Shetland TV Locations Private Full Day Tour

The best thing about this tour is that it uses the TV series as your doorway into real Shetland. You will see DI Perez’s Lodberrie, film beaches, remote crofts, ferry routes, and cliff tops, but the day is not limited to spotting screen locations. Your guide also brings in Shetland’s Viking past and everyday island life.

I like the private vehicle for up to six people, which makes a long day across the Mainland far more comfortable than joining a large coach. I also like the mix of famous locations and small surprises, such as the original Cake Fridge and bonus puffin stops reported by guests with guide Maureen.

The main drawback is distance. Eight hours sounds generous, but much of the day is spent driving between far-flung places. Lunch is not included, Sumburgh Head’s visitor centre costs extra, and poor weather can force a change of date or a full refund.

Key points at a glance

• DI Perez’s Lodberrie: See the private waterfront home used as Perez’s house, but do not expect to go inside.
• A full southern and northern sweep: The route reaches St Ninian’s Isle, Sumburgh, Burra, Voe, Eshaness, and Ronas Voe.
• Private touring for up to six: Your group travels together in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water and parking covered.
• Maureen may adjust the day: A previous group had its eight-hour route compressed into six hours because of time limits, with extra sights added along the way.
• Wild scenery is part of the attraction: Beaches, tombolos, seabird cliffs, seals, ferry crossings, and ruined crofts matter as much as the filming spots.
• Plan for a flexible day: The route order can change with your pickup point, weather, and available time.

Why a TV tour works so well in Shetland

Shetland is not a place where one compact town contains all the main sights. Lerwick sits in the south-east, while places such as Eshaness and Ronas Voe require long drives across open country. A private tour solves that problem neatly. You can cover a large part of the Mainland without arranging several separate taxis or trying to read maps while watching the weather.

The series gives the day a thread. You will recognize the Lodberrie, police station, ferry terminal, beaches, guest houses, crofts, and villages. Then you look beyond the camera frame and see why those places were chosen: clean beaches, rough sea cliffs, old stone buildings, and wide views with very little in between.

I would not book this only as a film-location checklist. The filming places are often quick photo stops, while the scenery and the drive between them take up much of the day. That is a strength if you want a broad introduction to Shetland, but less useful if you prefer a slow visit inside museums or long walks at each site.

Lerwick begins with Perez’s Lodberrie

The Lodberrie is the natural opening act. This much-photographed waterfront building served as DI Perez’s home, beside Bain’s Beach, where Perez was seen sharing whisky with Duncan and giving Cass fatherly advice.

You can photograph the exterior and connect the setting with the show, but this is a private residence. There is no entry, and you should keep your distance from the people who live there. That small point matters: the tour brings you to a working neighborhood, not a film set preserved for public access.

The nearby police station and county buildings supplied the exterior of Lerwick Police Station. The stop is brief, only about five minutes, so think of it as a quick orientation point rather than a major sightseeing visit.

You then reach the Market Cross and Commercial Street, known locally as da street. This is Lerwick’s main shopping street, and it gives you a chance to see the town beyond the show. The Bressay Ferry Terminal is another useful stop. Perez traveled on the ferry in the first series, and the route also passes the main NorthLink Ferry Terminal.

These Lerwick stops are short, but they help you place the fictional action in a real town. If you have never been to Lerwick, I would pay attention to the ordinary details: the waterfront, working ferry links, shopping street, and public buildings. They explain more about the setting than a string of isolated photo stops would.

Fladdabister and the southern beaches

At Fladdabister, the series used an old lime kiln as the scene of a season-three murder. The stop lasts around fifteen minutes. It is not a polished attraction, and that is the point. The location shows how the show makes use of weathered, practical island structures rather than elaborate sets.

St Ninian’s Isle is one of the day’s strongest scenery stops. A white sandy tombolo links the island to the Mainland, creating a beach that looks almost too neat to be real. In the series, it became a party location. In person, you get the broader setting: sand, water, and the narrow strip joining land to land.

You have about thirty minutes here, enough to stretch your legs and take photographs. Bring sensible footwear and a jacket. The itinerary does not promise a long walk or swimming time, and the weather can change quickly, so treat this as a scenic break rather than a beach outing.

At Spiggie Beach, the route pauses at Clavel, a ruined crofthouse used in Series 3. You also pass Rerwick Beach, where seals may be seen resting on the sand. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but this is one of the places where keeping your eyes outside the vehicle can pay off.

Sumburgh Head brings cliffs and puffins

Sumburgh Head is the southernmost point of Shetland Mainland and one of the day’s most rewarding stops. The headland posed as a hotel in the series, while the actual Sumburgh Hotel appeared as a care home. That bit of screen trickery is fun, especially when you realize how two different places were given new roles.

The real reason to spend time here is the setting. Sumburgh Head has one of the largest seabird colonies in the islands, and puffins regularly appear in summer. On a clear day, you may see as far as Fair Isle, said to be Jimmy Perez’s original home.

You get about thirty minutes. The visitor centre and small cafe operate in the summer months, but admission is not included. The stated entrance cost is £6 for adults and £2 for children, so carry a little extra if you want to go inside.

This is a good place to set expectations. You may get puffins, but you should not book the tour as a guaranteed wildlife excursion. The tour’s strength is that it combines a filming location with a genuine natural site, so the stop remains worthwhile even if the birds keep their distance.

Scalloway gives you time to eat

Scalloway was once Shetland’s capital and remains one of the most appealing village stops on the route. You get about forty-five minutes for lunch or shopping, with the option to skip it if you prefer to eat elsewhere.

Lunch is not included, so decide in advance how you want to use this break. If you are on a cruise timetable or have a short shore visit, this flexible stop is useful. If you want to cover every filming location, you may prefer a quick meal and a little shopping rather than a long sit-down lunch.

I like having a proper pause here because the rest of the route is active and spread out. The day is not just a chain of viewpoints. You can stop, eat, and reset before heading toward the islands south-west of the Mainland.

Across Trondra to Meal Beach on Burra

The drive toward Burra adds another layer to the tour. You cross Trondra, where the bridges linking the island to the Mainland have appeared in several episodes. You also pass Burland Croft, identified with Evie Henderson’s home.

Meal Beach, on Burra, is reached by boardwalk and featured extensively in Series 6 and 7. It is important not to confuse it with Bressay. They are different islands, and Meal Beach is on Burra.

The stop lasts about thirty minutes. That gives you time to see the beach and walk along the boardwalk, though it is not enough for a long coastal outing. If you have limited mobility or simply do not want to walk, ask about the practical details before setting off. The tour is described as suitable for most people, but the beach access does involve a boardwalk.

This is one of the places where the show’s locations and the real setting work together. The bridges, croft, road, and beach form a connected part of island life, not a collection of unrelated backdrops.

Sandwater Burn and the Halfway House

The short photo stop at the Halfway House, properly called Sandwater House, is another example of the series using a real private property. In Series 3, it was home to an artist with dead animals stored in a freezer.

You can photograph the exterior from an appropriate public position, but you cannot enter. Respecting the residents is especially important here. The stop is only about five minutes, so the value comes from recognizing the building and hearing the story, not from exploring the property.

These brief stops can feel minor beside Sumburgh Head or Eshaness. Still, they help show how widely the production used Shetland homes and working buildings. You get a better sense of the real places behind the fictional names.

Gletness, Nesting, and Voe

On the east coast, Gletness in Nesting appeared in Series 7 as Noss View Guest House. The route also stops at Nesting Village Shop, another location used in the show. The combined visit takes around fifteen minutes.

This is the sort of stop that suits people who enjoy noticing small details. A shop or guest house may not seem important on a standard sightseeing route, but it matters if you want to understand how the series turned ordinary Shetland places into part of its world.

The village of Voe appears in several seasons. You stop at the Sail Loft Bod, where the student archaeologist Hattie lived. The stop is short, around five minutes, so expect an exterior look and a quick explanation rather than a long village visit.

The east coast section helps break up the more famous sights. It also reminds you that the show is tied to small communities, not just dramatic beaches and cliffs.

Eshaness is the scenic high point

The Northmavine peninsula reaches the northern tip of Shetland Mainland, and Eshaness is where the scenery becomes especially dramatic. The cliffs are rugged, exposed, and shaped by the sea. You also stop at the Ness of Hillswick during a roughly forty-five-minute visit.

I would consider this one of the main reasons to book the full-day route even if your interest in the TV series is moderate. The cliffs give you a strong sense of Shetland’s scale and weather. The stop is long enough for photographs and a walk, though the itinerary does not promise a guided hike.

The final scenery section takes you to Heylor Beach and along Ronas Voe, which featured heavily in Series 7 and 8. The beach stop lasts about fifteen minutes. The route then returns toward Lerwick, with the original meeting point or another requested location available for drop-off.

Because the far north is a long way from Lerwick, you should expect driving time here. That is unavoidable. The reward is seeing a part of Shetland that would be difficult to combine with the southern locations by public transport in one day.

What the private price really buys you

The cost is $1,040.19 per group of up to six people. That sounds high if you are traveling alone, but the calculation changes quickly for a full group. Split six ways, it is about $173 per person before any food or optional admission. For two people, it is a much larger spend.

The price includes an air-conditioned vehicle, private transportation, parking fees, and bottled water. You are paying mainly for the vehicle, route planning, and a guide who can connect the filming places with local stories. You are not paying for lunch or admission to Sumburgh Head’s visitor centre.

For a family or group of friends, the private format can be good value because everyone follows the same plan and no one is left waiting for strangers. It is also useful for cruise passengers or anyone with a fixed departure time. A previous group had its planned eight-hour day compressed to six hours because of time limits, with extra stops added. That suggests some flexibility, but you should never assume every timing problem can be solved.

The day is offered in English, and pickup is available. The order can change depending on where you are collected. Confirmation is sent within forty-eight hours, subject to availability.

Who should book this Shetland tour?

I would choose this tour if you want the widest possible look at the TV locations in one day, especially with five or six people sharing the cost. It also suits anyone who wants a private introduction to Shetland’s beaches, cliffs, villages, ferry routes, and croft country without driving.

It is a particularly good fit for fans who want more than a photo beside a famous building. The guide can put the show into a larger setting, and Maureen has been praised for adding local history, Viking-era context, bonus stops, and even puffin sightings when conditions allow.

I would think twice if you want long walks, museum time, or a relaxed lunch. The schedule is broad rather than slow. You will see many places, but some stops last only five or fifteen minutes.

Free cancellation is available up to twenty-four hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded, and bad weather may lead to a new date or a full refund. Service animals are allowed, the tour is near public transportation, and most people can participate.

FAQ

How long is the Shetland TV Locations Private Full Day Tour?

The tour lasts approximately eight hours. The remaining time between the listed stops is used for driving between locations.

How many people can join the private tour?

The price covers one private group of up to six people. Only your group participates in the activity.

Is pickup available?

Yes. Pickup is offered, and the route order may change depending on your selected pickup location.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included. You have free time for lunch or shopping in Scalloway, and that stop can be skipped if you prefer to eat elsewhere.

Is admission to Sumburgh Head included?

No. Admission to the Sumburgh Head visitor centre is separate. The stated price is £6 for adults and £2 for children. The visitor centre and small cafe are available in the summer months.

Can I enter the Lodberrie or the Halfway House?

No. Both are private residences. You may view and photograph them from suitable public positions, but entry is not permitted and you should respect the residents’ privacy.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel up to twenty-four hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than twenty-four hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund. If poor weather causes the tour to be canceled, you will be offered another date or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a private, all-day route through Shetland’s TV locations and you care as much about the islands themselves as the show. The best value comes with a full group, when the cost is shared and the private vehicle saves you from arranging several separate trips.

Skip it if you want a slow beach day or a short Lerwick walk. For everyone else, the combination of Perez’s Lodberrie, St Ninian’s white tombolo, Sumburgh’s seabirds, Burra’s beaches, and Eshaness cliffs makes this a strong way to see a lot of Shetland in one carefully planned day.