Also in the news / Also in the news: Fair Isle ferry, science fair, swap shop and more…
THE FIRST steelwork has been laid down to form the keel of the new Fair Isle ferry, in a build expected to take around 12 months.
Two Fair Isle residents – skipper of the Good Shepherd IV, Ian Best, and entrepreneur Marie Bruhat – along with Shetland Islands Council’s project manager Lee Coutts visited the Parkol Marine Engineering yard in Whitby this week.
Following tradition, the new boat will be named Good Shepherd V.
Bruhat said: “What was once a dream is now a reality and it’s really comforting to see today this progress on the new steelwork for Fair Isle ferry.
“There has been so much impressive work gone into the design and architecture of the boat, especially for the comfort of passengers, and the project team have really considered all details to make this the best ferry for Fair Isle.”
Coutts added: “This visit and laying of the first steel marks an important milestone in the construction of the ‘Good Shepherd V’. This signals the start of the build process, and I look forward to seeing the vessel take shape over the coming months.”
The anticipated total cost of the project to replace the vessel and upgrade necessary harbour infrastructure is £45.4 million, funded by £18.6 million from the council and a grant of £26.8 million from the UK Government’s ‘Levelling Up Fund’.
MORE than 650 pupils from all of Shetland’s secondary schools attended the second edition of the reinstated Shetland Science Fair las week.
The event has increased in scale and duration and was a day longer than the first year to allow more pupils to enjoy the opportunity of hands-on experiments and workshops led by visiting and local exhibitors.
The science fair was reintroduced in 2024 as part of the Shetland Aerogenerators Shetland Community Benefit Fund, which is administered by Shetland Community Benefit Fund.
Ellis Nicolson, co-chair of the Brae School Parent Council said: “It was inspiring to see such a wide range of organisations participating and generously dedicating their time and expertise to support the event.
“The team at Shetland Aerogenerators delivered an outstanding job in organising the fair and providing funding, alongside contributions from other valued sponsors, to whom we are extremely grateful.”
THIS YEAR’s Outdoor Clothing Swap Shop, organised by Shetland Islands Council’s Sport and Leisure service and RSPB Shetland, will take place this weekend.
The free event is open to all and hopes to redistribute unwanted outdoor clothing, with the aim of removing barriers to nature this winter. The Swap Shop will take place on Sunday (16 November) at the Gilbertson Park Games Hall in Lerwick between 11am and 2pm.
Several local organisations will be in attendance to offer information and advice, and local firm Garriock Brothers Ltd are supporting the event by providing free tea, coffee, fruit and biscuits.
SHETLAND Library is holding three events next week to celebrate Book Week Scotland 2025, which is taking place between 17-23 November.
It will host the launch of Seabirds and Seals: stories from 25 years of wildlife guiding around the Shetland islands of Bressay and Noss by Jonathan Wills.
The event is being held in the auditorium of the Shetland Museum and Archives on Tuesday 18 November from 7pm to 8.30pm.
On the following night, from 7pm to 8.30pm, Shetland Library will host an Open Mic evening, celebrating ‘friendship’ – this year’s Book Week Scotland theme.
Everyone is invited to deliver anything connected to the theme in any format – a poem, chapter, song, flash fiction, etc.
It can be an unpublished work or a published piece, but it should be no longer than 5 minutes.
On Saturday 22 November from 2pm to 4pm, Shetland Library will hold a drop-in session A Cuppa and a Good Book, sharing tips about starting and running a book group.
NHS Shetland has offered an insight into how some of its staff supported the new series of BBC crime drama Shetland.
Alcohol and drug development officer Wendy Henderson was approached by the script editor so they could better understand drug trends in the Northern Isles.
“It was crucial to share the reality of substance use in Shetland, the self-stigma that individuals can have, and the stigma that family and friends can experience,” she said.
Meanwhile Gilbert Bain Hospital’s senior staff nurse Emma Williamson used annual leave to join the production team on location.
She said: “It’s certainly an intense few weeks with being the nurse on set, but I try to be available to all members of the crew and help with any medical needs and provide signposting to other health, social or wellbeing information and services.”
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