Current Time in Lerwick, Scotland
The live time in Lerwick (Shetland), with the GMT or BST status, the next clock change and sunrise and sunset through the year.
About time in Lerwick
Lerwick is the main town of the Shetland Islands and the northernmost town in the UK. At 60 degrees north it has very long summer days, with a twilight called the simmer dim at midsummer, and short winter days of under six hours of daylight. The clocks are the same as in London.
Each January the town holds Up Helly Aa, a fire festival in which a replica Viking longship is burned, with a torchlit procession after dark. The long winter nights give a strong chance of seeing the northern lights.
Lerwick is about 12 to 14 hours by overnight ferry from Aberdeen, or an hour and a half by air from Edinburgh. The town is just over one degree west of Greenwich.
- The northernmost town in the UK.
- Up Helly Aa is held every January.
- About six hours of daylight at midwinter.
About 7,000 people live in Lerwick. At 60.15 degrees north and 1.15 degrees west of Greenwich, true solar noon here falls about 5 minutes after clock noon. The clock itself always matches the rest of the UK.
Sunrise and sunset in Lerwick through the year
Times for the 15th of each month in UK local time (GMT or BST). Calculated from the city's latitude and longitude.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:54 | 15:34 | 6h 41m |
| February | 07:44 | 16:54 | 9h 10m |
| March | 06:22 | 18:06 | 11h 43m |
| April | 05:48 | 20:22 | 14h 34m |
| May | 04:26 | 21:36 | 17h 10m |
| June | 03:39 | 22:31 | 18h 52m |
| July | 04:06 | 22:13 | 18h 08m |
| August | 05:17 | 20:59 | 15h 43m |
| September | 06:31 | 19:27 | 12h 56m |
| October | 07:43 | 17:56 | 10h 13m |
| November | 08:02 | 15:34 | 7h 32m |
| December | 09:02 | 14:56 | 5h 53m |
Lerwick time compared with the world
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Time in nearby cities
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Lerwick in?
Lerwick is in the UK time zone. It uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) in summer, the same as the rest of the UK.
When do the clocks change in Lerwick?
The clocks go forward at 01:00 on the last Sunday of March and back at 02:00 on the last Sunday of October. In 2026 that is Sunday, 29 March 2026 and Sunday, 25 October 2026.
How much daylight does Lerwick get in summer and winter?
Around 18h 56m at the June solstice and 5h 49m at the December solstice, based on its latitude of 60.2 degrees north.
Is Lerwick on the same time as London?
Yes. All UK clocks show the same time. Because Lerwick is 1.1 degrees west of Greenwich, solar noon here is about 5 minutes after clock noon (GMT), but the clocks do not differ.
What is the simmer dim?
The long twilight around midsummer in Shetland, when the sun dips only just below the horizon and the sky never gets fully dark.
How long is the ferry from Aberdeen?
About 12 to 14 hours overnight.