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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Walls
Waas
Go only with a car and a booked ferry: one night, two if you add Papa Stour or Foula. Without wheels, skip — the bus runs five times a day and stops at the village.
Walls (locally Waas) is a small fishing village on the west Mainland of Shetland, 30 km from Lerwick, and it works as a base for two things: the Neolithic Stanydale Temple and the ferries to Foula and Papa Stour. There is one hotel, one shop, no mobile signal and no pub. Come for the archaeology and the island crossings, not for a village to wander.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Waas
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind, ferry 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 £80–120 excl. bed · High £150+ 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 · Police non-emergency 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 the village | £3–4.50 |
| Bakery pastry | £2–4 |
| Pub-style main meal | £12–20 |
| Papa Stour ferry, return | £5.60 |
| Foula ferry, return | £30 |
| Car hire, one day | £50–80 |
| Petrol, per litre | £1.40–1.60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LSI · Sumburgh Airport
- Main Shetland airport, 40 km south of Lerwick; hire a car there or in Lerwick before driving west.Main Shetland airport, 25 mi south of Lerwick; hire a car there or in Lerwick before driving west.
Typical fares
- Bus 9 Lerwick → Walls
- about 50 min, five times Mon–Fri
- Papa Stour ferry from West Burrafirth
- about 45 min, twice on Wed, Fri and Sat
- Foula ferry from Walls pier
- about 2 h, Tue and Thu, foot passengers only, 12 seats
Get around
You need a car. Stanydale Temple is 8 km east of Walls and West Burrafirth is 32 km north, with no useful bus between them. The A971 is single-track in places with passing places. Bus 9 links Lerwick to Walls about five times Monday–Friday, roughly 50 minutes via Whiteness and Hellister — fine for the village, useless for the sites.You need a car. Stanydale Temple is 5 mi east of Walls and West Burrafirth is 20 mi north, with no useful bus between them. The A971 is single-track in places with passing places. Bus 9 links Lerwick to Walls about five times Monday–Friday, roughly 50 minutes via Whiteness and Hellister — fine for the village, useless for the sites.
See and do
Known for
- Stanydale Temple
- Culswick Broch
- Foula ferry
- Papa Stour ferry
- West Mainland coastline
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stanydale Temple | Drive the A971 east, then a signed side lane and a muddy path southwest for about a mile | About 30 min from Walls |
| Culswick Broch | B9071 south, then walk up the track | About 30 min from Walls |
| Papa Stour | Drive to West Burrafirth, then the ferry | About 1 h 15 min including the crossing |
| Foula | BK Marine ferry from Walls pier, half a mile south of the village | About 2 h each way |
| Lerwick | A971 to the A970, or bus 9 | About 40 min by car, 50 min by bus |
Sleep
- Walls village
- The only practical base: one hotel, plus self-catering. Book ahead in summer.
- West Burrafirth
- 20 miles north, at the Papa Stour ferry pier. No village services — only useful if you have an early sailing.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello / Guid dayhello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| Where is the ferry pier? | Where's da ferry pier?wheres da ferry peer |
| Is the ferry running today? | Is da boat sailin da day?is da boat sailin da day |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay wi card?can I pay wi 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
- No mobile signal from any carrier around Walls, West Burrafirth or Papa Stour (as of Sep 2024): download maps and ferry details before you drive west.
- The Foula ferry takes foot passengers only, twice a week (Tue and Thu), about 2 hours, and carries 12 — reserve on +44 1595 840208. A same-day return is not possible.
- The Papa Stour ferry runs from West Burrafirth twice on Wed, Fri and Sat (one sailing Sunday), about 45 min; a day trip gives about five hours ashore.
- Single-track roads with passing places; sheep and slow tourist traffic.
- The village shop keeps limited hours and there is no public bar — bring your own drink.
Very low crime; the real risks are weather, single-track roads and having no phone signal. Tell someone your route and carry a paper map.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Walls yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Stanydale Temple
- Culswick Broch
- Foula ferry
- Papa Stour ferry
- West Mainland coastline
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 — ferries: www.zettrans.org.uk/travel/public-transport/ferry
- BK Marine — Foula ferry: www.bkmarine.co.uk/foula-ferry
- Historic Environment Scotland — Stanydale Temple: www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stanydale-temple/
- Wikivoyage: Walls, revision 4985778 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4985778
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
WallsWaas
Dis address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Shetland; embassies and consulates-general are in Edinburgh and London. US citizens: consulate general in Edinburgh.
No mobile signal around Walls, West Burrafirth or Papa Stour — save this card offline.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/walls). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.