To celebrate the release of Shetland: Your Essential Travel Guide, I am recording a few snippets from the book.

This week, we are looking at The Basics chapter; Shetland at a glance.

Shetland is an archipelago partway between Scotland and Scandinavia, straddling the North Sea and North Atlantic at a latitude of 60° north. Shetland’s position has long made it an important trading point, sculpting its past and present. Far from being insular and remote, Shetland is a crossroads in the North Atlantic, where every aspect of life is underpinned by a strong sense of community and pride.

Made up of more than 100 islands, only 16 of which are inhabited, it has a rich and vibrant culture, wild winters, midnight summer sun, a deep-rooted history and incredible landscapes and wildlife. Its rugged coastline of almost 1,000 miles (1,700km) has been carved and shaped by the unbridled power of the sea and there are fantastic walking opportunities across the islands’ 567 square miles (1479 sq km).