# Lerwick (GB LER)

**UN/LOCODE:** GB LER  
**Country:** United Kingdom  
**Water Body:** North Sea; North Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Medium  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Natural)  
**GPS:** 60.1670, -1.1500

Subsea decommissioning loads, offshore supply runs and lifeline island cargo define the mix at Lerwick, the principal commercial port of Shetland and the most northerly in Britain. The sheltered deep-water harbour runs around the clock and handled about 911,000 tonnes in 2025, up 3 percent, moved largely through NorthLink's roll-on/roll-off freight ferries to Aberdeen and a scheduled Streamline Shipping breakbulk service, alongside a fishing fleet landing significant volumes of whitefish. There is no dedicated container terminal, so full-container traffic is routed via Aberdeen. The port's growth area is energy: Dales Voe and Greenhead support heavy-lift, rig and subsea decommissioning work, including single-lift operations and quayside waste handling, with oil-related cargo up 40 percent to roughly 67,000 tonnes in 2025. A final phase of dredging is currently widening and deepening the middle harbour, Mair's Pier, Gremista and Dales Voe, due for completion in autumn 2026. For freight forwarders, Lerwick is therefore most useful for project and heavy-lift cargo, offshore support and island provisioning rather than containerised goods; Aberdeen is the natural alternative for container and mainland-distribution flows.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [London → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-shanghai)
- [London → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-shenzhen)
- [London → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-guangzhou)
- [London → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-hong-kong)
- [London → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-tokyo)
- [London → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/london-busan)

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/lerwick-port-gb-ler](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/lerwick-port-gb-ler)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/lerwick-port-gb-ler](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/lerwick-port-gb-ler)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/lerwick-port-gb-ler/llm-summary?lang=en*