Your adventure starts here

Welcome to Shetland with Laurie

Laurie Goodlad: Scottish travel writer, tour guide, itinerary planner and destination specialist

Laurie walking in Shetland on a tour
fisherman

Hey! I’m Laurie, and Shetland with Laurie is my little business with a big heart

Shetland with Laurie – that’s me! – is a Scottish travel writer, tour guide and itinerary planner who delivers an engaging travel blog packed with destination inspiration, meaningful insights, travel tips and advice for your Scottish islands adventure.

Shetland: Your Essential Travel Guide

After years of meticulous planning, research, and exploration, I am thrilled to announce the release of my comprehensive guide to Shetland.

With stunning colour photographs and more than 250 pages, Shetland: Your Essential Guide is a labour of love, born from a love and dedication to showcasing the islands' natural beauty, intriguing history, and vibrant community life.

This guidebook is more than just a collection of places to visit: it's a love letter to Shetland, a thank-you for its breathtaking landscapes, rich heritage, and the adventures it offers.


It offers readers a unique perspective on exploring Shetland.

With a passion for Scotland’s islands, my primary focus is my island home and first love, Shetland, and travels around Scotland, exploring rural island communities – usually with my family in tow.

Islands run through my veins – traced through the lines on the family tree to a time of Vikings and Norsemen. These are the characters who fascinate me, the players who have shaped our history and inspired me to start my business.

My work is for those who plan to travel and for those who dare to dream.

White scottish beach at dusk

Planning a trip to the Scottish islands? 

If you’re looking for travel inspiration, look no further. My travel blog is the perfect place to begin planning that trip of a lifetime. My writing is driven by a desire to discover and share the stories that root me to a place and keep me seeking out new experiences.

Blog Destinations

Scotland handdrawn map
Shetland seaside town

Ways to work with me

Let me do the talking

As an island aficionado and experienced travel writer, I supply engaging content for island businesses from my unique islander perspective; whether that be for a website, magazine, blog or newsletter, let me do the talking.

I’m a Lonely Planet writer and supply engaging travel content and itineraries on my blog, Patreon site, and for various magazines and DMOs throughout Scotland.

Seal spotting on Shetland tour

travel consultations

Planning a holiday is hard. That’s why I’m here, to remove the pressure off planning and to take the stress away from planning that perfect trip. With extensive experience planning itineraries in Shetland and Orkney, let me take the reigns and give you the trip of a lifetime.

Who I’ve worked with

What can you expect from me?

Expertise

I can guarantee my expertise from a local perspective, born from years of experience in the travel industry

Honesty

I offer honest, no-nonsense writing in my unique style and voice. My writing is informal and engaging, sprinkled with personality and fun

Passion

I am a self-confessed geek, and this comes through in my passion for cultural history, community and a deep sense of belonging to the islands

Love

I love islands, and I love Scotland, there’s nowhere better on this planet, and I love to share this with visitors and those who dare to dream

Laurie admiring the views in Shetland

Are you looking for engaging destination marketing?

"Laurie is an absolute pleasure to work with. Her knowledge of Orkney & Shetland was a huge asset for Lonely Planet's Scotland guidebook, and her enthusiasm and responsiveness ensured that the project went off without a hitch. I want to visit the Shetlands after reading Laurie's chapter!"

Amy Lynch
Commissioning editor, Lonely Planet

“Amazing coverage, Laurie. Best example I’ve seen of how to do these trips”

David Flanagan
Destination Orkney

More about Shetland

Shetland is in my blood. Visit my blog for local insights, tips and advice.