Lerwick, then bus or drive south | About 1.5 h |
| Scalloway | Ferry to Lerwick, then bus or drive west | About 45 min |
| Walls | Ferry to Lerwick, then drive west via the A971 | About 1 h |
| Fair Isle | Ferry to Lerwick, then the Fair Isle ferry or flight from Tingwall | Half a day |
Sleep
- Maryfield (by the ferry pier)
- The only hotel and the Heritage Centre; step off the boat and you are there.
- Bressay Marina
- Basic camping and caravan site south of the pier; sheltered landing for small craft.
- Lerwick (mainland)
- Most visitors sleep in Lerwick and day-trip; the ferry runs hourly to 23:00.Most visitors sleep in Lerwick and day-trip; the ferry runs hourly to 11:00 PM.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello / Guid dayhello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| Please | Pleaseplease |
| Where is the ferry pier? | Where is the ferry pier?where is the ferry pier |
| Is the Noss boat running today? | Is the Noss boat running today?is the noss boat running today |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card?can I pay by card |
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
- The Noss boat is weather-dependent and runs on demand in summer only; call the 0800 number before walking over.
- No shop except The Mail Shop with limited hours; bring food and water from Lerwick.
- Mobile signal is good (4G from all UK carriers) but there is no 5G in Shetland.
- Cliff edges are unfenced and seabird colonies are on loose ground; keep back from the edge.
- Do not feed the Shetland ponies.
Very low crime; the real risks are weather, cliff edges and the last ferry. Tell someone your route, carry waterproofs and check the Noss boat before you set off.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bressay yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Noss National Nature Reserve seabird cliffs
- Bressay Heritage Centre and Bronze Age burnt mound
- Cullingsburgh broch and St Mary's Church
- Bressay Lighthouse
- Shetland ponies on the scattald
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bressay Heritage Centre — visit: www.bressay.org/visit/
- Shetland Islands Council ferries: www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries
- NatureScot — Noss National Nature Reserve: www.nature.scot/enjoying-outdoors/places-visit/scotlands-national-nature-reserves/noss-national-nature-reserve
- Maryfield House Hotel: www.maryfieldhousehotel.co.uk
- Wikivoyage: Bressay, revision 5102288 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5102288
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bressay
To Maryfield, Bressay, please
To Maryfield, Bressay, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Shetland; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh and most others are in Edinburgh or London. For urgent consular help, call your embassy in London.
Ferry and Noss boat times change with weather and season; confirm before you walk.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bressay). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.