Also in the news / Brewery recognised, Armitage welcomes ‘lie-flat’ proposal and more …
GREEN councillor Alex Armitage has welcomed an announcement by Transport Scotland that ‘lie-flat’ options could be trialled on board NorthLink’s passenger vessels.
Armitage, who is regularly travelling on board the vessels to work at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, has been campaigning for more “horizontal sleeping options” for a long time.
“This is not just about the quality of the service; it’s also about safety,” he said.
“So many people have to work or drive long distances the morning after travelling on the north boat. It’s well known that poor sleep can increase the risk of road accidents and poor decisions.
“Shetland Greens will continue to work with NorthLink and the Scottish Government to make this proposal a reality and we believe that the forthcoming dry dock in February and March offers a realistic timescale for this work to be done.”
NORTHERN Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has expressed support for news that TalkTalk will automatically refund customers for disruption to broadband last month.
TalkTalk chief executive Susie Buckridge accepted that, in a letter to Carmichael, the company “could have been more proactive in communicating with customers”.
It came after reports that TalkTalk were only to compensate customers who had contacted the company about the disruption, caused by a subsea cable rupture, in July and August.
Mr Carmichael said: “To call this a wholehearted apology would be rather stretching the definition.
“I am glad that TalkTalk have admitted that their communications have been poor but there is little detail on how they plan to improve matters, nor any evidence that they are seeking to improve their resilience as Vodafone have promised to do.
“We are going to have to keep the pressure up to ensure that internet providers take their responsibilities seriously.”
LERWICK Brewery has been recognised by two industry organisations in the space of a week.
The brewery was awarded a 2025 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, ranking it among the top 10 per cent of tourist attractions worldwide.
That came just after it celebrated a triple shortlisting at the Scottish Beer Awards 2025.
The UK’s most northerly brewery has been shortlisted for the best porter or stout, best pale ale and best session beer awards.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 8 October at The Corn Exchange in Edinburgh.
The TripAdvisor award, supported by a 4.9-star rating, praises the brewery’s engaging tours, knowledgeable staff, and its unique insight into Shetland’s brewing heritage.
Managing Director Graham Mercer expressed his pride at the double achievement: “This is a phenomenal validation of our team’s hard work on every front.
“It is a pleasing recognition of our commitment to excellence, whether you’re visiting us in Shetland or enjoying our beers at home.
“Shetland has a thriving craft beer scene, and we’re proud to be flying the flag for the islands on both a tourist and a national stage.”
LOCAL comedian Marjolein Robertson will feature in this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival which runs over 11 days in Edinburgh at the end of October.
This year’s festival theme Lights of the North explores Scotland’s northern identity through sharing tales from the world’s northern arc, which bridges Finland to Iceland and connects Germany to Norway, with Scotland in between.
International guest storytellers including Anna-Maria Toivonen from Finland; Georgiana Keable Jerstad and Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen from Norway; Hjörleifur Stefánsson from Iceland; Jerker Fahlström from Sweden; and Suse Weisse from Germany.
Joining them will be some of Scotland’s most celebrated storytellers.
Robertson will present a selection of folk tales and historic stories in Da Winters O Shetland on Sunday 26 October.
The full programme of the festival can be found here, where there is also an opportunity to buy tickets online.
PEOPLE in Whalsay will be able to attend a drop-in service for support with hearing loss or tinnitus later hits month.
RNID, the national charity supporting those with hearing problems, with bring its RNID Near You service to Whalsay on Wednesday 24 September.
The charity already operates the service across Shetland and since December 2023 has given support to almost 500 people – offering hearing aid maintenance, tubing and battery replacement, information about coping with hearing loss or tinnitus and signposting.
In addition to Whalsay, drop-in sessions have taken place in Brae, Bressay, Lerwick, Mossbank and Unst.
Over the past year the charity has maintained over 200 hearing aids and since December 2023 has carried out 96 hearing checks for local people.
The Whalsay service will be held from 2-3.30pm at the Fernlea day care centre on 24 September.
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