Also in the news / Ferry contract, island games and more…
SHETLAND Islands Council is now tendering for a replacement Fair Isle ferry.
The estimated value of the contract for the new build steel monohull vessel with a 12 passenger capacity is £5.7 million excluding VAT. The contract duration period is listed as 18 months.
The project to replace the Fair Isle ferry plus improve harbour infrastructure at the island plus at Grutness in Shetland’s South Mainland has attracted a UK Government funding award of around £27 million.
However, the estimated cost of the project has since risen substantially.
THE SHETLAND Island Games Association (SIGA) has welcomed news that the local men’s and women’s football teams have been drawn to play in the 2025 Orkney Island Games.
Some teams had to miss out because of accommodation constraints on the island.
SIGA chair Lesley Hutchison said: “We’ll continue our planning in the knowledge that both football teams are now included, alongside the other eleven sports who will represent Shetland.
“We expect to have an overall team of around 200 competitors and officials, which would make ‘Orkney 2025’ our largest team ever to travel to the games.”
LOGANAIR has appointed Rebecca Borresen as its new director of safety and sustainability.
Airline chief executive Luke Farajallah said he is “especially pleased that we have attracted someone who learnt her craft in the heavily regulated and safety-driven environment of the oil and gas industry”.
The company said Borresen will be “heavily involved” in its new partnership with hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace.
THE ISLESBURGH hostel being on Booking.com has led to a significant increase in reservations, a meeting has heard.
More than 6,600 people used the Shetland Islands Council facility in 2023/24, which was an increase of 2,000 on the previous year.
A meeting of the council’s education and families committee heard on Monday that this was predominantly due to the new exposure on Booking.com.
HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess has highlighted the benefits of community energy ownership after visiting Yell’s five-turbine Garth wind farm.
The wind farm is owned by North Yell Development Council and generates funds for local projects.
Through a motion in the Scottish Parliament the Green MSP is calling on the government to increase support for such projects so that more communities across Scotland can “enjoy these lasting financial and social benefits”.
Burgess commented: “As the country transitions to green energy, we should use this opportunity to democratise our energy system as well as decarbonise it.
“Instead of replacing a handful of fossil fuel multinationals with a handful of renewable multinationals, let’s redistribute some of the ownership and the wealth generated by Scotland’s abundant renewable resources.”
NOMINATIONS are open for this year’s Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS) Volunteering Awards.
The awards consist of two categories – the ‘Willin Haands Award’ for adults aged 26 and over, and the ‘Peerie Trows Award’ for children 11 and under.
The awards will complement the national Saltire Awards scheme, which VAS delivers annually to recognise young people aged 12 to 25.
People can nominate volunteers for the awards by filling in an online form or contacting VAS for a paper version.
NORWEGIAN energy firm Equinor says it is assessing the implications of the UK Government’s recent announcement it would not contest a legal challenge against its planned Rosebank oil and gas development to the west of Shetland.
A spokesperson said Equinor will “maintain close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders to advance the project”.
They added: “Rosebank is a vital project for the UK and is bringing benefits in terms of investment, job creation and energy security.”
The government’s announcement followed a landmark ruling which requires regulators to consider the impact of burning oil and gas emissions when issuing licenses.
The decision not to defend the case in court does not mean the licenses for Rosebank, as well as the Jackdaw field off Aberdeen, have been withdrawn.
PRACTISING visual artists and craft makers across the country are invited to apply for grants of up to £1,000 to support their creative and professional development.
This is thanks to funding from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland in partnership with 17 different Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) schemes covering 25 local authority areas.
The local VACMA scheme is managed by Shetland Arts.
Sarah MacIntyre, visual arts officer at Creative Scotland, said VACMA provides “crucial support to artists and craft makers at all stages of their careers, enabling them to test new ideas, develop skills, and create exciting new work”.
More details can be found here.
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