‘Deeply personal’ Shetland Bus documentary to launch on Friday
Hearts Across the Sea will be available to watch free on YouTube
A NEW documentary telling the extraordinary story of the Shetland Bus operation through first-hand memories of those involved is to be released to the public this week.
Hearts Across the Sea features the stories of three Shetland people with living memories of the Shetland Bus – Lexie Watt, Tommy Isbister and Douglas Smith – and will be free to watch on YouTube from Friday.
The film, created by Claire White and Jonathon Bulter, was first shown at the UHI Scalloway auditorium in May.
‘A beautiful film’: new documentary offers vivid retelling of Shetland Bus story
Contributors closely connected with its commemoration, including Scalloway Museum trustee Bill Moore and Astrid Larsen, daughter of legendary Shetland Bus skipper Leif Larsen, are also included in the 30-minute documentary.
The film – which Scalloway Museum is helping to launch – is hoped to bring the story of the Shetland Bus during the Second World War to a new generation.
The Shetland Bus created a vital link across the North Sea between Shetland and Nazi-occupied Norway.
From its base in Scalloway, crews made dangerous crossings carrying agents, supplies and equipment into occupied Norway, while bringing people escaping the occupation back to Shetland.
Told from a local and deeply personal perspective, Hearts Across the Sea explores the Shetland Bus story through the memories of those who experienced its impact.
It also includes footage from events held in 2025 to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, showing how this shared Shetland-Norwegian history continues to be remembered today.
Film producer Claire White said: “From the moment I first recognised that this film needed making, to finalising the edit with the community’s blessing, working on this project has been the privilege of my professional life.
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“Jonathon Bulter and I hope it carries the incredible Shetland Bus story far into the future.”
Scalloway Museum curator Laurie Goodlad said that so many of the voices from that remarkable period in Shetland’s history have already been lost.
That made it “incredibly important that we capture and preserve these last fragments of living memory for future generations”, she added.
“This film gives us a wonderful opportunity to share those stories more widely, and we hope it will be enjoyed by audiences far and wide.
“Here in Shetland, we also hope to take the film out into the community and into our schools, so that future generations can hear these stories for themselves and understand the important role Shetland played in the Shetland Bus.”
The filmmakers and Scalloway Museum thanked Salmon Scotland for part-funding the project, adding they had helped to make it possible to capture and preserve these important memories for future generations.
Hearts Across the Sea will be available to watch free on YouTube from 7pm on Friday (25 September).
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