Driving in Shetland

If the thought of driving in Shetland fills you with fear then get in contact and let us do the driving for you! But if you are bringing your car or hiring a car when you arrive there’s nothing to fear. Driving in Shetland might seem a daunting prospect at first but it’s nowhere near as hard as you might think it is.

The first thing to always remember and its by far the most important is we drive on the left. Wherever you are, whatever the road you are on, whatever new situation you are facing - always remember we drive on the left.

Then the second thing to remember is that the speed limits are the maximum permitted not a target to aim for! If in doubt just slow down and if necessary stop. Don’t be scared or intimidated. Don’t feel like you’re holding up traffic. Never feel out of control or stressed - just slow down and if necessary pull over to the side and allow others to pass. There’s no rush!

Now you know to stay to the left and take your time here’s some more tips you’ll find helpful:

Look at the lines in the middle of the road

The lines in the middle of the road don’t just separate traffic they tell you about the road you are on and what you need to watch out for.

Regular Centre lines (well spaced white dashes) tell you there are no hazards up ahead.

If the white dashes change so the dashes are longer than the gaps between them then they have now become Hazard lines and they warn you that there is an unseen hazard ahead. This might be an upcoming bend in the road, a junction or a dip that might hide oncoming cars.

Double white lines tell you who - if anyone - can overtake. For a fuller explanation follow this link to The RAC but the simple rule is if both lines are solid no one can overtake. If the line on your side of the road is solid you cannot overtake (but drivers coming in the opposite direction can) and if the line on your side of the road is dashed then you can overtake (but drivers coming in the opposite direction can’t).

Diagonal white stripes act to separate the lanes of traffic in advance of a hazard like a turn and you should only venture into them if it is completely necessary and it is totally safe to do so.

Look at the shapes and the colours of the signs

There are just three shapes and two colours to take notice of. Once you’ve learned what these mean then you’ll be able to work out what all the signs mean and what you should do.

Circular signs give orders. Red circular signs tell you what you can’t do and blue circular signs tell you what you can do.

Triangular signs are warnings. They are almost always in red and they will have a picture or a word to tell you exactly what you are being warned about.

Rectangular signs give directions. In Shetland these are always have a white background as we only have what are called “minor roads” and the large ones tell you in advance you have a choice of routes. The small ones show you exactly where the turn for that route is.

Specific signs to look out for that aren’t immediately obvious

White circle with black diagonal line means national speed limits apply. In Shetland for car drivers that means 60mph maximum.

Blue circle with red border and red cross means no stopping at any time. In Shetland you’ll see them around the airport as a security measure.

Red circle with a horozontal white bar means no entry to vehicular traffic. In Shetland you’ll see them in Lerwick or other towns when a road is one-way and you cannot turn into it.

Single track roads

For many visitors the single track roads are the most unusual and therefore intimidating roads we have but they really don’t need to be. If you’ve ever driven down a narrow street in a city where there’s not enough room for two cars to pass so you need to negotiate with the car coming towards you and pull over where you can then the principle is just the same.

The first piece of advice is to remember our two golden rules. We drive on the left and slow down. The maximum speed permitted on most single track roads is 60mph but unless you know the road and you can see well ahead you should never be near that speed. A good rule of thumb is to drive slowly enough to always be able to stop if you suddenly see someone in front of you.

Passing other cars on a single track road is done in a passing place and they are indicated by diamond shaped white signs. If you see another car coming and they haven’t already pulled into a space to let you through then pull over to the left (always to the left!) at a passing place and just let the other car pass.

If you see a car behind you that wants to go faster than you want to then do exactly the same. Pull over (always on the left!) at a passing space and let them go ahead. It’s simple.