Looking back on the week – from tunnels to tales from the community
WILL tunnels in Shetland remain a pipe dream or are they edging closer to becoming a reality?
The subsea fixed link was one of the hot topics this week in the local news, with community engagement events held in islands and new cost estimates being released for the first time.
The key message from a media briefing with the council and transport and tunnel consultants was that they are technically feasible – it is just down to how they are financed.
Elsewhere in the last week we reported on how a major incident was declared at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick after a widespread power cut, while Shetland News was first to report how ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell’s embezzlement court case had a local link.
We also revealed how SSEN was considering a new potential landfall site for its proposed second HVDC subsea cable, near Mavis Grind.
There were also plenty of news from a meeting of Shetland’s external transport forum, including on how Loganair is grappling with rising costs, while NorthLink boss Stuart Garrett spoke about demand – or lack of – for forward bookings.
Energy was also back in the mix this week, with a call for a meeting to be held on a pause on major developments and a motion in parliament supported by Shetland’s new MSP.
Away from the more weighty topics, we were pleased to shine a light on a number of community stories which, going by the significant response on social media, struck a chord with many locals.
Their fundraiser had reached £500 when we published our story, but it has since risen to nearly £1,500 – well done to Joe and Kari.
Congratulations also to eight-year-old Alfie Pottinger, who raised a sizeable amount of funds for the British Heart Foundation by running 1.5km in the Edinburgh heat.
On Friday we also highlighted a globetrotting hairdresser who has opened up her own salon in Lerwick (linked below), and an actor formerly of Yell who has landed a motion capture job for a James Bond computer game.
On the same day we also reported on how a cafe has re-opened at the Westings.
Meanwhile yesterday Relay for Life, which raises money for Cancer Research UK, returned – with around 600 people registering to take part and more than £100,000 raised so far.
Thanks for all your support this week, with Shetland News continuing to provide news and views free of charge. Remember that if you like what we do and feel able to, you can become a supporter here.
More stories from the week:
• No location ‘off the table’ for SSEN legacy housing
• Scottish Sea Farms fined £70k for breaches at Gremista site
• UHI Shetland pair scoop awards for ‘significant impact’ on student life
• Mareel cinema ticket price for under-16s to reduce over summer after government VAT cut
• Rare bird spotted in Fair Isle on first recorded visit to Shetland
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