Undiscovered Scotland

 

Under the protective influence of the cannons of nearby Fort Charlotte, the ferry to Bressay makes frequent seven minute crossings from the pier in the centre of Lerwick. Unlike most of Shetland's inter-island ferries, the Bressay Ferry cannot be booked in advance - you simply turn up and go.

The timetable for the service provides some twenty crossings each way on six days per week, with a few less on Sundays. Services operate from fairly early in the morning until late evening, with additional late night services at weekends.

For full timetable, fare and contact information, check out the ferry area of Shetland Islands Council's website. As with all of Shetland Ferries' services, fares are extremely reasonable.

The vessel used on the Bressay service is the Leira. She was built by Fergusons of Port Glasgow on the Clyde in 1992.

For a seven minute crossing, accommodation is a secondary consideration, but Leira offers a passenger lounge for protection from the weather. Motorists tend to stay in their vehicles during the short crossing.