Lying over 160 kilometres from Scotland’s mainland, Shetland is so far north that on many maps of the UK it appears in its own inset box. Culture here has a distinctly Scandinavian influence, and the community has been greatly strengthened by money from North Sea oil. Reaching Shetland takes a real effort, but the rewards are rich. The islands are particularly renowned for their bird life, having some of Europe’s most important colonies of seabirds, but there are superb beaches too, a remarkable tradition of fiddle music, the fire festival of Up Helly Aa, and some of the finest clifftop coastal walks you’ll find anywhere.