Also in the news / Also in the news: final cruise ship, Puffin Poo and more …
THE FINAL cruise ship of another busy season has visited Lerwick today (Wednesday).
The 219-metre Vasco da Gama closed out the season, enroute from Haugesund, Norway, to Hamburg in Germany.
Lerwick Port Authority cruise and marketing manager Melanie Henderson said it was “always satisfying to close another successful season”.
Henderson added they had 149 ships scheduled for 2026 already, and confirmed bookings into 2030.
With 127 vessels arriving in 2025, the 965 passengers on Vasco da Gama brought the passenger total for the season to over 129,972, slightly down on last year’s record due to occasional weather disruptions.
Henderson added: “Our continued investment in infrastructure and collaboration will keep Lerwick at the forefront of the Scottish cruise sector.”
MEMBERS of Lerwick Community Council spoke up for the idea of a traffic warden returning to the town amid concern over “illegal” parking.
Members heard from one resident who said the “parking around the toon now is the worst I’ve ever seen it in my lifetime”.
She said cars are “left everywhere”, while some Monday’s meeting heard about other issues such as vehicles wrongly using disabled bays or parking on double yellow lines.
Community councillor Amanda Hawick supported the idea of pushing for a traffic warden returning to Lerwick, which received support.
But Karen Fraser said a key issue was there being not enough parking to cater for the increased number of vehicles being driven.
Averil Simpson also said it was “incredible” the number of vehicles still driving along Commercial Street when access is supposed to be restricted.
Meanwhile the police encouraged anyone to report instances of vehicles obstructing access.
SANDWICK nursery has been urged to make improvements following a surprise visit by inspectors in September.
The junior high school nursery was rated as “adequate” across three categories – and “weak” for its care, play and learning.
Inspectors, however, found that “children experienced warm, kind and caring interactions from staff which supported their wellbeing”.
But they also said the overall wellbeing of children “was not fully supported through effective personal planning”.
“Some families told us they did not feel involved in their child’s care, including reviewing their personal plan,” inspectors found.
Risks were also not always identified, they said. Inspectors found low hanging wires in the playroom, wooden pallets with rough edges and large holes in the outdoor area, which they said posed a safety risk.
The nursery staff took immediate action to address these.
The staff team were singled out for praise, but inspectors also said there were “absences and staffing shortages” putting a strain on the service.
PUFFIN Poo is set to be sold in 120 Scotmid stores across Scotland, Island Larder has announced.
The popular sweet treat will also be joined by Reindeer Poo in select stores.
Scotmid Co-op is a chain of Scotland community retailers, which supports local producers and sells Scottish products on its shelves.
Island Larder said that 225 outer boxes of Puffin Poo left its kitchen last week, and was now set to appear on shelves across the country in a “pinch me moment” for Island Larder’s “small but mighty team”.
The company thanked everyone who has supported them, adding it was a “huge moment for Island Larder”.
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