Also in the news / New Faroe tunnel, low crime rate and more…
YET ANOTHER tunnel has been opened in Faroe, this time as part of an upgrade of road system that leads into the capital Tórshavn.
The new 1.8km long tunnel and roads complex – which at £43 million costs around the same as the new Fair Isle ferry and harbour works project – was opened on Sunday.
The new tunnel is expected to smooth traffic flow and reduce traffic jams in Tórshavn during rush hours.
The town’s mayor Elsa Berg has described the opening as a “special day” for the Tórshavn and the entire country.
SHETLAND has been named as the area with the lowest crime rate in Scotland.
According to an annual Scottish Government report detailing the recorded levels of crime across the country, 180 crimes per 10,000 people were recorded in Shetland in 2024/25.
The crime rate in Orkney was 234 per 10,000 islanders, while the Western Isles (220) were similarly low.
Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh meanwhile were at the other end of the table with crime rates of 829, 783 and 728 per 10,000 people respectively.
Crime levels across Scotland have dropped by two per cent over the last ten years while the number of recorded sexual crimes has increased by 45 per cent since 2015/16.
SHETLAND Charitable Trust (SCT) is looking for interest in £100,000 which is available for extra grants next year.
Nearly £10 million has already been allocated via the large grant scheme to more than two dozen local organisations to provide services to improve life in Shetland during 2026/27.
SCT is streamlining how to apply for these latest grants due to the limited extra funding available. From Friday (11 July), organisations will be able to complete an expression of interest form to sketch out their project idea and how it fits with trust aims.
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They can apply for a grant to run for up to four years. The closing date is Friday 22 August.
When allocated, the extra spending will take SCT’s spend on the large grant scheme to £10,063,500 next year.
Full details and forms will be available from Friday on the apply for funding section of the SCT website, by email from mail@shetlandcharitabletrust.co.uk or telephone 01595 744 994.
ASHLEY Jensen picked up the best female actor prize at this year’s RTS Scotland Television Awards for her role in BBC crime drama Shetland.
She has played the role of DI Ruth Calder for two series, with a third to come.
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