Merchant navy memorial

A MEMORIAL commemorating the service of seafarers in the British merchant navy is to be erected in Lerwick.

The plaque will be built near the waterfront at Hays Dock, with Shetland Amenity Trust responsible for its construction.

The Merchant Navy Association of Shetland first approached the trust in August last year with the view of erecting the memorial near the town’s Museum and Archives.

The nautical-themed memorial, which will be made out of recycled glass concrete panels, will feature an information panel.

Planning permission for the memorial was granted in early September.

The structure was designed by Shetland Amenity Trust’s Davy Cooper, who previously worked on memorials for the Shetland Bus and the Delting Disaster.

“They wanted something with a nautical feel to it,” he said. “It’s based on the bows of an old cruise liner that sank some time ago.”

Cooper added that the Amenity Trust was “more than happy” to support the local Merchant Navy Association.

The memorial’s construction will now be costed, with the association due to look into fundraising avenues before it can be built.