Road · United Kingdom
Cycling in Shetland
Shetland offers 5 road cycling routes from five start towns, featuring moderate climbing and mainly on main roads with paved surfaces.
Shetland has five road cycling routes starting from Mid Yell, Scatness, Lerwick, Ulsta, and Gutcher. These point-to-point routes range from 20 km to 66 km in length, with a median of 30 km per route. The most climbing is found on the route from Lerwick to Ulsta with 813 m of ascent over 66 km.
The region's terrain includes moderate gradients with 7.2 km above 5% gradient and a small section reaching 7.1% over 500 m. The EuroVelo 12 route covers 53 km and 548 m climbing. Roads are predominantly main roads (82%) with minor roads and quiet streets making up smaller proportions. Almost all surfaces are paved. Climate temperatures range from 6°C in February to 14°C in July and August.
What the riding is like
The terrain in Shetland is moderately hilly with total climbing per route ranging from 200 m to 813 m. Typical route length is 20–66 km, with a median around 30 km. Routes run mainly on paved surfaces, mainly main roads (82%), with minor roads (15%) and quiet streets (3%) also included. There are minimal cycle paths. The steepest sustained gradient is 7.1% over 500 m, with just 0.1 km exceeding 10% gradient. The longest and highest climb is from Lerwick to Ulsta, reaching 813 m elevation gain.
Cycling infrastructure
Cycle paths total 0.1 km across the five routes. Main roads account for 82% of the 182 km measured, with roads having speed limits of 80 km/h or greater accounting for 12.1 km. Minor roads make up 15%, quiet streets 3%, and tracks 1%.
Best time to ride
The best time to ride is from May to September, when average daily high temperatures range from 10°C to 14°C. Winter months are cooler, with highs around 6°C to 8°C.
Riding in Shetland in numbers
- 5
- 190 km
- 66 km
- 813 m
Where to start in Shetland
Rides in Shetland
When to ride Shetland
7°4°J22
6°4°F18
7°4°M19
8°5°A13
10°7°M14
13°9°J14
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14°11°A18
13°10°S17
11°8°O19
9°6°N19
8°5°D21
BestFineHard goingRain days per month under each bar · typical wind 34 km/h from the SW