About the Scalloway Museum

Welcome

The Museum is closed for the winter. It will open for Lerwick Up Helly Aa 2025 as follows.

Sunday 26 January 2 - 4pm
Monday 27 January 11 - 4pm
Tuesday 28 January closed
Wednesday 29 January 11 - 4pm
Thursday 30 January 11 - 4pm

We will reopen for the summer on Monday 28 April 2025
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History of the Scalloway Museum
Scalloway’s first museum was opened in 1985 by the Scalloway History Group and it ran successfully for 20 years.  One of its main themes was ‘The Shetland Bus’ – the nickname given to a clandestine and dangerous operation carried out across the North Sea between Shetland and occupied Norway during World War 2. 

In 2001 the Shetland Bus Friendship Society (SBFS) was formed to establish a memorial to the 44 men who died in the Shetland Bus missions.  The memorial was unveiled in 2003.  Go to 'The Shetland Bus' page for more details about the memorial and the names of the 44 men who died.

​By then, the original museum had outgrown its old premises on Main Street, and so the Society instigated a six-year project to fund and create the current museum in larger premises adjacent to the castle.

The new museum was opened in 2012 by the Prime Minister of Norway and has proved a very popular attraction for visitors from all over the world. It is community-owned and run by the SBFS.  It is staffed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic group of volunteers. ​
The Shetland Bus Memorial located close to the waterfront.
Shetland Bus Memorial
A visiting group being told about the Shetland Bus
A visiting group being told about the Shetland Bus
The Scalloway Story
Our museum tells the story of Scalloway and its people from the earliest settlers right up to Scalloway's position in the present day. To learn more about Scalloway's history and our exhibits go to the ‘About Scalloway’ section of the menus above.
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The Shetland Bus
Perhaps the jewel in the crown of the museum's displays is the section dealing with the clandestine wartime operation which became known as the 'Shetland Bus'. This section of the museum houses the most extensive collection of artefacts and information on the these operations to be found outside Norway. ​​An introduction to this story is in 'The Shetland Bus' page of this site.