Where is Shetland?

Learn About Shetland

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Location

It’s a long way north, only about 400 miles (640km) from the Arctic Circle. The 60° north line of latitude passes through the southern part of our mainland. The southern tip of the Shetland mainland is about 100 miles (160km) from the nearest point on mainland Scotland. Fair Isle, the southernmost of our islands, lies half way between Shetland and the most northerly island of Orkney, North Ronaldsay.

Shetland’s Neighbours

Shetland’s neighbours to the east are Norwegians: we’re about 225 miles (360km) from their coast. To the north-west, the first landfall is the Faroe Islands (228 miles/365km), beyond which lie Iceland and Greenland, stepping stones used by Viking explorers to reach north America.

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To put it another way, we’re closer to the Arctic Circle than to Manchester and the same distance from London as is Milan. Bergen, in Norway, is considerably closer than Edinburgh.

Shetland’s Size

Including Fair Isle, Shetland stretches around a hundred miles from north to south. There are over 100 islands in the group, 15 of which are inhabited.

Shetland.org

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Location