Town centre webcams to be shut down as result of tourist office closure
WEBCAMS in the centre of Lerwick which are viewed by people across the globe are set to be shut down later today (Monday) as a knock-on effect of the town’s tourist office closing.
The tourist office, run by VisitScotland, is shutting for the last time at 5pm as the national tourism agency closes its iCentres across the country.
The controversial closure of the well-used Lerwick building is having an impact on Shetland Webcams.
Shetland Webcams hosts a number of cameras across the isles that people can watch live online, from Sumburgh Head to the Eshaness cliffs.
However three webcams in and around the Market Cross in Lerwick will have to be shut down.
These are the Market Cross, Tourist Office and Esplanade streams.
Shetland Webcams’ Andy Steven told Shetland News that the three cameras are all linked back via radio links to the infrastructure he has in place at the tourist office.
It is understood that this equipment needs to be removed as VisitScotland is clearing its own IT infrastructure at the same time.
Steven said: “As a result of the closure, it will be necessary for my company to remove our network infrastructure embedded in the Market Cross since 2004, when the first live stream from Shetland was broadcast from the window at the tourist office.
“The platform has grown since these pioneering days however, on Monday 18th November at approximately 1600 GMT, we will close down the town centre live streams – almost 20 years to the day since the concept of live streaming from Shetland was created.”
Shetland Islands Council is the owner of the tourist office building and it previously encouraged offers for sale or lease.
It is understood that two local people interested in keeping the building open as a tourist office were selected as the preferred bidder, but there has been no official announcement.
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