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Major city · United Kingdom

Yell

Cross Yell in 30 min by car if you're heading to Unst; give it a full day only if you want the east-coast B-road, beaches and the Old Haa Museum.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain)
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.

Yell is one of Shetland's North Isles, about 32 km long and 8 km wide, with roughly 1,000 residents. There is no airport: you arrive by ro-ro ferry from Toft on Mainland Shetland and leave by ferry to Unst or Fetlar. Most travellers cross it in half an hour to catch the onward boat; the slower east-coast road through Burravoe, Otterswick and Cullivoe is the reason to linger.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Yell, 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 tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)
  • Budget bedCampsite pitch (tent), a night, per person£7 (≈ US$10)
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per room£110 (≈ US$150)
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per room£150 (≈ US$200)

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 →

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.

Old Haa Museum at BurravoeGloup and its 1881 fishing disaster memorialWest Sandwick and Breckon Sands beachesOtters, seals and seabirds on the east coast
Airports
LSI Sumburgh Airport (Mainland Shetland) (No airport on Yell; fly to Sumburgh then drive about 1 h 15 min north to Toft for the Ulsta ferry.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Yell: 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

1°C

22 rd

Feb

6°C

1°C

18 rd

Mar

7°C

2°C

19 rd

Apr

8°C

3°C

16 rd

May

11°C

5°C

14 rd

Jun

13°C

7°C

13 rd

Jul

15°C

9°C

14 rd

Aug

15°C

10°C

15 rd

Sep

13°C

8°C

17 rd

Oct

10°C

6°C

20 rd

Nov

8°C

3°C

21 rd

Dec

6°C

1°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

The A968 runs up the west side from Ulsta to Mid Yell and Gutcher; the B9081/B9082 loop along the east coast via Burravoe and Otterswick and north to Cullivoe. Roads are single-track with passing places in places. Bus 24/24Y runs on weekdays only and is timed around the ferries, so a car or bike is the practical way to see the island.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Unstgo

Door to door: About 30 min from Gutcher pier

Bluemull ferry from Gutcher to Belmont, about 10 min

Sailings roughly every 45 min Mon–Sat, less often on Sunday; be on the pier five minutes before departure.

Fetlar

caution

Door to door: About 40 min from Gutcher pier

Bluemull ferry from Gutcher to Hamar's Ness, about 20 min, on the triangle sailings

Only some sailings call at Fetlar; check the timetable before you commit.

Lerwickskip

Door to door: About 2 h

Drive the A968 south to Toft, then the ferry to Ulsta and the A970 to Lerwick

Too far for a comfortable return day; treat it as your arrival or departure leg.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Burravoe

South-east coast near the Ulsta ferry; Old Haa Museum, a small shop and the caravan site are here.

West Sandwick

West coast on the A968; a B&B and one of the island's better beaches.

Mid Yell

The largest settlement, roughly central; shop and a seasonal diner.

Gutcher and Cullivoe

North end, next to the Unst and Fetlar ferries; basic waiting rooms only.

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
£40–70 (≈ US$55–95) excl. bed
Mid
£70–120 (≈ US$95–160) excl. bed
High
£120 (≈ US$160)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 1 night × £110£110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £90£180
Toft–Ulsta ferry, car plus driver, return1 × £33 · check£33
Toft–Ulsta ferry, adult foot passenger, return2 × £6 · check£11
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £8£16
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£35
Trip total≈ £193 per person per day, bed included£385≈ US$550

check

2026 estimate in pounds; ferry fares and travel to Shetland excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Burger or pizza at the Mid Yell dinerSeasonal opening, May–Sep (check)£10–16 (≈ US$14–25)
Groceries for a picnic lunch£5–8 (≈ US$7–11)
Campsite pitch per night£7 (≈ US$10) tent / £15 (≈ US$20) caravan
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A remote rural island with few man-made hazards. The real risks are weather, cliff edges and getting stranded by a missed ferry: dress for wind and rain and keep an eye on the timetable.
  • No airport: the only way in or out is the ferry.
  • Bus 24 runs weekdays only and cannot support a day trip out from Lerwick.
  • Mobile signal is unreliable across the island; download timetables and maps before you sail.
  • Single-track roads with passing places and stray sheep: allow extra time.
  • Fuel and shops are limited; fill up and buy food on Mainland Shetland before crossing.

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.

YellYell

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 or consulates on Yell; the nearest are in Edinburgh or London. US citizens: the consulate general is in Edinburgh (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Toft → Ulsta ferry, adult: about £2.80 (≈ US$4) single, 20 min
  • Toft → Ulsta ferry, car: about £16.50 (≈ US$25) single
  • Gutcher → Belmont (Unst) ferry: covered by the same ticket if travelled the same day, 10 min

Say or show

  • Hello — Hello (hel-LO)
  • Thank you — Thank you (THANK yoo)
  • Please — Please (pleez)
  • Where is the ferry pier? — Where is the ferry pier? (wair iz thuh FEH-ree peer)
  • How much is it? — How much is it? (how much iz it)
  • Sorry — Sorry (SOR-ee)

English is spoken throughout; there is no separate local language to learn.

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 Yell. 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–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 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