Lerwick

The town's heart is the attractive Commercial Street, which runs parallel to the Esplanade. At the southern end are many old houses and lodberries, and you can continue south along the cliffs to the Knab or to lovely Bain's beach. Lerwick Walks is a leaflet detailing many interesting walks in and around town.

Overlooking the north end of Commercial Street is Fort Charlotte, built in 1665 and later rebuilt in 1780 and named after Queen Charlotte, George III's consort. It has since been used as a prison and Royal Naval Reserve base and, though there's little to see in the fort, there are fine views of the harbour from the battlements. Info - Jun-Sep daily 0900-2200; Oct-May 0900-1600. Free. One of Lerwick's most impressive buildings is the Victorian town hall, on Hillhead. The stained-glass windows of the main hall depict episodes from Shetland's history. Info - Mon-Fri 1000-1200 and 1400-1530. Free.

Opposite the town hall, above the library, is the Shetland Museum, which gives a useful introduction to the islands' history. Amongst the artefacts on display is a replica of the St Ninian's Isle treasure. Info - Mon, Wed and Fri 1000-1900; Tue, Thu and Sat till 1700. Free. Tel. 695057.

Also in town is the Up Helly-Aa Exhibition, in the Galley Shed off St Sunniva Street. This gives a taste of the famous Viking fire festival held annually in Lerwick on the last Tuesday in January, when a torch-lit procession through the town by hundreds of people dressed in Viking costumes (guizers) is followed by a replica Viking longship built especially for the event. At the end of the procession the ship is set ablaze when the guizers throw their flaming torches on to it. Info - Mid-May to mid-Sep Tue 1400-1600 and 1700-1900, Fri 1700-1900, Sat 1400-1600. Adult £3.00, concession £1.50.

A mile west of town are the substantial remains of Clickimin Broch, a fortified site occupied from 700 BC to around the fifth or sixth century AD. A path leads to the site from opposite the Safeway supermarket on the A970. Info - Always open. Free.

A mile west of town are the substantial remains of Clickimin Broch, a fortified site occupied from 700BC to around 5th or 6th century AD.About a mile north of the ferry terminal is the Böd of Gremista, a restored 18th-century fishing böd (booth) which was the birthplace of Arthur Anderson (1791-1868), co-founder of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, now P&O. One of the rooms features an exhibition on Anderson's life and involvement with P&O. Info - Jun to mid-Sep Wed and Sun 1000-1300 and 1400-1700. Free.

The best place for a drink is the upstairs bar in the Lounge, on Mounthooly St near the tourist office, where local musicians usually play on Sat lunchtimes and some evenings. The town's only nightclub is Posers, at the Grand Hotel. Folk music has a strong following in Shetland and the islands play host to 2 of Scotland's top folk events. In mid-Apr the islands are alive with the sound of music as musicians from around the globe come to play at the Shetland Folk Festival. Later, in mid-Oct, is the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival. For details of both events, contact the Folk Festival office, 5 Burns Lane, Lerwick, Tel. 694757. To find out what's going on, buy a copy of the Shetland Times on Fri, or check out their website, www.shetland-times.co.uk Also check the tourist board's Events phoneline, Tel. 694200. Sport

Clickimin Centre, Lochside, Tel. 741000. Sports and fitness centre open daily 0800-2300.

You can also join local guided walks given by Douglas Sinclair who shows you the history and hidden nooks and crannies of the town - http://www.douglassinclair.co.uk/ and use the contact form on the contact page to get in touch