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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Sumburgh
Give Sumburgh one full day plus a night: Jarlshof, Sumburgh Head and Old Scatness sit within 3 km, and you need a car for anything beyond.
Sumburgh is the southern tip of Shetland's Mainland and the island's airport village: a few hundred metres between the runway, a hotel and a 4,000-year archaeological site. Most travellers land here, see Jarlshof and Sumburgh Head, then drive north to Lerwick. Stay one night if you land late or want the cliffs at opening time; two if you add Mousa or St Ninian's. A car turns the bottom ten miles into a full day; without one you are limited to the airport, hotel and Jarlshof.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and flight disruption)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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 £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Jarlshof adult entry | £7.50 |
| Sumburgh Head visitor centre adult entry | £6 |
| Quendale Watermill adult entry | £4 |
| Car hire, one day | £45–70 |
| eSIM, about a week of data | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LSI · Sumburgh Airport
- Main Shetland airport, on the road 40 km (25 mi) south of Lerwick; car hire and taxis at the terminal.Main Shetland airport, on the road 25 mi (40 km) south of Lerwick; car hire and taxis at the terminal.
Typical fares
- Bus 6 Lerwick → Sumburgh Airport
- about £5, about 50 min (check)
- Taxi Sumburgh Airport → Sumburgh Hotel
- short hop; agree the fare first (check)
- Grutness → Fair Isle ferry
- 2 h 40 min, Tue/Thu/Sat in summer (check)
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
The airport, Sumburgh Hotel and Jarlshof are a short walk apart; everything else needs wheels. Bus 6 runs between Lerwick and Sumburgh roughly every 90 minutes, stopping at the airport, Jarlshof and the hotel. The main road crosses the runway perimeter and closes briefly when aircraft land or take off.
See and do
Known for
- Jarlshof prehistoric and Norse settlement
- Sumburgh Head lighthouse and seabird cliffs
- Old Scatness Iron Age broch
- Sumburgh Airport (LSI)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | Bus 6 from the airport or hotel, or drive the A970 north | About 50 min by bus, 40 min by car |
| Mousa | Drive to Leebitton near Sandwick, then the summer boat to the island | About 1 h 30 min including the crossing |
| Fair Isle | Ferry from Grutness, Tue/Thu/Sat in summer, 2 h 40 min | About 3 h each way |
| St Ninian's Isle | Drive north past Sandwick, then walk the sand tombolo | About 40 min by car plus a 15-min walk |
| Bressay | Drive to Lerwick, then the short ferry from the harbour | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Sumburgh Hotel / airport strip
- The only walkable base: hotel, Jarlshof and the runway within about 1 km (0.6 mi). Book ahead in summer.The only walkable base: hotel, Jarlshof and the runway within about 0.6 mi (1 km). Book ahead in summer.
- Sumburgh Head lighthouse cottages
- Self-catering at the headland, about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the hotel; a car or a long walk for everything.Self-catering at the headland, about 1.2 mi (2 km) south of the hotel; a car or a long walk for everything.
- Sandwick and Leebitton
- About 15 km (9.3 mi) north; the boat to Mousa leaves from Leebitton. Use it if you want Mousa without doubling back.About 9.3 mi (15 km) north; the boat to Mousa leaves from Leebitton. Use it if you want Mousa without doubling back.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello / Guid daystandard English works everywhere |
| Thank you | Thank youcheers is common and friendly |
| Single ticket, please | Single to Sumburgh, please |
| Is the ferry running today? | Is the boat sailing today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take card? |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where's the bus stop? |
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 main road across the airport perimeter closes briefly during take-offs and landings: allow slack for a flight.
- The east cliffs at Sumburgh Head are unfenced and slippery: stay back from the edge.
- O2 and Three have no signal here; EE and Vodafone carry 4G. Download offline maps before you drive.
- Grutness–Fair Isle ferry runs only Tue, Thu and Sat in summer and takes 2 h 40 min: no day trip.
Very low crime; the real risks are weather, cliff edges and single-track roads. Tell someone your route if you walk the coast, and carry a windproof layer even in July.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sumburgh yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jarlshof prehistoric and Norse settlement
- Sumburgh Head lighthouse and seabird cliffs
- Old Scatness Iron Age broch
- Sumburgh Airport (LSI)
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 — Sumburgh Airport: www.hial.co.uk/sumburgh-airport/
- Historic Environment Scotland — Jarlshof: www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/jarlshof-prehistoric-and-norse-settlement/
- Sumburgh Head Lighthouse and Visitor Centre: www.sumburghhead.com/
- Wikivoyage: Sumburgh, revision 4936225 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4936225
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Sumburgh
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Shetland; the nearest consulates are in Edinburgh. US citizens: US Consulate General, Edinburgh (check).
Mobile signal is patchy: EE and Vodafone carry 4G, O2 and Three do not. Save offline maps and the hotel number.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sumburgh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.