Scorrie

Still using wampum in some dark corners of Shetland...... Local currency for local people.

Good luck with that, they're a nightmare to pin down.

Good idea, but the problem is that you can't just let rip in situ. The modules would have to be taken to a decommissioning site, stripped out, all contaminants and everything else removed to take them back to metal - then taken back out and sunk. Which is what the original plan was anyway, with extra work thrown in to take it back out to sea for sinking.

If that refers to the Scottish Independence Referendum surely the only choice was rule from Westminster or rule from Edinburgh. Independence for Shetland was not an option and indeed the ballot paper made no mention of rule from Norway or Denmark. Or self-rule.

Gold bullion at £882.21 per oz = £6,491,520. Bargain?

^ Possibly Orkney had faster/easier trading links with Scotland, bigger population and more wealth? Just a guess, it would be interesting to find out.

I've always maintained that Stuart started out with a very plausible argument and a pretty good idea (Forvik) to get some publicity for his views. Unfortunately, he has tailspinned down into just being a rather poor comedy act that puts a lot of peoples' backs up without gaining any more sympathy for his cause. A real shame.

Given the amount of vicious bile, accusations of being 'traitors' and 'feart' - and downright aggression - shown by a not unsubstantial amount of Indy supporters after the referendum votes were counted, I could take you to task on that portion of your post, Hjasga....... If you wish to argue that those idiots represent most independence supporters, on you go. It's a quiet Monday morning and I could do with a laugh. No thanks, Hjasga, I were being a bit cheeky

Given the amount of vicious bile, accusations of being 'traitors' and 'feart' - and downright aggression - shown by a not unsubstantial amount of Indy supporters after the referendum votes were counted, I could take you to task on that portion of your post, Hjasga....... Anyway, Ms Urquhart needs to look up the meaning of 'ethnicity'. Playing the race and ethnic card in this scenario is a sure sign of someone with no real ammo in their locker.

Yes. But don't tell the wife I said I was single..............

I meant Gas Plant, slip o'the tongue.

A mass fight broke out at the new gas sweetening plant this morning. 23 people arrested in Total....

Ah, Papsy, my little Master Mariner. It's worth coming back to you just to say this: Wrong again. Maybe you're thinking of someone else?

The policy is to make Gaelic available where there's demand for it, as Shetland has no history of Gaelic speaking then obviously there's no demand for it here, so no Gaelic. ........ There's the rub, Capeesh. I believe you are being a tad complacent here. How many folk expressing an interest in Gaelic education for their children would it take to tip the scales on this one? I'm sure there'll be a few interested out there....... Anyway, good luck to anyone learning Gaelic. it's a fine language. I just don't expect Shetland to stump up for it out of their already overstretched budget.

Are you calling DC Perez a liar? Bang Tarsus up! He's a right villain and no mistake.

Tavish has never said he is against the policy per se. The main issue is where is the money to come from? Foisting the teaching of a minority language onto a region that has no solid cultural links with that language and dictating that part of the existing education budget should be used to finance it (with no extra funds being allocated) is the real problem. The other issue is the creeping 'Gaelicisation' of Scotland and the Isles. It's already started elsewhere.

I think you'll stuggle to find any fictional programme that is 100% geographically accurate when you look at the continuity. Take, for example, 'Last of the Summer Wine' - which is situated in Holmfirth, Yorkshire. The locations used are spread across three villages: Holmfirth, Meltham and Marsden. So when a character walks round the corner from Sids Cafe to Auntie Wainwrights shop, they have actually been magically teleported from Holmfirth to Marsden - 12 miles away. Does anybody care? Not really. Good fun people and place spotting, though.

Never did any of that on my watch. You need to speak to the people who are there now to get answers to that. As I pointed out in an earlier post, I left over a year ago. Good to see your usual low standard of ill-informed and childlike post content is being maintained. Goodbye.

So, what name places could we make up? Lerwick becomes Muckletoon? Scalloway: Peerietoon? Mossbank: Gaza?

Aye, I bet he turned up for that gig on time.

Contact Angus Meudell on Yell, he runs classes. Top bloke, no sprootle and knows his stuff. https://www.facebook.com/Shetland.KungFu/

Although Caithness is officially a part of Scotland, they've always had a great deal of passion about their Norse ancestry. Interesting to see that the newly unfurled county flag harkens back to these links - with no reference to Scotland whatsoever: http://community.caithness.org/article.php?id=5346&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Nearly forgot, I'm not necessarily a fan of the SSMO or otherwise, simply because I've had no involvement with the regulatory side of things in Shetland. I suppose I'm of the opinion that the industry definitely needs regulating - but as to whether SSMO are doing a good job or not I couldn't really say.

Point regarding hundreds of creels being fished legally but unlicenced: A very astute observation, looking at it from that angle. But...if the fishing was de-regulated, would it affect directly those already fishing those creels that much? My guess is they'd carry on much as before - so no issues there - but I still reckon you'd have more people investing in gear and adding a lot more into the mix. I've no evidence to support my theory at all, but that's how it seems to me. Full time fishermen? You may have me there, I'm scratching my head on this one. I reckon out of the boats I dealt with then two or possibly three may be truly full-time, but there is a question mark over two of those as well...... I'll not name them in public as it's not fair to name individuals and drag them into a discussion on a personal level. But fair comment, I reckon. I've PM'd you.

Some very good points there, Blue Beetle, but I'll disagree with you (in part) on your last sentence: Opening up and allowing anyone to fish could be a double-edged sword. Yes, it will allow new blood into the industry, but who are they going to sell to in a market of deflated prices and what appears to be already an over-supply problem in Shetland? There's only so many claws you can sell at a decent price on the Continent and no sausage wants the brown meat. The way I see it, all this would do at the present time is harm the guys who've been at the creels for years full time and put all the graft and expense into a full time operation, only to see their business eroded by a new flood of creels in the water, many of which will be no doubt owned by people who are already employed elsewhere.. For example, in Caithness there's (as you say) no restrictions on who can fish providing you have Cat A VCU's. The downside is that there are people working in well paid jobs offshore ,who had the money to buy lots of creels and are/were bombarding the place with creels when they're back on the beach to the detriment of everyone else. These people were then complaining loudly if anyone else put fleets or even singles in what they perceived to be 'their' patch of seabed. It got that bloody ridiculous at one point, that I got pissed off with it all and stopped fishing completely as I couldn't be arsed with the falling out. And that's my worry with a completely open policy, BB, I'd hate to see the same thing happen around Shetland. Having said that, going back to my original post regarding landings quality, you're right, sharpening up with some more competition could help increase the quality of some boats landings. But, isn't it a bit unfair to effectively penalize the more professional creelers just to bring the odd cowboy into line?