Dog Friendly Shetland

We had two holidays this summer and still never left the country. The first was five days in Skegness, the second was ten days in Shetland. Both were lovely breaks, and the sun shone for us most of the time. Lia loves the beach and the sea, and even with all the travelling, she was a little trooper. 

To Aberdeen

We travelled to Aberdeen in the car, which was a long drive, especially with a one-year-old who can only sit in a car seat for two hours at a time but Lia was an angel. She has her dog bed in the back and she behaved brilliantly. 

The best stops with a dog were the Welcome Break services, because they're pet-friendly. She was allowed inside, which is always a huge benefit. They can't go inside the shops or restaurants, but there are tables where you can sit when you have your food. 

The Ferry

Once in Aberdeen, we caught the ferry to Shetland, and we returned the same way. I was a little nervous when it came to the boat because I hadn't been on it since I was a child, but luckily, we got calm seas and there was absolutely nothing to worry about. 

We had a pet-friendly cabin, which was right by the door to the deck of the boat, where the dogs could go for the toilet.  Lia's a well-trained girl and will always look for grass, which obviously isn't available, so she utilised her bladder of steel and held it until we got back to land, but the deck is where dogs go. 

In the cabin, she had a bowl and a biscuit left for her, which was a nice touch, and even though the places she could go on board were very limited, I was thankful just to have her in the room. As always, she was an angel and behaved amazingly on the boat. 

Accomodation

I absolutely cheated here. I'm from Shetland, so we were lucky that we have an amazing family who offered us a place to stay, so pet-friendly accommodation isn't something I can comment on other than to say that my family are brilliant, and Lia made herself right at home. 

The Street

Some shops were dog-friendly, some weren't. You generally have to ask or look for a sign on the door. I will say that the Shetland Soap Company were very welcoming to us with Lia, as was The Peerie Shop. Added bonus, The Peerie Shop has a cafe, and she was allowed in there too. They also have outdoor seating, so if you're as lucky as we were with the weather, you can enjoy a cuppa outside. We ate at The Dowry a couple of times, though it is very busy, so booking might be an idea if you go there. The chips there were amazing. 

Beaches

We took Lia to two beaches. St Ninians and the wonderful Sands of Sound. She had an amazing time on both. St Ninian's is a longer drive from where we were staying, but once there, it is a stunning beach. Sands of Sound was closer and was actually within sight of where we stayed, and it's my favourite because it's my childhood beach. Lia loved it just as much.

Thankful for Family

We had an amazing time in Shetland, and I'm aware that with a one-year-old and a dog, it could have been a lot more difficult if not for the help I got from family, but Shetland gave us a great holiday, and we'll hopefully go back in a couple of years. 

If you like reading this post, then read my article on dog-friendly Skegness or take a look at some of my other posts.