Accused tells of ‘gargling’ noises coming from woman who died

A woman accused of murder spoke of how her alleged victim made “gargling” sounds moments after being “cut” on the neck with a knife. Accused tells of ‘gargling’ noises coming from woman who died

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Viking Energy agreement on community fund

A community benefit fund from the Viking Energy windfarm has taken an “important step forward”. Viking Energy has signed a minute of agreement regarding the... Viking Energy agreement on community fund

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Grants available for community groups from charitable trust

Shetland Charitable Trust is offering grants of up to £5,000 to community groups under a “new-look funding stream” opening on 1st December. The small grant... Grants available for community groups from charitable trust

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‘Significant’ Cullivoe Road project moves to next stage

A long-awaited road upgrade that is integral to the success of a £1.2 million redevelopment project in North Yell has been given another boost. ‘Significant’ Cullivoe Road project moves to next stage

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Covid-19 restrictions set for Christmas easing allowing Shetland households to form larger bubbles

A “slight and careful” easing of Covid-19 restrictions could see households form larger bubbles for a short period over Christmas.  First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said... Covid-19 restrictions set for Christmas easing allowing Shetland households to form larger bubbles

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Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary inundated with calls about grey seal pups following storm

Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary inundated with calls about grey seal pups following storm

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Drugs dog charity helps seize over £100,000 in drugs and cash

The local charity Dogs Against Drugs has helped to seize more than £100,000 worth of drugs and cash so far this year. Since January 1,... Drugs dog charity helps seize over £100,000 in drugs and cash

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Carmichael seeks ‘proper reply’ from government over aviation concerns

MP Alistair Carmichael raised local concerns about the centralisation of air traffic control services with the aviation minister Robert Courts this week. Mr Carmichael said... Carmichael seeks ‘proper reply’ from government over aviation concerns

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‘Centralisation habit’ weakens councils’ power, convener Bell tells parliamentary committee

The power and influence of local government has been eroded over decades, Shetland Islands convener Malcolm Bell told a Scottish parliamentary committee. He said that... ‘Centralisation habit’ weakens councils’ power, convener Bell tells parliamentary committee

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New single from local indie rockers The Stoals

Local indie rockers The Stoals have released their latest single Something Controversial. The four-piece released the song on streaming services this week, and said on... New single from local indie rockers The Stoals

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Police appeal over town roundabout ‘hit and run’

POLICE in Shetland are appealing for witnesses to a “hit and run” incident said to have occurred in Lerwick on Wednesday lunchtime. Officers said the incident occurred at around 12.30pm at the town’s Sea Road, near the Tesco supermarket, where a maroon motor vehicle collided with a silver motor vehicle that was already on the […]

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Energy hub plans ‘completely aligned’ with government ambitions, SIC adviser says

A LEADING player in plans for a Shetland ‘energy hub’ says the UK Government’s hope to create a ‘green industrial revolution’ highlights the speed the country is looking to transition to cleaner forms of energy. Douglas Irvine, who is Shetland Islands Council’s economic adviser for the Orion Project, said “it looks as though we are […]

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Warning made over fireworks after horses left ‘utterly distraught’ at noise

AN OWNER of eight horses and ponies has urged people to think twice about setting off fireworks in the future after some of her animals were left distressed by the noise on bonfire night weekend. Hannah Anderson said her horses, who stay in Bigton, were left drenched “head to toe” in sweat following the loud […]

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Prison officer gives evidence at murder trial

A WOMAN has told of how she felt “haunted” after hearing a younger woman who is on trial accused of murder making a “smug” remark about the alleged crime during a flight. Margaret Haughian, 50, said she sat beside Dawn Smith, 28, during a journey from Sumburgh to Aberdeen last August. The High Court in […]

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Heavy rain causes flooding in several areas

FOLLOWING heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning Shetland Islands Council has received a number of calls about flooded roads in several areas. The road which passes by the Tingwall Primary School has been blocked off police after the loch flooded. The Peerie Shop Cafe in Lerwick was also forced to close due to flooding. There are […]

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Flooding at Gott property

THREE fire appliances were called out to deal with flooding at a house in Gott on Wednesday morning. The Scottish Fire and Rescue service said two Lerwick appliances and one from Scalloway were called out shortly after 10am and were using a light portable pump to deal with the water.

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Leaving isles short-changed on ferries ‘an untenable position’

LEADING SIC councillors queued up to leave the Scottish Government under no illusion that islanders expect its pledge to fully fund inter-island ferry services will be honoured ahead of next spring’s Holyrood elections.  Council leader Steven Coutts and environment and transport committee chairman Ryan Thomson were among those to make a succession of pointed remarks […]

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Steep rise in number of children receiving help from foodbank

THE NUMBER of children receiving support from the Shetland Foodbank has risen by more than 50 per cent over the last year. Foodbank manager David Grieve said in the last six months children accounted for around one third of all clients. He said during the coronavirus pandemic Shetland Foodbank has seen a “dramatic rise” in […]

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Fair Isle chairs go on display in museum

DA GADDERIE in the Shetland Museum has reopened with an exhibition on Fair Isle chairs. The exhibition features three of Eve Eunson’s new handcrafted pieces as well as historic chairs from the museum collection and other items on loan. Eunson was born and raised on her family’s croft in Fair Isle. In 2018 she came […]

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‘Wonderful support’ for Hansel fae Hame student appeal

NEARLY 60 students on the mainland have been selected to receive a ‘Peerie Hansel fae Hame’ in a show of support from those back in Shetland. The project aims to deliver a surprise gift from the isles at a time when students may be struggling at university accommodation during the pandemic. People were encouraged to […]

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Is this name still known in Unst?

In his work on Shetland place names of 1901, Jakob Jakobsen gives a list of names of fishing grounds. Among them is ‘Da Tussek’, somewhere in North Unst. I would very much like to know if this name is still known in Unst, and, if so, where the place was. Brian Smith, Shetland Archives

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Lower speed limits to be trialled on approach into south end of Lerwick

NEW trial speed limits are to be introduced on the main road leading into Lerwick from the south end, councillors agreed on Tuesday. Members of Shetland Islands Council’s environment and transport committee backed the introduction of temporary 30mph, 40mph and 50mph speed limits on the A970 between Ackrigarth at the south end of Lerwick to […]

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Slower traffic beckons for Tresta road after speed limit petition

THE SPEED limit on a stretch of road running through Tresta on the Westside is to be lowered to 50mph for an 18-month trial period, SIC councillors agreed on Tuesday. The decision, which goes against the recommendation of roads officials, was made following last December’s submission of a petition from the local community containing 72 […]

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People encouraged to join walk against gender-based violence

A SOCIALLY distanced #wistoo walk is set to take place in Lerwick in early December to highlight the issue of gender-based violence. The event is being organised by Shetland Rape Crisis’ young activist group BEE (Bold, Equal and Empowered). It will take place around Clickimin Loch between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 5 December. Should […]

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Isles to remain under level one Covid restrictions

THE CURRENT coronavirus restrictions in Shetland are set to continue largely as they are following the Scottish Government’s latest review. First minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday that Shetland would remain in level one of the tiered system of restrictions. However, she did say that people in level one areas will be able to meet […]

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Tech companies show interest in moving to isles after space funding boost

TECHNOLOGY companies have expressed an interest in relocating to the isles following news of major investment in the proposed Shetland Space Centre. Shetland Islands Council development director Neil Grant told councillors during a meeting on Tuesday that several companies had been in touch with the local authority within a week of news of aerospace giant […]

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‘Uncertainty’ for employees as salmon company looks to sell Shetland operations

GRIEG Seafood has announced it is undertaking a strategic review of its Shetland operations with the aim of selling up “when the timing is right”. The company says it will instead increase its focus on farming in Norway and Canada. It is not known how a potential sale of operations in the isles could impact […]

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SIC doing well in drive to tackle inequalities, meeting hears

SHETLAND Islands Council is getting to grips with tackling inequality in the isles, according to the local authority’s education and families committee chairman.  Councillor George Smith’s assessment came after the committee heard about a range of initiatives in place to combat inequalities and child poverty in Shetland at a meeting on Monday. Director of children’s […]

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Seven fixed penalty notices issued by police for Covid breaches at weekend

THE POLICE issued seven people with fixed penalty notices at the weekend (14 and 15 November) in relation to breaches of coronavirus legislation. Chief inspector Lindsay Tulloch said they were issued where “groups from different households were meeting indoors”. He said this involved parties or gatherings of people in houses of more than two households. On […]

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Scottish Government pledges to fund school milk subsidy

THE SCOTTISH Government has pledged to bridge the funding gap for school milk following the end of an EU subsidy in the UK. It says it will step in with £722,000 this school year for local authorities across Scotland if the UK Government does not fund the scheme. It means it is likely that a […]

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Place Name of the Week - Talking Taings

The Old Norse tangi, tungi means a point of land and is a common place-name in Norway, Faroe and Iceland. The names are easy to recognise and interpret because there are many parallel taing, teng, tung, tungi or tonga names in Shetland. The place-names describe the location, wildlife or buildings associated with the points.

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Place Name of the Week - All about burning

This week as our minds turn to bonfires, I consider some of the many place-names that relate to burning. Old Norse brenna and brandr, a burning, burnt off piece of land, gives brunna, brenna, brenda or brenya place-names. These are places where patches of heathery moorland were set on fire to clear for grazing and encourage new growth

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Shetland Arts secures support from Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund

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Place Name of the Week - Njuggls and Shöpilties

The njuggl is a water spirit similar to the kelpie, which frequents burns and lochs. It disguises itself as a horse and, by feigning tameness and affection, lures unsuspecting weary travellers onto its back and then gallops at lightning speed towards the nearest water.

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Place Name of the Week - Bölin da Kye

Old Norse bú, oxi, kálfr, kýr and kví village, farm and field names all relate to cattle. Discover the Shetland place names related to cattle in our latest Place Names blog.

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Place-name of the week blog – Neaps and Noups

Find out more about Shetland's place names in our weekly blog. The Old Norse terms gnípa and gnúpr mean a steep mountain with overhanging top or a high mountaintop with a steep front. This gives rise to place-names like Nipa and Snønipa in Norway, Dalsnípa and Núpur in Faroe and Eiríksgnípa in Iceland. In Norse mythology, Gnipahellir was an overhanging cave where Garmr the hound was chained until the onset of Ragnarök.

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New Commission and Associate Artist Scheme

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Appeal: A Peerie Hansel Fae Hame

The Shetland Community would like to express its support by sending a peerie hansel (gift) from home to the estimated 400 students away from home during the pandemic. Can you help?

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Shetland Arts release Annual Summary 2019/20

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Shetland Arts nominated for 2020 ACHATES PHILANTHROPY PRIZE

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Shetland Amenity Trust publishes 2019/20 Annual Report

The Shetland Amenity Trust has today published its Annual Report and Accounts for the 2019/20 financial year, which were approved at the AGM last month.

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Place-name of the week – searching for sheep

Find out more about Shetland's place names in our weekly blog. As this is Shetland Wool Week, I have been thinking about all the dialect words associated with sheep and wool and particularly the place-names that reflect where sheep grazed, rested or were caaed (rounded up).

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Place Name of the Week - Grinds

The dialect word grind comes from Old Norse grindr a wicket-gate, usually in a fence or wall. Grind place-names denote where there have been such gates or describe features that resemble gateways

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Place Name of the Week - Pursuing pirates

You may start talking like a pirate on “Talk Like a Pirate Day” on 19 September, but will you also go out and search for fellow pirates and if so, where will you go?

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Remarkable Journeys

Autumn migration should now be in full swing here in Shetland but so far this September has proved disappointing for birdwatchers. This because the wind has largely been from the western quarter. Westerly winds do bring some migrants to the isles, notably those that breed to the north-west of us in Faroe or Iceland.

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New Chair and Trustees and farewell to Frank

The Shetland Amenity Trust held their AGM on Monday 14th September at which they appointed a new Chair, Vice-Chairs and four new Trustees. Long standing Trustee Frank Robertson stepped down after 21 years of service on the Board.

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Moment in Time: Residency Opportunity

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Place Name of the Week - Tings and Things

Things, from the Old Norse word þing meaning assembly, were an early system of justice and administration. When Vikings and early Norse settlers arrived in a new place, they brought with them their customs and legal systems.. Things were where political decisions were made, laws upheld and disputes settled. They acted as meeting places and were often the focus for trade and religious activity.

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Place Name of the Week - Noosts

Noosts, nousts or nowsts, are places where boats are drawn up from the sea. They occur along the coastline of Northern and Western Scotland and Scandinavia and take their name from the Old Norse naust meaning a boatshed.

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Look out for hoverflies

With summer drawing to an end, insects will soon start to disappear from roadside verges and our gardens but one group – the hoverflies – will be around for a while yet.

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It's bat time of year

Shetland’s cool, windy climate and the general lack of tree cover means the islands are hardly a haven for bats and there has never been any evidence that bats have bred in Shetland. Some folk, however, might be surprised to learn that bats are seen here almost every year and most occur in September and October.

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Super Saturday

Saturday was one of those days that wildlife watchers can only experience in a place as unique as Shetland. Paul Harvey's super Saturday comprised a moth, a bird and a habitat he'd not come across in Shetland before.

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The Movies Are Back at Mareel!

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Place-name of the week – Quoys, quees and hwais

The re-use of place-names is sometimes confusing, especially when the same name is repeated near an original landmark, or the meaning of a name is totally inappropriate for a new house or road. However, applying old names to new buildings helps maintain links with the past, particularly when recalling what was formerly on the site.

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Student Profile - Norman Willmore Vocational Pathways, NC, HNC Music

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