weegraeme

I'm heading to Scotland in October / November. I don't get a say in when I have my holidays, so that's when it is. I'm also taking some long service leave, so I'll be there from early October until mid November.

I'm considering travelling to Shetland, partly to see the place and partly to catch up with someone I knew when I was young.

I've been told that the sea can be quite rough, especially at that time of year, so flying would be a better option. Is that the general concensus?

I'll need to cross from the mainland to Yell. I've been told that that's generally not too bad, and the ferry still runs, unless the weather's extremely bad. But I wasn't going to travel anywhere else that connected by road.

I know that the days will also be fairly short, but I was wondering how long people thought I'd need to spend there to have a decent look around. I'll have my 80 year old mother with me, so we'll only be going to places that are accessible by road. Do I need to rent a car? Or is public transport good?

I'd be open to any thoughts. I understand that it's not the ideal time of year to be going there, but it is what it is.