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10 Reasons You Should Stay At Busta House Hotel in Shetland

I am lucky enough to have stayed at the lovely Busta House Hotel a number of times when taking tour groups to Shetland.

It’s my favourite hotel on Shetland, and one of my favourite hotels anywhere.

Here are 10 reasons you should stay at the Busta House Hotel too.

Busta House Hotel

1. Busta House Hotel is Run By a Fantastic Team

Given the challenges in recruiting any staff, let alone local staff in Shetland, it’s wonderful that Busta House Hotel has several locals working on its team.

They work hard to deliver great service. The hotel has a genuinely friendly and welcoming feel to it, well it’s not just a feel!

The owners are there too, although sometimes you may not recognise them because they might be a bit more casually dressed. They love Busta House and that’s clear by their commitment to the hotel and their work to constantly improve the experience.

Whether it’s carrying your luggage to your room, helping you find your room or helping you explore the area the service is always genuinely friendly.

Busta House Hotel

2. Where Every Room is Different

Every room has a different character, whether that be a 4 poster bed or a ghost!

Each room has a different name too. How lovely to be a name and not a number for a change.

Rooms have different outlooks, and different bathrooms and are in different parts of the hotel.

The hardest thing is likely to be finding your way to your room (don’t worry they will be happy to help you!)

Busta House Shetland

3. Where Connecting to WIFI is Fun

Busta House Hotel is, in parts, a very old building. It’s been extended over the years, long before there was such a thing as the Internet. They have worked hard at the hotel to provide WIFI, installing different routers for different parts of the hotel. That means if you move from one part of the hotel to another you have to connect to a different router.

To compensate for the WIFI connection they have provided something I’ve never experienced before in any hotel – free phone calls to UK landlines and mobile phones!

Yes, you can use an actual telephone in your bedroom to ring people and talk to them. I called all my family when I stayed as it was such a novelty!

(April 2023 update – there have been big improvements to the WIFI set up at Busta House to make connecting smoother and easier)

November 2023 Update after most recent stay – the WIFI is much better than it was and you can still use the phones for phone calls. Yet another guest experience improvement.

Busta House Hotel Shetland

4. Where The Food is Fab

The hardest decision you will have to make at Busta House is deciding what to have to eat and drink!

There is just so much choice.

When it comes to food there are fantastic homemade dishes with local produce. There is a good selection if you are vegetarian too.

Not only do you have to choose your meal you have to choose your side dishes as well. It can be pretty hard work making all those decisions and that’s before you have chosen from their great wine selection.

The team is happy to help with suggestions and can accommodate little adjustments to meals such as sauces on the side etc.

Breakfast features freshly made bannocks for a great Shetland start to the day, alongside some great cooked breakfast options. There’s also a continental breakfast selection too.

Busta House Hotel

5. Home to an Amazing Whisky Cabinet

There is a wonderful collection of whiskies available at Busta House, from right across Scotland.

They live in a beautiful cabinet in the Long Room.

The Whisky cabinet is quite a sight to behold and there is bound to be something for even the most ardent Whisky lover to try.

It’s worth a look at even if you don’t drink whisky!

busta house hotel view of hotel
Looking back at Busta House from the gardens at sunrise

Busta House Hotel

6. The Most Amazing Trees

You may have heard that Shetland doesn’t have trees. That’s not quite true but there aren’t that many and there certainly aren’t many older larger trees.

Busta House has some absolutely beautiful trees on its grounds. They must be some of the oldest in Shetland. Every time I go I give them a little hug and say hello.

7. There’s A Lot of History at Busta House Hotel

Busta House is a mix of old and new buildings, with the oldest part, the Long Room dating back to the 1500s. For many years it was a residential house and it has a quite tragic history. More recently it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant who had Queen Elizabeth over for tea when she holidayed nearby on the Royal Yacht.

There is a leaflet on the Gifford family history of Busta House if you are interested to know more.

busta house hotel sunrise
Looking back to Busta House Hotel from the little harbour during sunrise

8. There’s a Lovely Harbour and View Across the Voe

Just through the gardens is a wonderful little harbour area. It’s tiny but it’s a great place to see the sun come up and to get a great photo of Busta House too.

It’s so peaceful as well – just bliss.

busta house hotel long room
The lovely Long Room at Busta House Hotel

9. There Is An Actual Fire in the Long Room at Busta House Hotel

The Long Room is a fantastic spot to sit and enjoy the warm glow of a proper fire. Peat and coal get burned on the fire, giving it a lovely glow and a wonderful smell too.

It’s a great spot to sit, chat and reflect on the wonderful place that is Shetland.

(November 2023 Update – the chimney is out of service so there is currently no real fire in the Long Room.)

Busta house stairs
The main stairs at Busta House Hotel with the library just on the right-hand side

10. Busta House Hotel Has A Lovely Little Library

Head up the main stairs and take the first door on the right at Busta House and you will find a really lovely little library. There are all sorts of books, including plenty on Shetland. It’s a great place to find something to read while you are sitting by the fire in the Long Room.

Here’s a video tour of the lovely Linga room at Busta House (Linga has now been upgraded and improved and looks very different to this video, but it’s still beautiful)

Since this video was recorded the TV system has been replaced so it’s much easier to use. Busta House has been busy upgrading bathrooms, and there are new carpets in large parts of the hotel too. They are always working hard to make Busta House even better.

Here is my video tour of Mousa from November 2023

Want to Stay at Busta House?

Check out the rates available online below

Or just get in touch with Busta House direct – here is their website

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