About us

The Shetland Islands form the most northerly part of the British Isles. Sumburgh Head, at the southernmost tip of the Mainland (Shetland’s largest island), is approximately 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland. Lerwick, the main town, is approximately the same distance from Aberdeen, Torshavn (Faroe) and Bergen (Norway).

You can reach Shetland by sea or air. Northlink Ferries leave Aberdeen every evening and arrive at Shetland the following morning. British Airways operate several flights a day from Aberdeen to Sumburgh airport at the south tip of Shetland. From the 23rd of June, Atlantic Airways will start a service direct from Sumburgh to London.

Shetland comprises over 100 islands with a total land area of 556 square miles and over 900 miles of coastline, and a population of approximately 22,000. It is said that no part of the land lies more than three miles from the sea

Sandwick is situated in the southern part of the Shetland Mainland, 14 miles (22km) south of Lerwick and 12 miles (19km) north of Sumburgh and the main airport. It is a dispersed community, sitting on the 60o North line of latitude. It consists of numerous clusters of buildings scattered around the lowland landscape, of what were once crofting townships. The main areas are at: Setter, Leebitton, Central Sanick, Swinister, Stove, Hoswick and Channerwick.

Until well into the 20th century the community was mainly dependent on crofting and fishing. At the turn of the 19th century industry in Sandwick included two copper mines and work associated with the business of fishing. Like most areas in Shetland there has been a decline in population over the last 100 years until the arrival of the oil industry in the early 1970s, which led to a small increase. Since then the population has been relatively stable at around 850.

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