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SCOTLAND · PEOPLE, PLACES & SERVICES

Shetland Islands · Council area

Population, health and education provision and council administration for Shetland Islands, Scotland, with dated sources and counting notes.

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Population and demographics

Mid-2025 population estimate: 22,710 people.

Population by age and sex
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal
0–5601 (2.6%)554 (2.4%)1,155 (5.1%)
6–232,428 (10.7%)2,134 (9.4%)4,562 (20.1%)
24–666,128 (27.0%)6,153 (27.1%)12,281 (54.1%)
67+2,247 (9.9%)2,465 (10.9%)4,712 (20.7%)
All ages11,404 (50.2%)11,306 (49.8%)22,710 (100.0%)

Every percentage is a share of the total area population. Percentages are rounded and may not sum to 100%. Age endpoints are inclusive. Council and health-board figures describe the same population and must not be added together.

Source: NRS population estimates via Public Health Scotland

Population projections, 2022–2047

The 2022-based principal projection is a trend-based scenario, not a prediction. Its 2022 base is separate from the mid-2025 estimates above; the series are not joined. Published 2025-09-30.

Source: National Records of Scotland projections
Projected population: selected years
YearMaleFemaleTotal
202211,53111,48923,020
203011,51411,61923,133
203511,35611,53422,890
204011,17011,45422,624
204710,90711,33022,237
All annual projections, 2022–2047
2022-based projected population
YearMaleFemaleTotal
202211,53111,48923,020
202311,57111,54823,119
202411,58811,58723,175
202511,59411,61223,206
202611,59311,63223,225
202711,58211,62923,211
202811,56211,62623,188
202911,53911,62123,160
203011,51411,61923,133
203111,49211,60723,099
203211,45711,58423,041
203311,42111,56622,987
203411,39011,55622,946
203511,35611,53422,890
203611,31411,52422,838
203711,27611,51222,788
203811,23911,49122,730
203911,20411,46922,673
204011,17011,45422,624
204111,13411,43322,567
204211,09911,41722,516
204311,06311,39822,461
204411,02711,38622,413
204510,98811,36322,351
204610,94311,34522,288
204710,90711,33022,237

Health and care services

Counts describe listed practices or services at their recorded locations, not the number of buildings, staff or available appointments. The categories are separate and are not combined into a health-services grand total.

GP practices

Listed records: 9.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-07-01

Original publication

Practices counted once at their published main address; branch surgeries are not separately counted. Registered patients may live outside this council. Types describe the GP contract. Practice websites are not supplied in this release.

Browse GP practices (9)
  • Bixter Health Centre

    2C

    Bixter Health Centre, Bixter, Shetland, ZE2 9NA

  • Brae Medical Practice

    2C

    Brae Medical Practice, Brae, Shetland, ZE2 9QJ

  • Hillswick Health Centre

    17C

    Hillswick Health Centre, West Ayre, Hillswick, Shetland, ZE2 9RW

  • Lerwick Health Centre

    2C

    Lerwick Health Centre, South Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0RB

  • Levenwick Health Centre

    2C

    Levenwick Health Centre, Gord, Levenwick, Shetland, ZE2 9HX

  • Scalloway Health Centre LLP

    2C

    Scalloway Health Centre LLP, Scalloway, Shetland, ZE1 0TN

  • Unst Health Centre

    2C

    Unst Health Centre, Baltasound, Unst, ZE2 9DY

  • Whalsay Health Centre

    2C

    Whalsay Health Centre, Symbister, Whalsay, Shetland, ZE2 9AE

  • Yell Health Centre

    2C

    Yell Health Centre, Reafirth, Mid Yell, Shetland, ZE2 9BX

NHS dental practices

Listed records: 2.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-03-31

Original publication

Active NHS dental practices at the snapshot date; may also offer private care. Counts practices, not individual dentists. Inclusion does not mean the practice is accepting new NHS patients. Registration counts are not council resident counts.

Browse NHS dental practices (2)
  • 4 MARKET STREET

    NHS dental practice

    LERWICK, SHETLAND, ZE1 0JN

  • BRAE DENTAL CLINIC

    NHS dental practice

    BRAE HEALTH CENTRE, BRAE, SHETLAND, ZE2 9QJ

Care homes

Listed records: 14.

Source: Care Inspectorate · 2026-08-31

Original publication

Active registered Care Home Services, including adult and children’s services. Counts are services, not necessarily separate buildings. Registered places are capacity, not occupancy. Contact details withheld by the source remain withheld. Individual website links are not supplied in the export.

Browse Care homes (14)
  • Children and Young Peoples Residential Services (Stura)

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Children's Residential Services (23 Grodians)

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Edward Thomason & Taing Support Services

    Local Authority · Older People

    Seafield Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0WZ

  • Fernlea, The Wishart Anderson (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    Marrister, Symbister, Whalsay, Shetland, ZE2 9AE

  • Isleshavn (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    Isleshavn Care Centre, Mid Yell, Shetland, ZE2 9BT

  • Montfield Support Services

    Local Authority · Older People

    Burgh Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0LA

  • Newcraigielea

    Local Authority · Learning Disabilities

    Seafield Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0WZ

  • Nordalea (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    Nordalea Care Centre, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, ZE2 9DX

  • North Haven (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    North Haven Care Centre, Brae, Shetland, ZE2 9TY

  • Overtonlea (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    Overtonlea Care Centre, Levenwick, Shetland, ZE2 9HX

  • Short Breaks for Children

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Walter & Joan Gray (Care Home)

    Voluntary or Not for Profit · Older People

    Main Street, Scalloway, Shetland, ZE1 0XJ

  • Wastview (Care Home)

    Local Authority · Older People

    Wastview Care Centre, Walls, Shetland, ZE2 9PF

  • Windybrae

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

NHS hospitals

Listed records: 1.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-09-03

Original publication

Current NHS hospital-location records, including non-acute hospitals and specialist/resource centres classified in this reference file. Private hospitals are excluded. Hospital types and individual websites are not supplied in this release.

Browse NHS hospitals (1)
  • Gilbert Bain Hospital

    Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0TB

Within NHS Shetland.

Education provision

Schools: state and independent provision

52 age-stage provisions. Each nursery, primary and secondary provision counts separately, including when they share a school.

School provision counts
Age-stage provisionCount
Nursery / pre-school19
Primary26
Secondary7
Total age-stage provisions52

Source: Scottish Government · 2026-01-31

Original publication

Publicly funded schools open at 31 January 2026 plus the independent register at 13 August 2026. Each nursery, primary and secondary provision is counted separately, even when sharing a school. Special schools form a separate view and are not added to the age-stage total. Source school records are counted once per council; independent school addresses may cover multiple sites.

Independent schools register · 13 August 2026
Nursery / pre-school provision (19)
Primary provision (26)
Secondary provision (7)

Special schools — separate view

0 special schools. Special is a characteristic, not an additional age stage, so this count is not added to the provision total. Some special-school records do not specify their age stages.

No records listed in this snapshot. This does not establish that no provision exists.

Nurseries & childcare services

Listed records: 25.

Source: Care Inspectorate · 2026-08-31

Original publication

Active registered Day Care of Children services: includes nurseries, playgroups and out-of-school care. The export does not reliably distinguish nursery-only services. Childminders excluded. Local authority, private and voluntary sectors are shown separately; private providers may offer funded places. These services may overlap with school pre-school departments, so do not add the two lists.

Nurseries & childcare services (25)
  • ASN Holiday Club

    Voluntary or Not for Profit · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Bells Brae School, 96 Gilbertson Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0QJ

  • Aith Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Aith Junior High School, Aith, Shetland, ZE2 9NB

  • Baltasound Junior High School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Baltasound Junior High School, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, ZE2 9DY

  • Bell's Brae Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Gilbertson Road, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0QJ

  • Brae High School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Brae High School, Brae, Shetland, ZE2 9QJ

  • Burra Early Years

    Voluntary or Not for Profit · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Old School, Hamnavoe, Burra, Shetland, ZE2 9LA

  • Cunningsburgh Early Years

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Cunningsburgh School, Cunningsburgh, Shetland, ZE2 9HB

  • Dunrossness Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Dunrossness Primary School, Dunrossness, Shetland, ZE2 9JG

  • Fair Isle Pre-School

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Fair Isle Primary School, Fair Isle, Shetland, ZE2 9JU

  • Foula ELC

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Hame Fae Hame

    Private · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Old School, New Road, Scalloway, Shetland, ZE1 0TN

  • Happyhansel Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Happyhansel Primary School, Walls, Shetland, ZE2 9PG

  • Islesburgh Out of School Care Service

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Islesburgh Community Centre, King Harald Street, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0EQ

  • Lerwick Early Learning and Childcare

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Old Infant School, King Harald Street, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0EQ

  • Lunnasting Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Lunnasting Primary School, Vidlin, Shetland, ZE2 9QB

  • Mid Yell Junior High Nursery School

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Mid Yell Junior High School, Mid Yell, Shetland, ZE2 9BN

  • Mossbank Wraparound Care

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Mossbank Primary School, Mossbank, Shetland, ZE2 9RB

  • Peerie Foxes Ltd

    Private · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    The Salvation Army Mission Hall, 45 North Road, Lerwick, SHETLAND, ZE1 0NT

  • Sandwick Junior High School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Sandwick Junior High School, Sandwick, Shetland, ZE2 9HH

  • Scalloway Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Scalloway Primary School, New Road, Scalloway, Shetland, ZE1 0TN

  • Sound Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Sound Primary School, Upper Sound, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0LY

  • Tingwall Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Tingwall Primary School, Gott, Shetland, ZE2 9SE

  • Urafirth Early Years

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Urafirth Primary School Nursery Class, Urafirth Primary School, Heylor, Urafirth, Shetland, ZE2 9RH

  • Whalsay School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Whalsay School, Symbister, Whalsay, Shetland, ZE2 9AQ

  • Whiteness Early Years

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Whiteness Primary School, Whiteness, Shetland, ZE2 9LJ

Universities & higher education

Listed records: 0.

Source: Universities Scotland / institutions · 2026-09-15

Original publication

19 member higher-education institutions, placed using verified contact or campus locations from their own websites. Includes specialist HE institutions and the Open University’s Scottish office. This is not an exhaustive campus inventory; an institution may appear in multiple councils. Absence does not establish that no campus exists.

No records listed in this snapshot. This does not establish that no provision exists.

Colleges & further education

Listed records: 1.

Source: Colleges Scotland / institutions · 2026-09-15

Original publication

24 colleges from the directory updated 20 August 2026, using verified contact/campus locations. SRUC is listed once under higher education. Colleges may teach both FE and HE; no duplicate count by course level. Not an exhaustive campus or private training-provider inventory; an institution may appear in multiple councils.

Colleges & further education (1)
  • UHI Shetland

    College / further and higher education

    Verified contact/campus postcode: ZE1 0PX

    Locations listed by the institution. Additional campuses or learning centres may exist; this is not a complete campus inventory.

Representation

Snapshot checked 2026-09-14. This is not a live feed. Governing administration, including minority administrations; not largest party or seat majority.

Council administration: Independent

Source: Open Council Data UK / Lawson Data Services