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Major city · 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).

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
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
Airport
LSI
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
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.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

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

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 cake at Speldiburn cafeSummer only, Tue, Wed, Fri and Sat.£3–6 (≈ US$4–8)
  • BeerPint in Maryfield House£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)
  • Budget bedCamping pitch at Bressay Marina, a night, per person£12 (≈ US$16)
  • Mid-range bedMaryfield House Hotel double, B&B, a night, per room£200 (≈ US$300)
  • High-end bedMaryfield House Hotel double, B&B, a night, per room£240 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £45 (≈ US$60) · Mid £85 (≈ 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 →

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.

Noss National Nature Reserve seabird cliffsBressay Heritage Centre and Bronze Age burnt moundCullingsburgh broch and St Mary's ChurchBressay LighthouseShetland ponies on the scattald
Airports
LSI Sumburgh Airport (Main Shetland airport, about 40 km south of Lerwick; fly to Lerwick then ferry to Bressay.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Bressay: 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

2°C

22 rd

Feb

6°C

2°C

19 rd

Mar

7°C

2°C

20 rd

Apr

8°C

3°C

17 rd

May

11°C

5°C

14 rd

Jun

13°C

8°C

13 rd

Jul

15°C

10°C

15 rd

Aug

15°C

10°C

16 rd

Sep

13°C

9°C

18 rd

Oct

10°C

6°C

21 rd

Nov

8°C

4°C

22 rd

Dec

6°C

2°C

22 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

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

Getting 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.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Lerwickgo

Door to door: About 15 min

Ferry from Maryfield to the Albert Building pier, 10 min, hourly 07:00–23:00

The default move: shops, museum, restaurants and onward ferries.

Noss National Nature Reservego

Door to door: 1.5–2 h from Maryfield

Walk or bus to the east landing, then the summer RIB

May–Aug only, weather permitting; adult £5, youth £3, under 5 free.

Sumburgh

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Ferry to Lerwick, then bus or drive south

Airport, Jarlshof and lighthouse cottages at the south tip.

Scalloway

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Ferry to Lerwick, then bus or drive west

Castle and harbour on the west coast.

Walls

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Ferry to Lerwick, then drive west via the A971

Better as an overnight if you want the west-side walks.

Fair Isle

overnight

Door to door: Half a day

Ferry to Lerwick, then the Fair Isle ferry or flight from Tingwall

Book ahead; sailings are infrequent and weather-dependent.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

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.

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
£35–60 (≈ US$50–80) excl. bed
Mid
£60–100 (≈ US$80–140) excl. bed
High
£100 (≈ US$140)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Maryfield House Hotel double, B&B1 × 1 night × £200£200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £85£170
Lerwick–Bressay ferry, return2 × £3 · Child or concession £0.80; pay on board outbound.£6
Car and driver, return1 × £17£17
Noss RIB, adult return2 × £5 · Youth 5–17 £3, under 5 free.£10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £8£16
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£42
Trip total≈ £231 per person per day, bed included£461≈ US$650

B&B double quoted at £200.

2026 estimate in pounds; ferry and Noss boat included, flights excluded.

Prices of common things

Lerwick–Bressay ferry, adult returnChild or concession £0.80; pay on board outbound.£2.80 (≈ US$4)
Car and driver, return ferry£16.50 (≈ US$25)
Noss RIB, adult / youth 5–17Under 5 free; summer only, weather permitting.£5 (≈ US$7) / £3 (≈ US$4)
Coffee or cake at Speldiburn cafeSummer only, Tue, Wed, Fri and Sat.£3–6 (≈ US$4–8)
Pint in Maryfield House£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

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

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.

BressayBressay

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To Maryfield, Bressay, pleaseTo Maryfield, Bressay, please

Emergency

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

Embassy

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.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Lerwick → Bressay ferry: £2.80 (≈ US$4) adult return, 10 min, hourly 07:00–23:00
  • Noss RIB: £5 (≈ US$7) adult, £3 (≈ US$4) youth, May–Aug, weather permitting
  • Taxi in Lerwick: metered; short hops £5–10 (≈ US$7–14) (check)

Say or show

  • Hello / Guid day — Hello (hello)
  • Thank you — Thank you (thank you)
  • Please — Please (please)
  • 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)

Ferry and Noss boat times change with weather and season; confirm before you walk.

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 Bressay. 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–Aug for the Noss boat and seabird colonies; Jun is peak · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, weather cancels boats); gales any month · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Ferry and Noss boat timetables field-checked for 2026, with weather-cancellation fallbacks.
  2. Walking routes with distances and cutoffs: Maryfield–Noss landing, Noss south tip, Ward Hill, lighthouse road.
  3. Place pages for the Heritage Centre, Cullingsburgh, Bressay Lighthouse and the Noss reserve.
  4. Eat and sleep pages with verified opening hours for Speldiburn and Maryfield House.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources