Community / Shetland history booms across cliffs as final foghorn sounds at Sumburgh Head
THE ICONIC Sumburgh Head foghorn roared back into life this weekend, delighting a crowd of around 80 locals and visitors who gathered to witness the final blast of 2025.
Children and adults alike clamped their hands over their ears as the great red foghorn thundered across the cliffs, powered by the original diesel engines that shook the old engine room to life.
Chris Harris, who attended the event, said: “I’ve never experienced anything like that before.
“The sheer power of the foghorn rattled right through me. It wasn’t just a sound – it was a feeling, a piece of Shetland’s history coming alive.”
For many, the event was more than just a show – it was a living connection to Shetland’s maritime past.
Chris added: “I heard people around me saying things like, ‘it takes you back in time’, and, ‘you can imagine what the sailors must have felt, hearing that out at sea’.
“Others told me they came because they wanted their bairns to feel and hear something that might never happen again.”
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse visitor centre manager Jane Outram praised both the turnout and the effort behind the day.
“We’re thrilled with the response from locals and tourists,” she said.
“It was a shame we couldn’t do it previously due to Storm Amy, but to see so many people here today was wonderful.
“Without the expertise of our retained lighthouse keeper Brian Johnson and his apprentice Ian Isbister, this event simply would not have happened.”
The crowd was buzzing afterwards, with some visitors calling it “unforgettable”.
As Chris summed it up: “It’s one thing to read about lighthouses and foghorns in history books, but to actually see, hear and feel it in person is extraordinary.
“This was Shetland history booming across the cliffs.”
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