A hotel with heritage
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Located on the shore of sheltered Busta Voe on mainland Shetland, Busta House Hotel is an ideal base to discover Shetland. Our fantastic location, paired with the rich history and heritage of the hotel, sense of community and service of the team come together to make a stay in Busta House Hotel a memorable experience. We look forward to welcoming you.
History
Busta House Hotel has an intriguing and storied history. It is a tale of class, love, tragedy, and deceit. Find out more about Busta House’s past, the story of the Gifford family and the ill-fated Barbara Pitcairn.






Our Team
Busta House would be nothing without all of those working both front of house and behind the scenes. Find out more about the team dedicated to making your stay as enjoyable as possible.
Reviews
- MarkNottingham2
Great location. Interesting building and grounds with some great history. The hotel was just opening post lockdown but had put in place clear and thought through precautions.
Good... read more food would recommend eating here.
17th August 2020MadMamW650
I actually won this night in Busta House in a raffle, which they had very kindly donated.
As usual, everything was just perfect. We were in the Vementry room,... read more which has a lovely sea view. The bed was lovely and comfortable, and massive lol.
Our evening meal was excellent! We had the prawns for a starter, my husband had the haddock, which was HUGE, and I had the steak, which was cooked exactly as I like it. The Bailey's cheesecake was to die for.
Full Scottish breakfast set us up for the day.
Full marks for the staff. Everyone was polite, attentive, helpful, and smiling.
Hope we get to come back soon xx
23rd February 2023 - Merrowmum
An old characterful building in a gorgeous setting next to a quiet loch, I had an enjoyable overnight stay here as part of a group tour of Orkney and Shetland.... read more The young staff were all incredibly warm, friendly and helpful yet still really efficient - oh that all hotels were as well staffed as this!
The public rooms in the hotel are in the style of the place as a whole, but clean and well maintained. My room (Bigga) was a quirky one - the sloping floor being its most notable feature! (I tried to put the kettle on the bedside table and it immediately slid off...!) The purposely exposed historical graffiti on the plasterwork was an interesting touch; the wallpaper was clean and looked quite new, but sadly the carpet was in quite poor condition and had also creased up in several places around the room. The bathroom was modern but tiny; the shower was ok. The bed was surprisingly comfortable given the slope! The room overlooks the kitchens so was quite noisy with the window open, and sadly you can't see any of the surrounding area.
The Wifi is excellent, really fast, but I couldn't get any phone reception inside the building.
The highlight of any stay here, however, is the food - both our dinner and breakfast were superb and the organisation and efficiency of the eating process, given COVID protocols, was amazing (particularly at breakfast). Both meals were the best I had throughout our tour!
13th August 2021Chris1922014
somewhat of a 'curates egg'. There are some very positive features but also areas for improvement
Staff were helpful and lovely - 9/10
Location beautiful, shame the Voe couldn't... read more be easily seen from the hotel as there are mature trees in the garden, but as trees are almost non existent on Shetland it was nice to see some - 8/10
Building has an interesting history with the Queen visiting in 1960. However there needs to be internal maintenance as damp patches are evident, worn carpeting, flaking paint etc. Garden pleasant to sit in, providing the midges don't find you! However the long lounge is a lively room to sit in - 7/10
Room - We had a lovely light room of a good size. The bed was comfortable, but again improvements are needed, e.g. sash windows not in working order, carpet worn wallpaper coming off in a few places, electrics somewhat basic - 6/10
Bathroom, probably the worst I have experienced in a hotel. Lighting very poor. Shower fine for people less than 5ft tall! Shower in the bath, but no grab rails to assist getting in and out. No shaver point and the decor pretty dour. Needs modernisation!! - 3/10
Food was good, both evening meals were enjoyable and potions a good size, the breakfast menu had a good choice. 8/10
21st July 2021 - stephensZ6376KQ
We regularly have a weekend stay. The food is excellent with lots of choice on the menu. They cater for gluten free options too. The rooms are lovely particularly... read more the upgraded bathrooms. The management and staff are friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and attentive. We would highly recommend to anyone
5th June 2022RosaBonheur
I often have had meals at the wonderful Busta House Hotel but have never stayed overnight. Recently I decided to get away from my home for a night. It’s the... read more best decision I could have made. I had a fantastic time and feel rejuvenated. The staff are amazing, hard working and incredibly nice, enthusiastic and committed to their work. They are attentive without being intrusive. They make you feel special, relaxed and at home. I can’t recommend staying enough. I can’t wait to go back again for another stay.
22nd March 2021 - WearyExplorer
Stayed here for a few days and would fully recommend it as my 'go to' place when in Shetland.
The hotel is full of character being hundreds of years... read more old and a listed building yet it has great WiFi, satellite TV in the rooms and food to die for. There's none of the miniscule portions you get with some restaurants and it's great quality local fayre. Being in Shetland, seafood is a speciality but there are plenty of other options and vegetarian dishes and along with the bar, it’s all at very reasonable prices. The staff couldn’t be more helpful so I’m sure they would do their best to cater for any other dietary requirements.
The rooms are being fully refurbished and are en-suite with numerous power outlets for laptops etc.
I can’t wait to return.
30th August 2021Alipaulstaffs
We ate here twice during our stay on Muckle Roe after popping in for tea and coffee while waiting for our cottage, the staff are so welcoming, great service delicious... read more coffee and shortbread, the meals both nights were delicious, home made and plentiful. The long room is lovely for a pre dinner drink or coffee and the service is excellent they even recommended a place for us to visit as it was sunny when we first arrived we took the advice and had a lovely afternoon at Eshaness.
13th September 2022 - wohauckIII
Fantastic. Old hotel with impeccable service. The floors creek and are uneven and the place is a rabbit Warren. Love it. The en suite was nicely updated... read more only negative is wifi is spotty and on the final day house keeping, who does a great job, left our door unlocked and removed a half bottle of wine we were planning on finishing. Told the front desk who said they would look. Into it.
Yes I would return. Great place to walk and relax and the long room is nice with a peat fire. Love it.
The restaurant and bar are very nice. Again with great service and value.
2nd June 2022morvenh525
Busta is in an absolutely beautiful location, only complimented by extremely efficient friendly staff who couldn’t be more helpful. The meals in the restaurant in the evening we’re delicious as... read more was breakfast. Definitely recommended…!!!
26th October 2021 - Tiderace
A very relaxing and cosy stay at Busta House at a chilly time of year. Staff were very welcoming from the start and gave us a choice of rooms on... read more arrival to our taste. Room was warm, well appointed and welcoming to arrive to. Staff were amongst the most efficient and attentive we have experienced anywhere. The building is quite historic which adds charm to a visit with interesting rooms and furnishings throughout. Food is excellent from a varied menu with a wide choice at breakfast too including locally sourced Smoked Haddock and Kippers, all delivered efficiently. Good adherence to covid guidelines at this tricky time too. Some renovations were taking place ready for the season but any fallout from this will presumably be cleared up prior to busy times ahead and it didn't impact adversely on our stay. Hotel is quiet and in a beautiful island location. We have booked for next year already. More
20th February 2022andydU6547FD
Wonderful hotel. The young and dynamic staff are a credit to the hotel and the travel industry in the Shetland Islands. Although I was part of a large group the... read more efficiency and care of us at dinner was superb. I enjoyed a dram after my meal and I really appreciated the lovely young female member of staff who was wonderful in conversation and made me feel very welcome. I am sure fault can be found in any hotel but come with the right attitude and you will feel privileged to stay in such a lovely setting with such caring staff.
25th August 2021 - Julie L
Another excellent stay at Busta. We stayed in the Muckle Roe Suite which was lovely. Heating was on when we arrived and it was very comfortable and cosy.
Our... read more evening meal was delicious and the service was great. Nothing was too much trouble and the staff were very attentive.
Breakfast in the morning was equally delicious, a good choice, and the cooked Scottish breakfast certainly set us up for the day.
Would highly recommend Busta to anyone wanting a lovely, relaxing time away from home, with top notch food and service. We’ve already got another stay booked.
6th February 2022522alastairg
We only had one night here after a week on Unst, and we’ll definitely return for a longer stay. It’s a very atmospheric country house hotel with a friendly, enthusiastic... read more and very efficient staff. The dinner menu is comprehensive and the food is very fairly priced. The bedroom, though slightly on the small side, was comfortable with a well equipped bathroom. Great location for exploring the west mainland of Shetland.
2nd July 2022 - Graeme M
Just got home after 2 weeks at the Busta House. This was our second stay at the Busta, and we had such a wonderful time that the third is already... read more booked. The staff are super-welcoming, friendly, and *nothing* is too much trouble - they go out of their way to ensure your day from the magnificent Busta breakfast to the delicious evening meal runs perfectly. There is no greater joy than to return from a day's coastal walking to drinks and the aroma and warmth of a peat fire in the comfort of the Long Room. A further treat awaits after dining from the splendid menu (who can forget the southern-fried Stenbiter!), choosing from the enormous range of whiskies on offer. The house has a fascinating history, in a spectacular location. We can't wait to return and hope to continue for many years to come.
4th June 2022Thorr978
Myself and my now wife had our wedding here in 2018 we a magical day, Grant Joel and Alan made the day really special, the food was fantastic as was... read more the surroundings beautiful rooms and fantastic service. In whole this place is special to us. We love it.
22nd November 2020 - claphamwoman
This hotel was quite a distance from Lerwick, but with a beautiful view over the lake. The room at Busta House was smallish, but with good storage, although access to... read more the hanging cupboard was hampered by a trouser press hanging on the inside of the cupboard. The major problem was the shower, which did not produce hot water until the 3rd evening. We complained about it early on the morning of the second day to the staff (who in general were friendly and helpful) promised to look at it, but we think that it was our complaint to our tour company, which triggered action and I was finally able to enjoy a hot shower on the third evening. They gave us the 3rd evening meal “on the house” in recompense. Nice, but I would have rather had a hot shower. The water provided for the bath was not hot enough for my husband to have bath on the first evening, but was on the second evening. I can’t use a bath, because of 2 knee replacements. The standard of the restaurant meals (breakfast and dinner) was generally very good, of excellent value and served in huge portions. I was pleased that the restaurant offered a good choice of smoked fish dishes for breakfast. The COVID precautions were reassuringly thorough
15th October 2021Pelupi
Stayed one night as part of a tour. Service and food fantastic. Would thoroughly recommend the lamb. Historic house in scenic location. Our only small quibble was that... read more the bathroom in our room was exceptionally small. Anyone larger or with mobility issues might struggle with the gap of only 1ft between the toilet and the accessible part of the bath / shower. Bathroom was recently refitted and immaculate but just a trifle snug.
10th May 2022 - Anita J
Busta House Hotel is a fabulous atmospheric building with lovely comfortable rooms, some with sea views. The food is excellent and the staff are so accommodating. Love this place, will... read more be back again soon
2nd February 2023BFG123
We LOVED this property for just about everything. We had two twin beds on the top floor. The room was quiet and comfortable, with seemingly new bathroom fixtures (it... read more was an en-suite room). The service on check in and during the stay, and in the nice restaurant, was FANTASTIC. We quickly latched on to Bradley, one of the nicest and hardest working people I've seen in a long time. He was friendly, professional, helpful with suggestions on our ferry trips and walks on Shetland. The property is an historic one, so they have a rustic character and is very charming, as is the garden. Its location is fabulous for touring the whole mainland. We'll be back! From the guest log we can tell that there were a lot of satisfied customers like us.
29th September 2022
