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Human settlement in Shetland, Scotland
Photo: Tom Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Scalloway (Old Norse Skálavágr, "bay with the large house") is a fishing village in the Shetland Islands. It was the capital of these islands until 1708 when Lerwick supplanted it. The population in 2011 was 900.
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The former living quarters of Earl Patrick Stewart, built in 1600 by slave labour but ruined after his downfall. The key is available from the Scalloway Museum (opposite) during normal opening hours, but closed for restoration as of Sep 2022. The place occasionally gets mobbed by cruise ship tourists, but is otherwise quiet, so you have the agreeable experience of holding the key to a castle and letting yourself in. It's impressive but just a roofless shell.
Small museum covering the history of Scalloway, including the "Shetland Bus", a clandestine operation during World War II to land agents and arms in Nazi-occupied Norway and to smuggle people out.
Small swimming pool north end of the village.
Good seafood place within the Marine Research Centre.
Reliable, friendly B&B open all year.
Hotel with 23 ensuite rooms, bar and restaurant.
Scalloway is six miles from Lerwick by a good road, so 10 min by car or 30 min by bike should do it.
Read in the guideInksters Taxis are based at Port Arthur, +44 7770 611646. Otherwise call one of the Lerwick taxi firms.
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Lerwick, Shetland · Regional · LSI
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