Best way to get to Shetland while minimising the overwater segments is to island hop through Orkney to Fair Isle then Sumburgh. Don't land at Sumburgh though. It's miles from the main town of Lerwick and they charge fees. But on the other hand it has cross runways with instrument approaches so it's about the only reasonable alternate to the other Shetland strips.
It also has a bus service that *mostly* ties in with the RPT flights. 2.10 quid five years ago & ~ 40-60 mins. ATC are very friendly & great to go drinking with.
Tingwall: 750m
Closest airstrip to Lerwick. There is (or was) a mini-bus service that ties in with the scheduled DirectFlight flights. It was 1 quid to or from town (must book a day in advance for the 'from Lerwick' part), otherwise it's about 10 quid by taxi. Takes about 10 mins each way.
Avgas is usually available during Tingwall opening hours.
If the vis. is poor watch out for 5 wind turbines ~500 to the east of (longish) final Rwy 02. They're about 800' amsl. There's also an obstacle lit hill to the left of final for Rwy 20.
Fair Isle: 06/24 x 450m (480m?)
Airstrip is unuseable if the wind is >20kts from the W-clockwise-NE, and also a small arc from approx. South (actually from a large pillar of rock. It causes a strong vortex to wash over the airstrip). Even at that strength it 'challenging'... Watch out for sheep.
Accommodation availabe at a couple of B&Bs on the island or at the bird observatory.
Foula:
18/36 x 450m. Steep upslope at threshold Rwy36.
Unuseable if the wind is above 15kts from SSW-clockwise-NNW & also the E. Increasing limit as the wind moves from E'ish-clockwise-S. High, steep terrain & sheer cliffs cause vortices that make the airstrip *very* dangerous if the wind is as mentioned. Watch out for sheep.
Wonderful sheer cliff views on the W. side of the island. ~1200' high. Very spectacular. B&B accommodation, guided walks along cliff routes only the locals know.
Out Skerries: 09/27 x 380m
Watch out if the wind is from S or N. Airstrip lies between two close lying hills (~100m from the one to the S.) with a fence along each side of the runway. Rwy 09 has a ridge ~50m before the threshold that protrudes into the normal approach gradient. Rwy 27 has a lighthouse at ~200 or 300 m that protrudes into the gradient AND an island halfway between the threshold & the lighthouse that does as well. No undershoot area in either direction and no side run-off areas.
Papa Stour: 18/36ish x ~450m (can't remember)
Muddy& slippery if any rain recently ie all the time except mid summer. Rwy 18 has rising ground with an electricty line across the ridge. Hard to see the power line. Rwy 36 has a ridge crossing just prior to the threshold. If the wind is really howling then an oblique final is best to stay a little further away from the 36 approach ridge. Watch out for sheep.
Whalsay: 02/20 x 450 or so
No worries. No windsock either. It regularly gets blown away in the gales more frequently than it gets replaced.
It does have sheep & ponies though.
Fetlar: North/South-ish x 450ish.
Only used for ambulance flights. No windsock & is in a bowl between higher ground. Not much in the way of runway markings - it mostly merges into the surrounding sheep paddock. Oh, that reminds me: Watch out for the sheep.
Unst: Formerly licenced. Sealed. Sometimes used for drag racing (with permission, of course. It's an organised event).
None of the outer isle strips have fuel or maintenance. Some have no facilities at all apart from a hut to keep the flarepots or generators in for night ambo. flights. Some don't have any parking areas apart from the strip so you'll have to push the a/c off the runway & stake the tie downs. Never, ever leave the aircraft parked for any length of time without tie downs.
Strong winds are the norm there. It was considered nothing unusual to operate with 40 kt crosswind components.