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Territory capital · United Kingdom

Unst

Go for 2 nights with your own car: the ferries and the 3-hour Hermaness loop need a full day, and no bus reaches the cliffs.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Unst is Britain's most northerly inhabited island, reached only by two ferries (Mainland Shetland to Yell, then Yell to Unst) and best done with your own car. Two nights covers Hermaness, the north coast sights and the heritage sites without rushing; one night only works if you arrive early and leave late.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–early Jun, Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain); mid-May–Jul for cliff nesting if you want the birds at peak
Airports
LSI · LWK
Nights
2
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Unst999 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard999
  • Police non-urgent101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Unst, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Street or quick mealSoup and sandwich lunch£8–14 (≈ US$11–19)
  • Museum or sight ticketHeritage centre or boat haven entryMay–Sep only£4 (≈ US$6) adult, £3 (≈ US$4) concession
  • Budget bedHostel bed or campsite pitch, a night, per person£25 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per room£130 (≈ US$180)
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per room£180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £45 (≈ US$60) · Mid £90 (≈ US$120) · High £160 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Hermaness nature reserve and its seabird cliffsMuckle Flugga and Out Stack, the UK's northern tipBobby's Bus Shelter at BaltasoundViking longhouse and Unst Boat Haven at Haroldswick
Airports
LSI Sumburgh Airport (Mainland Shetland) (No air service to Unst; fly into Sumburgh, then drive north to Toft for the Yell ferry, about 1 h 15 min) · LWK Lerwick/Tingwall Airport (Mainland Shetland; connects to Fair Isle and other isles, not to Unst — reach Unst by road and two ferries)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    7°C (45°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    8°C (46°F)

  5. May

    Care

    11°C (52°F)

  6. Jun

    Care*

    13°C (55°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    15°C (59°F)

  8. Aug

    not flagged

    15°C (59°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    13°C (55°F)

  10. Oct

    not flagged

    11°C (52°F)

  11. Nov

    Avoid

    8°C (46°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

Best: Sep. Mixed: May–Jun. Avoid: Jul, Nov–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (15°C (59°F)), coolest Jan (2°C (36°F) low), wettest Dec (23 rain days), driest Jun (13). Averages, not a forecast.

* only part of the month (early, mid or late).

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Unst: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C (43°F)

2°C (36°F)

22 rd

Feb

6°C (43°F)

2°C (36°F)

18 rd

Mar

7°C (45°F)

2°C (36°F)

20 rd

Apr

8°C (46°F)

3°C (37°F)

17 rd

May

11°C (52°F)

5°C (41°F)

14 rd

Jun

13°C (55°F)

8°C (46°F)

13 rd

Jul

15°C (59°F)

10°C (50°F)

14 rd

Aug

15°C (59°F)

10°C (50°F)

15 rd

Sep

13°C (55°F)

9°C (48°F)

18 rd

Oct

11°C (52°F)

7°C (45°F)

21 rd

Nov

8°C (46°F)

4°C (39°F)

22 rd

Dec

6°C (43°F)

2°C (36°F)

23 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Drive. The A968 is two-lane and well kept; side roads are single track with passing places, and the last lane from Burrafirth to the Hermaness car park is narrow and steep. Bus 28 runs four times Monday–Saturday up the main road from Belmont via Uyeasound, Baltasound and Haroldswick to Saxa Vord; some runs are Dial-a-Ride and must be booked by 4pm the day before. No bus reaches Burrafirth or Hermaness — Haroldswick is about 3 miles away. Bikes can be hired at Saxa Vord; fine in calm weather, miserable in wind and rain.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Yell

go

Door to door: About 1 h to Gutcher

Bluemull Sound ferry from Belmont to Gutcher, about 10 min, then drive the A968 north

Most trips pass through Yell anyway; the crossing is short and runs through the day.

Fetlar

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h from Baltasound

Bluemull ferry on the triangle pattern via Hamar's Ness, about 20 min from Gutcher

Only five or six sailings a day follow the triangle: check the timetable before committing.

Lerwick

skip

Door to door: About 3–3.5 h

Drive to Toft, ferry to Ulsta, cross Yell, ferry to Belmont, then the A968 and A970 south

Too far for a day return; sleep in Lerwick instead.

Fair Isle

overnight

Door to door: A full day or more

No direct link: back to Mainland Shetland, then the ferry or flight from Grutness or Tingwall

Treat it as a separate island trip, not a day out from Unst.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Baltasound

Island hub: shops, hotel, leisure centre and the bus shelter; 20–25 min drive to the Hermaness car park.

Haroldswick

Heritage centre, boat haven, distillery and tea room; closest base to the north end.

Uyeasound and Belmont

South end by the ferry pier; best for an early sailing or a late arrival.

Saxa Vord

Former RAF site with rooms, restaurant and bike hire; 10 min from Haroldswick.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–75 (≈ US$60–100) excl. bed
Mid
£80–130 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
£150 (≈ US$200)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 2 nights × £130£260
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × £90£360
Bluemull Sound ferry, Belmont–Gutcher, both ways2 × £15 · check; foot passengers pay less than cars£30
Car on the Bluemull crossing, both ways1 × £40 · check; islanders' concession fares exist£40
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £10 · signal on Unst is patchy£20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£71
Trip total≈ £195 per person per day, bed included£781≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in pounds; ferry fares and fuel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Soup and sandwich lunch£8–14 (≈ US$11–19)
Two-course evening mealBaltasound Hotel restaurant, 18:00–20:00£25–30 (≈ US$35–40)
Heritage centre or boat haven entryMay–Sep only£4 (≈ US$6) adult, £3 (≈ US$4) concession
Distillery tourShetland Reel, Haroldswick; tours Tue–Sat at noon£20 (≈ US$30)
Petrol, per litrecheck; fill up at Baltasound£1.45–1.60 (≈ US$2–3)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Unst is quiet and low-crime; the real risks are weather and cliffs. Keep back from the edge at Hermaness, especially in wind, and give nesting skuas a wide berth.
  • No public bus reaches the Hermaness car park: plan the last 3 miles on foot, by bike or by car.
  • Great skuas (bonxies) dive at anyone near their nests — stay on the path and keep away from the colonies.
  • The Hermaness loop over the hill is rough and often very boggy; in wet weather retrace your steps instead.
  • Mobile signal is unreliable across the island — download maps and ferry times before you sail.
  • Sheep and ponies wander onto the roads, including the single-track lanes.
  • Fuel and food options are limited; fill up and shop at Baltasound.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard
999
Police non-urgent
101
NHS non-urgent
111

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

UnstUnst

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard999
  • Police non-urgent101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No embassies on Unst; consulates and embassies are in Edinburgh and London.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Belmont → Gutcher ferry: about 10 min; foot passengers and cars pay separately (check)
  • Bus 28, Belmont → Saxa Vord: four runs Mon–Sat; some are Dial-a-Ride, book by 4pm the day before
  • Bike hire at Saxa Vord: ask at reception

Say or show

  • Hello — Hello
  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the ferry pier? — Where is the ferry pier?
  • Is the path to Hermaness open? — Is the path to Hermaness open?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is there a bus today? — Is there a bus today?

English is spoken throughout; Shetland dialect words appear on signs and in place names.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Unst. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–early Jun, Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain); mid-May–Jul for cliff nesting if you want the birds at peak · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources