Always fancied visiting the Shetlands, but never got round to going. Have a mate who's working up there at Mo and has invited us to stop with him.

Just been looking at prices, can get flights from Manchester return for about £530 but the ferry seems expensive at about £700 with the FF and fuel on top

Any of you travel that way and know of a cheaper option.

Cheers Three things in a blokes life his dog,his car and a Cornish pasty,nothing else matters.

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE Santorini Black, Arabica Aniline seats

Previous cars
1973 Mini 1000
1971 Hillman Avenger
1975 Chrysler Sunbeam
1981 Ford Cortina
1985 Volvo 340
1989 VW Golf
1989 Volvo 240
1991 Volvo 240
1991 Jaguar Soveriegn
1996 BMW 730
2003 Honda CRV
1999 Jaguar Soveriegn
2003 Range Rover HSE Epson Green with Sand trim.

That's a hell of a stopover! If it's in Aberdeen prepare to be raped for a hotel too! '08 Audi S6 Avant 5.2 V10 with Milltek non-resonated. Vrrrrrrmmmmmph
'59 Ford Kuga Diesel (boring but AWD and 40mpg...)
2007 (07) Subaru Forester XTen 2.5 Turbo. (Roundabouts are fun again!)
2007 (07) 4.4 V8 Vogue (gone)

wet suit, buoyancy aid & a large pair of fins............

I quite often night stop in the Shetlands, not by choice although I've had a few crazy nights out in Lerwick. The key is booking in advance, BMI Manchester to Aberdeen return can be bought for £120 and then you have the option of a night ferry (sea legs required) or an onward flight.

Failing that, get a job offshore and spend countless hours and days stranded in scatsca or sumbrugh. Shetland's is beautiful in summer but bleak in winter, as I write this I'm sat in Aberdeen airport having just flown from Shetland in 60 kmph winds and fog/rain. Oh, they have no trees either

I quite often night stop in the Shetlands, not by choice although I've had a few crazy nights out in Lerwick. The key is booking in advance, BMI Manchester to Aberdeen return can be bought for £120 and then you have the option of a night ferry (sea legs required) or an onward flight.

Failing that, get a job offshore and spend countless hours and days stranded in scatsca or sumbrugh. Shetland is beautiful in summer but bleak in winter, as I write this I'm sat in Aberdeen airport having just flown from Shetland in 60 kmph winds and fog/rain. Oh, they have no trees either

if your pal is registered as an Shetlander he gets a ferry discount. why not see if he can book the ferry tickets for you?

There's always a cheaper way tried and tested all around the world  Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

Scatsta...even written on a forum that word sends shivers down my spine....so much of my life wasted there and I'll never get it back....uuuurgh... '08 Audi S6 Avant 5.2 V10 with Milltek non-resonated. Vrrrrrrmmmmmph
'59 Ford Kuga Diesel (boring but AWD and 40mpg...)
2007 (07) Subaru Forester XTen 2.5 Turbo. (Roundabouts are fun again!)
2007 (07) 4.4 V8 Vogue (gone)

Haha ally, at least they have replaced the portacabin terminal with a new one featuring a vending machine & free wifi. They still find every excuse under the sun not to fly though

Worst place I ever got stuck was a short refueling stop at Wick on the way to a semi working on Clair.. supposed to be 1/2 hour, turned into nearly 6 hours stuck in a survival suit in a shed as the rotors iced up on the way...WiFi and vending machine sounds like luxury! '08 Audi S6 Avant 5.2 V10 with Milltek non-resonated. Vrrrrrrmmmmmph
'59 Ford Kuga Diesel (boring but AWD and 40mpg...)
2007 (07) Subaru Forester XTen 2.5 Turbo. (Roundabouts are fun again!)
2007 (07) 4.4 V8 Vogue (gone)

Fortunate to get some trips up with work - some nice ones in the spring/summer and truly awful winter ones - not my favourite place but defo worth a visit. When you drive into Lerwick it is like nowehere else in the UK - lots of wooden houses - real scandinavian feel. I got all the way up to Unst, the furthest north of them all - spectacular scenery and great day at hermaness watching the puffins, but its a good couple of hours from Lerwick and 2 ferries. Once was enough.

Flying defo the best option - try manchester - Inv and then onto Lerwick - overnight hotel wont be quite as costly as Aberdeen. Other option is fly Inverness to Orkney - spend a day (or more) in Orkney and catch the ferry about midnight from Kirkwall and you arrive in Lerwick following morning. Did that a few times - only one really rough crossing...............didnt do much work that day!

I've been on the Hamnavoe in big seas but feck me this would get me worried

SoggyBottoms wrote:

if your pal is registered as an Shetlander he gets a ferry discount. why not see if he can book the ferry tickets for you?