If you want remote, go to ‘must visit’ Shetland

ITS islands are famed for their windswept, wild scenery, Viking heritage and traditional music.

Now Shetland has been named among the ‘must visit’ remote spots of the world.

The archipelago was the only place in the UK to make the list of 25 named by travel guide Wanderlust.

Shetland came sixth, beating such exotic destinations as Christmas Island in Australia and Komodo Island in Indonesia. Top of the list were the Cook Islands in New Zealand, followed by the Angel Falls in Venezuela and Chile’s Easter Island.

Wanderlust said of Shetland: ‘Explore the British Isles’ distant north, exploring the Shetland archipelago across more than 100 windswept islands.

‘Just 15 are populated, with the best time to visit in January, when whole towns light up for Up Helly Aa, a raucous Viking-style fire festival to mark the end of Yule.

‘Unst is the northernmost inhabited island in the Shetlands, its wind-scored tip is host to the battered ruins of Muness Castle. Pure wild escapism.’

Shetland Tourism Association chairman James Tait said: ‘Being 60 degrees north, in the summer we get much longer days and that draws people here.

‘Shetland is a thriving economy, but if you want to chill out it is a great place to come. I think the comparative remoteness is an attraction. It’s one of the places you can get away from it all.’

VisitScotland islands manager Steve Mathieson said: ‘With 1,700 miles of coastline, you won’t meet anybody else on Shetland unless you really want to.

‘Shetland is one of the last wild places left in the UK. It is a wilderness within the British Isles which you can have to yourself.’