News / UHI Shetland confirms Scalloway will be future site of campus
UHI SHETLAND has reaffirmed that its Scalloway campus will be the future site for the college.
In 2024 a decision was made in principle to move the UHI to a single campus in Scalloway. At the moment the UHI also has its Lerwick base in Gremista.
In a statement released on Monday, the college said that “after much discussion and debate” it was confirming that the Scalloway campus would be the future site for UHI Shetland.
Board chairman Stephen Leask said its members had “spent considerable time” discussing the decision, adding it was “critical” to the long-term success of the college.
He said a “lengthy and robust process” had taken place, including multiple meetings with the board and its stakeholders, which culminated in an “extended meeting” on Friday.
The board reconfirmed its decision to have Scalloway be the future site for UHI Shetland’s campus, Leask said.
“This marks an important step forward for us as we navigate the significant financial and sectoral challenges facing colleges across Scotland.
“This will be a long term project, expected to take between three and six years to complete.
“It aligns closely with the UHI Shetland strategic plan 2025–30, which commits us to enhancing the student learning experience, strengthening our research, and responding to the evolving needs of our islands and region.
“We recognise the wider pressures facing the tertiary education sector, including rising costs, sustained underinvestment, and the particular challenges of delivering education in island communities.
“Despite these realities, I am confident that this decision positions UHI Shetland to remain resilient and to continue offering the range of education and training that Shetland needs now and in the future.”
UHI Shetland confirmed last year it was no longer pursuing student accommodation as part of the Knab development in Lerwick.
A new build creative hub containing student accommodation had more recently been explored at the former Anderson High School site but has since been ruled out.
Instead previous UHI Shetland principal Professor Jane Lewis said the college would now look to reinstate the top floor of its Port Arthur House accommodation unit in Scalloway.
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