My Area UK

Lerwick

Lerwick is a town in Shetland, Scotland, with a population of around 6,760. It has 1 school, 2 GP surgeries, 3 pharmacies, 1 supermarket, and around 27 restaurants and cafés, along with 24 bus stops. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Lerwick area — all from official UK open data.

On deprivation, the Shetland Islands area is among the least deprived areas in Scotland (SIMD 2020).

Council
Shetland Islands
County
Shetland
Constituency
Orkney and Shetland
Police force
Scotland
Some panels draw on England & Wales-only official data, so street crime, energy ratings, NHS services, schools, council tax, care services, private rents, affordability and life expectancy aren’t shown for Scottish areas. Population, deprivation (SIMD), house prices, weather, food hygiene, council control, fuel and more still apply.

Weather

10°CCloudy

  • Today: 13° / 10° · 82% rain
  • Tomorrow: 13° / 9° · Patchy rain nearby

Source: WeatherAPI

Daylight

Sunrise 06:23Sunset 19:38

13h 15m of daylight today

Next bank holiday: St Andrew’s Day, Mon 30 Nov

Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk

Air quality

56US AQI · Moderate

Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)

Source: WAQI · Aberdeen Market Street 2, United Kingdom

Road safety

12 reported road collisions (2024)

5 killed or seriously injured · 13 casualties · 5.3 collisions per 10,000 residents

Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)

Food hygiene

98 food businesses within 2 miles

  • 53 passed
  • 14 need improvement

Source: Food Standards Agency

Buses & trains

  • 24 bus stops within ~½ mile

Source: OpenStreetMap

House prices

£187,659 average▼ 6% YoY

Across Shetland Islands · to 2026-06

Detached£256,908
Semi-detached£180,509
Terraced£125,053
Flat£92,036

Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)

EV charging

18 charging locations within ~8 km

  • 1 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
  • Fastest nearby: 50 kW
  • Nearest: ZE1 OLZ (0.1 km)

Source: Open Charge Map

Sport & leisure

  • Sports centres2
  • Sports pitches12
  • Playgrounds13

Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)

Local news

Source: Shetland Islands Council

Population

22,710 residents in Shetland Islands

  • Under 16: 17%
  • 16–64: 60%
  • 65+: 23%

Source: ONS mid-year estimates (local authority)

Deprivation

Among the least deprived areas in Scotland

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020

Your MP

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Liberal Democrat

Orkney and Shetland

Recent votes:

  • AyeTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading
  • AyeClosure motion
  • AyeRepresentation of the People Bill: Third Reading
  • AyeRepresentation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 88

Source: UK Parliament

Council control

Independent majority

Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)

Amenities nearby

  • Schools3
  • GPs & clinics2
  • Pharmacies3
  • Supermarkets3
  • Parks & greens22
  • Restaurants & cafés26

Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)

Local businesses

1,925 active business enterprises in the area

Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2025)

Jobs

42 jobs advertised · £36,433 avg

e.g. Quantity Surveying Technician - 8 North Ness - SIC08957, PSV Mechanic, Car Delivery Driver

Source: Adzuna

Local economy

£864 median full-time weekly pay

1.2% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits

£26,531 disposable income per head (2024)

Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI

Grid electricity

100% low-carbon electricity

Wind 100%

0 gCO₂/kWh · very low intensity

Latest estimate for North Scotland · National Grid ESO

Wellbeing

  • Life satisfaction7.9
  • Feeling worthwhile8.0
  • Happiness yesterday8.2
  • Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)2.0

Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2022-23

Local petitions

Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in Orkney and Shetland:

Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-08-06

Notable places nearby

  • Lerwick Town Hall · 0.1 km

    Lerwick Town Hall is a municipal building located on Hillhead in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. It is used as an events venue and registrar's office. The building, which was also the meeting place of Shetland Islands Co…

  • Lerwick · 0.1 km

    Lerwick is a port town and burgh in Shetland, Scotland. It is the main town of the Shetland archipelago, and has a population of 6,709 in 2022. It is the northernmost major settlement within the United Kingdom.

  • Fort Charlotte, Shetland · 0.1 km

    Fort Charlotte in the centre of Lerwick, Shetland, is an artillery fort, roughly five sided, with bastions on each of three landward corners, and half-bastions on the corners of the seaward face.

  • Shetland Library · 0.1 km

    Shetland Library is the public library service of Shetland, with its main branch based in Lerwick. Membership is open to both residents of and visitors to the islands. The library has a range of digital, online and ph…

  • County Buildings, Lerwick · 0.1 km

    County Buildings is a municipal structure in King Erik Street, Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a judicial complex, is a Category B listed building.

  • Garrison Theatre · 0.1 km

    The Garrison Theatre is a 280-capacity venue in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland, with a sprung proscenium stage with fixed raked seating. The auditorium has 19 rows, named A to S, with 8, 12, 13, 15, or 16 seats in each…

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)

Nearby towns

Frequently asked questions

Where is Lerwick?
Lerwick is a town in Shetland, Scotland, in the Shetland Islands local authority.
What is the population of Lerwick?
Lerwick has an approximate settlement population of 6,760.
How deprived is Lerwick?
The Shetland Islands local authority, which includes Lerwick, is among the least deprived areas in Scotland on the SIMD 2020.