Shetland: Lerwick
Lerwick is the only town of size (about 7,000 people live here) on Shetland and is the capital. The name comes from the old Norse language, meaning “bay of clay”. People lived here from the Neolithic times but the first major settlement came around the mid 17th century when it became a fishing and trading port mainly for the catch of herring and whitefish. Lerwick has a historic Fort Charlotte and an ornate Lerwick Townhall, and then a street running though the compact old town full of historic grey stone buildings. Next street over is the waterfront of a very picturesque harbor with dozens of sailing boats and fishing vessels and a couple of fish & chips little shops offering some of the freshest fish imaginable (just make sure seagulls don’t steal from you).
