and the site receives a small commission
Shetland trip
- Thread starter mjb123
- Start date
Carousels Spin
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 371
- Edit My Images
- No
I used NorthLink ferries between Aberdeen and Lerwick, with train tickets to Aberdeen booked well in advance. I was quite happy with how easy it was, and didn't think the cost was unreasonable.
http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
Carousels Spin
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 371
- Edit My Images
- No
We went from Huntingdon to Aberdeen via train in three stages (Huntingdon to Peterborough, Peterborough to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Aberdeen; on the way back, it was four because Edinburgh to Peterborough was broken into Edinburgh to Newcastle and Newcastle to Peterborough), then obviously Aberdeen to Lerwick on the ferry.
Travel cost me about £240 total - trains £66 and ferry £174 - and that's with me paying £45 more than my friend on the ferry; if that had been split fairly instead, it would have been £215. We also went for cabins on the ferry; you could do it without to reduce costs, although it's quite a long journey and pretty much all at night so you may appreciate a cabin.
The train tickets also weren't paid for months in advance - I think we organised it in June and went in August.
Last edited:
Carousels Spin
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 371
- Edit My Images
- No
Depends on whether you go on a day where they're also going to Orkney or not. We did, so it was fourteen hours; I think you get there a couple of hours quicker if it's just going straight to Lerwick. It is long, but as I say most of it is a night so you sleep through it. If you do go by ferry, you need to add a day on at either end to do the travelling, really.
crieffy
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,372
- Name
- John Moncrieff
- Edit My Images
- Yes
If you want to fly, it's a lot cheaper to fly from Aberdeen to Sumburgh, than from Glasgow or Edinburgh. 4 or 5 flights a day from Aberdeen too. Ferry is still cheaper though, and you'll be able to bring more gear without getting charged extra!
Late May/June/early July is best for wildlife.
John
Late May/June/early July is best for wildlife.
John
- Messages
- 6,133
- Name
- Dave
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Can't help with flights but if you went as a foot passenger from Aberdeen to Lerwick on the ferry it would cost less than £40, which must be a lot less than the cost of a flight. As already mentioned if you book early you can get cheap rail tickets. Or combine a flight to Aberdeen with the ferry.
We are in Shetland now and the ferry crossing was a little over 12 hours, but as the ferry left at 7pm quite a bit of that time can be spent asleep. Arriving in the early morning gives an extra day and similarly on the way back as the ferry also leaves Lerwick at 7pm.
Have to admit the sleeping was a bit difficult but that was probably down to us. This is our first visit so a bit of an adventure. We booked a couple of the recliner chairs but in future would probably sleep on one of the large number of settees and bench seats around the ship as quite a few were doing.
Dave
PS Shetland is spectacular.
We are in Shetland now and the ferry crossing was a little over 12 hours, but as the ferry left at 7pm quite a bit of that time can be spent asleep. Arriving in the early morning gives an extra day and similarly on the way back as the ferry also leaves Lerwick at 7pm.
Have to admit the sleeping was a bit difficult but that was probably down to us. This is our first visit so a bit of an adventure. We booked a couple of the recliner chairs but in future would probably sleep on one of the large number of settees and bench seats around the ship as quite a few were doing.
Dave
PS Shetland is spectacular.
