Also in the news / Treacherous roads, former school building for sale, Cleeves’ laptop retrieved and more …
THERE has been traffic disruption in and around Quarff following heavy snow showers this afternoon (Friday).
Drivers were left in a long tailback after a vehicle became stuck on the road.
Shetland Islands Council said a gritter was in attendance to lay salt on the road and get traffic moving.
There have been other reports of slippy roads and heavy snowfall elsewhere in Shetland, such as the Black Gaet and at Wormadale.
THE FORMER Mid Yell junior high school is up for sale once more.
It comes after Shetland Islands Council sold the building to a new owner in 2015.
The large commercial building, next to the leisure centre and the new school building, is being offered via the Auction House Scotland website with a guide price of £199,000.
The old school is advertised as “a rare opportunity” with planning permission to convert it into a combined café, hotel as well as five one bedroom flats.
A fully equipped café is in existence with large industrial kitchen appliances such as fryers, gas cookers and ovens.
The whole building is described as presenting “a rare and exciting opportunity for a builder or investor looking to undertake a project which has massive earning potential with the added benefits of plans and one third of the project being already completed”.
ACCLAIMED author Ann Cleeves has thanked everyone who looked for her misplaced laptop – which contained a half written novel – after losing it in the snow in Shetland earlier this week.
The laptop was found close to where she was staying on her recent visit to Shetland by someone who got off a school bus.
“It’s been run over so not much use, but glad to know it’s safe,” Cleeves tweeted.
The writer told Shetland News she was “overwhelmed” by everyone who helped to look.
Cleeves – whose books turned into the Shetland TV series – posted on Twitter after a trip to Lerwick on Tuesday that she lost the laptop in a blizzard that day, adding that it could have fallen from her bag.
All is not lost with the half-written novel, though. She had sent it as an email attachment to herself just days before losing the laptop, so not too much has been lost.
THIS week in parliament Green MSP Ariane Burgess shone a spotlight on community empowerment through the regeneration of land and buildings.
In two Parliamentary debates and at the AGM of Scottish Communities Alliance, the MSP highlighted the need for greater financial support for community ownership and enabling organisations such as community housing trusts.
Commenting, Scottish Greens MSP for the Highlands and Islands Ariane Burgess MSP said: “There are 188 registered vacant and derelict sites across the Highlands & Islands.
“But thanks to the Community Empowerment Act, our communities are just getting started in reimagining under-used local assets, from playing fields to disused hospitals, community halls to growing spaces.”
In Bressay, the Bressay Development Trust have purchased the old school through a community asset transfer and have transformed the space into a community centre complete with the Speldiburn Cafe, a bike shelter and studio spaces.
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