Also in the news 20 July 2026
- Voe Show cancelled
- Fine art students scoop prizes
- Government encouraged to show ‘leadership’ on island flights
- Changes to Unst recycling collection
THE VOE Show has been cancelled following a recent bereavement in the community.
The event was due to take place on 1 August, with its committee saying in a Facebook post that “our thoughts are with the immediate family, the wider family, and friends at this difficult time”.
UHI Shetland fine art student Emma Eunson has received a Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) New Graduate Prize.
The SSA is a leading arts organisation supporting and promoting contemporary artists in Scotland.
The award provides Eunson with the opportunity to exhibit her work in the SSA’s annual exhibition later this year at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Eunson’s practice examines memory, personal histories and the significance of everyday objects. Through a combination of analogue and digital processes, she explores how memories are formed, altered and revisited over time.
Fellow fine art student Estella Smith, also from UHI Shetland, has received the UHI’s alumni dissertation prize, awarded for achieving the highest dissertation mark across the graduating cohort.
Her work is inspired by memories of her mother and grandmother knitting and sewing during her childhood.
ORKNEY MSP Liam McArthur has called on the Scottish Government to “show leadership” on the issue of island aviation after Loganair reduced services between Shetland, Orkney and Inverness.
“While every effort must be made by Loganair and [airport operator] HIAL to reach agreement on early reinstatement of the services that have been cut we also need to see steps taken to reduce the risk of this happening again,” he said.
“Our island communities deserve to have confidence that the network of lifeline routes across the region is resilient, sustainable and affordable.”
It comes after Scottish transport secretary Stephen Flynn said the government had no direct power to intervene in the provision of commercial air services, adding that he hoped Loganair and HIAL would work collaboratively on the matter.
Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad and Highlands and Islands MSP Kristopher Leask recently announced plans to work on a regional air transport plan.
The Sumburgh-Kirkwall-Inverness service was reduced to weekends only in July, with Loganair stressing the need for financial support. Services are currently due to resume in October.
HOUSEHOLD recycling collections of paper and card will not be picked up in Unst today (Monday) and will instead be rescheduled to this Saturday (25 July).
Householders in Unst are asked to put their blue lidded wheelie bins out for collection by 7.30am this Saturday. Shetland Islands Council said it apologises for any inconvenience.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
