Rolling out from out under the covers, to cover the early shift of the festive mid winter bash, I soon discovered it was a dark “drushie” day.

At Islesburgh my first encounter with a Viking was with one of the “men in black” – Michael Groat, one of the six spearmen in the squad. His car had failed to start, but “good old Harry” was there with his van.

We passed Erik Moncreiff who seemed to be setting off with a raven banner.

Into the building and the main body of guizers began to drittle in showing that this year’s suit is genuinely something different, the main colours being a bottle green and earthy brown.

There’s definitely a touch of the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> in the design, this impression is maybe strengthened by the lack of horns or feathers on the helmets.  The shields are certainly a different shape this year incorporating an impressive star-cross.

Guizer Tommy Watt showed the very impressive ceremonial weaponry, “takin’ nae chances” which is supremely crafted. With original designs the weapons are multipurpose – a double headed axe’s handle doubling as a dagger. Soon among the tea and bacon butties it’s tattoo time with Celtic designs being applied, remember its just temporary.

A request, for my cheek, for a butterfly transfer which sits with the curvy celtic designs goes unheeded.

Carn Gibson originally from Lerwick is home from Edinburgh to take part in the festival and was upbeat considering he was made redundant from his job with Pelamis Wave Power on Christmas Eve. He wishes Wave Energy Scotland would do something and get their act together. But at least the “waves are rolling on” I tried to reassure him.

Another squad member Magnus Leask has pulled his back but is undeterred, it’s a light suit as they go, but the old hacking implements are pretty solid this year.

As they cue up for their Tuesday tattoos, Michael Groat tells me of the advice he was given by ex-jarl Mitnee Simpson: “Niver give your real name, niver spik tae da police an’ niver hae yir photo taen!” he chortles. Thankfully he relents and two out of three is not bad.

On exiting Islesburgh there’s a chance to catch a word with the “Emperor Penguin” himself, Jarl Robertson is looking in good fettle in his various accessories, the sea green cloak looks very fetching.

Being a mild mannered berserker he thanks Smirk for the shield he has designed for his galley. Smirk replyied that he is always glad to see his work go up in flames at Up-Helly-A’ for such a worthy cause.

It looks like the Jarl Squad are in for a good day after being fed and watered at Islesburgh and their suits definitely have a refreshing design and colours to stand out on so far a rather driech day.

The first sighting of the Jarl’s Squad was outside Islesburgh Community Centre, when they emerged after a hearty breakfast, bang on time for their first march at 8.30am.

The squad members were in fine voice, and looked remarkably agile despite rumours that they boast the oldest average age of a Jarl’s Squad ever. Surely that can’t be true.

Half an hour later I was outside the Lerwick British Legion. The crowd was a bit sparse and the rain slightly heavier as we waited for the squad to arrive from the Toll Clock Shopping Centre, having picked up the galley Nils Olav en route.

Skilled woodworker Geoffrey Johnson. Photo: Stephen Gordon

A smattering of ex-jarls were in evidence, and one of them, Billy Goudie (2000), remarked that it was an “awful day”. No-one was arguing with that sentiments but it was hardly surprising given what had been thrown at us for the past two months.

By a few minutes after nine more people had gathered, and excitement grew as the first cheers could be heard in the distance.

As the galley wound into view, passing cheering onlookers in front of the Muddy Bay furniture store, the Freefield Centre and the Sarmile take-way, there was talk that snapper Malcolm Younger was onboard, a position he had also taken up two years ago.

Asked at the weekend whether this procedure would be repeated, one senior Jarl’s Squad member had been adamant. “If he tries to enter the galley dis year he’ll get his camera brokken an his erse keeked!” Surely the Viking threat is not so fierce nowadays.

As the squad drew nearer they made a fine sight, resplendent in their brown padded tunics, dark green trousers, rabbit skin boots and trimmings and helmets with chainmail neck covers. They carried a variety of weapons, the bulk of the squad bearing double-headed axes, swords and daggers.

The five “guardsmen”, who wore black instead of green, had spears instead of axes, and they all carried impressively shaped shields. The only criticism I would have is that the stick-on facial “tattoos” displayed by a few looked decidedly naff, especially when they began to run.

Inside the Legion it was time for a run through The Up-Helly-Aa Song and The Galley Song, before a rousing rendition of the squad song Daydream Believer, with a few different lyrics from the Monkees’ version.

Guizer Jarl Neil Robertson received a plaque from Kerry Eunson on behalf of the Legion, and he handed over a miniature shield in exchange.

Neil made reference to last year’s football match, when the Hardy Young Vikings had triumphed 6-5 over Legion team Kelly’s Kripples, and the one-and-only Cags had commented that “the Jarl’s Squad looks after the Legion and the Legion looks after the Jarl’s Squad”. Whatever that means I have no idea.

Once the formalities were over with I caught up with Andy Miller, who spent his boyhood in Lerwick while his father was teaching at first the Central School and then the AHS. For anyone who remembers Andrew (Snr), a popular teacher of secretarial studies who was known as a bit of a character, he is still alive and well at the age of 90, living in Livingstone.

Andy himself had come all the way from Hong Kong where he now lives and works as a professor of development biology. This trip is only for a fortnight but he will be coming back in April for seven months to oversee a research project at the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway.

“I would like to make it known that there’s no coincidence whatsoever between that project and being invited into the Jarl’s Squad,” he said. Err … I’m not sure I would have made the connection.

Andy said the real reason he was in the squad was his friendship with the jarl, which began through his father. Then Neil had headed out east for the annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and stayed with Andy’s family and as a “reciprocal thing” he had received an invitation to become a Viking.

This year is Andy’s first in a squad since 1979. He remembers being a fiddle box carrier with the late Bill Carter and Billy Moncrieff, although he was usually referred to as a “trumpet box carrier” as the musicians were often more of the brass variety.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be back again,” he said, adding that his sister Alison, her husband and two daughters had come up from Edinburgh for the occasion and would be at the Clickimin Centre.

His younger brother Alistair, now a flying doctor in Australia, was unable to make the trip but he sent his best wishes.

“I find the funniest thing coming back, and not having seen people for so long, it’s 10 times more difficult [recognising them] when they all have beards!”

With a Jarl’s Squad looking so good as this one it is obvious that a tremendous lot of work has gone into making both the suits and accessories, and a man responsible for the wood elements is janitor Geoffrey Johnson, who also taught woodwork nightclasses for a spell.

This is Geoffrey’s third time as a guest in the squad, having accompanied Peter Leask, jarl in 1995, and Bruce Leask, who led the festival in 2002.

The axe and spear handles, which look tremendous, were carved from two and a half cubic metres of padauk, an Asian timber which is a member of the blood group of dense hardwood, Geoffrey told me.

“It’s a concept which has never been done,” he said. “It was delayed for 20 years and it’s very, very difficult to cut out in one piece.”

It was a very comfortable and practical suit, Geoffrey said, and his colleagues sitting nearby all nodded in agreement.

There was just time for a quick word with the main man himself, with the fearsome figure of marshall Ivor Cluness waiting to usher him away, so I asked Neil if he was prepared for what was to come.

“The voice is still holding out,” he said. “It’s a peerie bit wet but I’m sweating anyway to be honest so it won’t make much difference.

“Gary Neckie said you always feel better when it’s raining. Well that’s certainly the case today and I feel great!”

On exiting the Legion the rain had stopped. Let’s hope Neil doesn’t notice.

On a dreich morning the waiting public got their first view of the 70-strong Jarl’s Squad.

The splendidly-clad guizers were in tan quilted tunics with green trim, with guizing guardsmen in black and led by the impressive figure of Olav Haraldsson in sea green cape, steel breastplate and winged helmet.

After an official photo at the harbour it was on up to the town hall, with music from Lerwick Brass Band, cheering, marshals ordering the procession and keeping the public at bay and a gaggle of photographers running ahead to take snaps. They were joined by staff from the shops and police taking photos at the road junctions.

An accordion and fiddle band played as guests assembled at the town hall, and a hefty cheering announced the arrival of the Jarl’s Squad, followed by “King Olav” and a singing of the Up Helly Aa Song, with lots of raised axes, spears and another implement, the cross of St Olaf. The sing of the Jarl’s Squad song, Daydream Believer, followed.

Council convener Malcolm Bell, speaking in full regalia under the raven banner – one also fluttered atop the building – said he had been trying to dig the dirt on Neil for his speech, but failed to come up with anything.

He then made a reference to an ex-jarl’s granddaughter, who loved an Up-Helly-A’ DVD but liked to skip the part with “the man with the big necklace”.

The town hall, Mr Bell noted, was the seat of democracy where politics was transacted for all but one day a year. And for this day, when Up-Helly-A’ festivities take over, he announced to loud applause there would be a new dance: “two steps forward, one step back and a sidestep”.

As for the Guizer Jarl, he was the definition of the Shetland male who could “spend every minute of the last 15 years in the galley shed and feel no guilt,” and still be a road engineer “in his spare time”.

As King Olav he was going to tear up the Hillhead tonight, where the crossings would be re-named penguin crossings (in homage to the Guizer Jarl’s nickname).

Mr Bell paid tribute to the former jarls who had gone to their own Valhalla, including William “Feejur” Tait, who had taken on the same Viking persona in 1960.

The convener gave the present incumbent the freedom of Lerwick for 24 hours (damages to be taken out of the roads budget), and invited everyone to toast Shetland’s friendship town of Måløy, for which he drank from a replica silver galley, saying “skol”.

SIC convener Malcolm Bell welcomes the Guizer Jarl to the town hall, but warned him any damage would come out of the roads maintenance budget. Photo: Dave Donaldson

Then it was the jarl’s turn to speak. He emphasised the historical links with previous jarls and was moved that the late Feejur had been the same character, and that the current junior jarl was representing Magnus the Good who had been Olav’s son.

In real life, the Guizer Jarl had returned from south to Shetland in 2000, and decided he either had to get married or join the Up-Helly-A’ committee – and he was convinced he made the right choice.

He praised the local craftsmanship in the outfits – the quilted and studded pigskin tunics with rabbit skin trim and his cloak were all made locally, as were the shields, helmets and chain mail. These had “raised the bar”, he said.

The planning had taken 18 months with ideas for the outfits picked up from a Japanese game. The padding was designed to make them flexible, and warm enough not to need a cape. The axes could be worn ornamentally on the back.

And how did he feel to be the most important man in Shetland’s most important festival? “It was like being a king, standing up there and saying what I want,” he said. And regarding the freedom of Lerwick: “It feels great but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it.”

Then came the singing of The Norseman’s Home and off on the bus for another part of the great day.

Visitors from far and wide made for their first glimpse of the Guizer Jarl and his squad with a flurry of photographers and a Norwegian film crew surrounding the green and white Nils Olav at Alexandra Wharf.

Matthew Rea and Jenny Haslam travelled up from Edinburgh for the big day.

Matthew said the Jarl’s Squad suits were fantastic and was very impressed by their attention to detail.

Colin Ferguson said he was thoroughly enjoying his first experience of Up-Helly-A’ having travelled north from Newcastle.

He said it was great to see folk of all ages being involved in the festival. “It gives it a really good family feel to this part of the morning,” he said.

Neil Wright from Essex thought the Jarl’s Squad suits were “very impressive”

“Clearly a lot of effort and creativity has gone into them,” he added.

“The weapons are particularly well made, a lot of craftsmanship has clearly gone into it.”

Dawn Hindley, Christine Egerton and John Taylor from Manchester, were wrapped up warm and were happily taking in the festivities.

They first heard of Up Helly-A’ on BBC programme Coast and Dawn said her late mother was a big fan of Vikings and was a regular visitor to Scotland. They were given a special look inside the galley shed last night.

“I can’t tell you how nice the people are,everywhere we go,” said Dawn.

“The people of the Shetland Isles should be proud,” she added.

The Shetland football team face a difficult group for this year’s Natwest Island Games – with the Isle of Wight being a tough nut to crack.

The blues have been grouped with the 2011 winners, along with the Falkland Islands and Hitra and will battle it out this summer. Coach Niall Bristow expects a tough challenge ahead.

Shetland last featured in the games in 2009 and bagged a gold medal on home soil in 2005.

Asked if it was tough draw, Bristow replied: “It is. Because of the very nature of the Island Games is that you must win your group to compete for a medal.”

Bristow expects the Isle of Wight to have retained some of their players from the winning squad and without being disrespectful to the other teams, expects the Isle of Wight versus Shetland clash to be similar a recent FA cup tie.

“It could be viewed on as a Chelsea versus Bradford situation,” he said.

More in Friday’s Shetland Times.

Injecting drug users are being urged to be “extremely alert” after health officials confirmed they were investigating a possible case of botulism – an infection which can cause paralysis.

The person suspected of having the infection is a drug user and NHS Shetland’s public health department is working alongside Health Protection Shetland to confirm the diagnosis.

The patient is receiving treatment and is said to be in a stable condition.

Cases of botulism have been reported recently in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland. Some have been confirmed with others under investigation. The cause of this possible infection locally is being investigated with the focus on intravenous drug use.

Botulism is a rare condition and is not passed on from person to person. It is caused by botulinum toxin, a poison produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The organism can be found in soil, dust, and river or sea sediments and can survive in these environments as a resistant spore.

The bacteria themselves are not harmful, but they can produce highly poisonous toxins when they have no oxygen (such as in closed cans or bottles, stagnant soil or mud, or occasionally the human body).

Dr Susan Laidlaw, NHS Shetland’s consultant in public health medicine, said: “I would urge all injecting drug usersto be extremely alert to the symptoms of this infection, You should seek urgent medical attention from Accident and Emergency if you experience any early symptoms such as blurred or double vision, difficulty in swallowing and speaking and/or inflammation at the injection site.

“We have a range of services in Shetland to help drug users tackle their drug problems. But for those who continue to inject drugs, it is extremely important that they seek urgent medical help if they show these early symptoms.”

Symptoms often begin with blurred or double vision and difficulty in swallowing and speaking. There may be local inflammation at an injection site in cases associated with intravenous drug use. If the condition is not treated quickly the disease can progress to a paralysis that can affect the arms, legs, and eventually the muscles that control breathing.

• Services for drug users in Shetland, including CADSS, the Substance Misuse Clinic and the needle exchange at AL Laing Community Pharmacy , are providing information for drug users on reducing the risk of Botulism and symptoms to watch out for.

Junior Guizer Jarl Lewis Harkness was in no doubt what being elected as leader of the Jarl’s Squad meant to him this year.

13-year-old Lewis, from Bressay said that being Jarl was a good experience as well as being good fun.

The Junior Jarls Squad’s official duties started with marching along the street in the drizzle accompanying the seniors before returning to the Anderson High School, where Lewis is a second year pupil, for a well-earned refuel of food.

After that it was back to Commercial Street, this time for a march unaccompanied by their older brethren.

A highly anticipated dinner courtesy of NorthLink, where the Jarl and his lads got the chance to re-stoke on weather beating calories. and a tour of the bridge of the Hjaltland followed.

As usual, the Junior Jarl was elected by his Secondary 1 and 2 classmates after a candidate had been put forward from each of the five or sic Secondary 2 classes.

The Junior Jarl’s squad by tradition bears the handed down cloaks, shields and breastplates of previous squads but that leaves the making of the kirtles and other gear to be done by each squad.

Lewis admits playing no part in the tailoring but that “mums and grannies” had done a great job in tackling the sewing duties.

He was elected not long before Christmas which left little time for preparations. Most of the outfit was complete before Christmas with the fine details added in time for Up Helly A’.

Lewis said that he was delighted to be elected and picked many of his school friends to be in the squad, some of whom are also football team mates.

He started playing for junior Spurs at the age of six and got into the Shetland junior football team at 11 – the youngest you can play for a Shetland side and normally plays in centre midfield.

After dinner, Lewis said: “ I would like to thank the committee for making this all happen and the mums and dads for their support and the likes of NorthLink that’s put on lunch for us today.”

Serco NorthLink Ferries service manager Jane Leask added: “It is a great privilege to host the Junior Jarl Squad on board and receive the shield. We now have an extensive collection of shields on board our ferries for passengers to view, providing a good example of NorthLink’s commitment to the Shetland community.”

The rain that had soaked guizers and spectators alike thankfully eased off before the Junior guizers’ light-up at 5.30 and the senior Jarl’s Squad formed ranks to salute the Juniors at the north end of the Lower Hillhead.

The Guizer Jarl this year represented King Magnus the Good who battled his long-standing rival Jarl Svein and his Wendish allies.

Torches lit, the 15-strong Jarl’s Squad and the other 10 school squads set off in fine voice turning the corner into the Town Hall Brae where they marched and counter-marched a couple of times before heading into the burning site, all the while accompanied by the indefatigable Lerwick Brass Band.

After the brief ceremonials torches were hurled and this year’s galley Niamh, which had been on display outside the museum and archives earlier in the day, caught flame and was soon well alight.

It was the first welcome blast of warmth of the evening for the onlookers and a reminder that the grip of winter will slacken.

Shadowing this year’s Junior Jarl Squad was Brydon Leslie who is writing a book on the 60-year history of the Junior Jarl’s squad which will be published in time for next year’s Up-Helly-A’.

Lewis is the 60th Junior Jarl and next Up-Helly-A’ will be the 60th anniversary of the first junior event.

While Mr Leslie has nailed most of the factual history of the event, he is keen to hear from anyone with stories or anecdotes to flesh out the dry narrative. He can be contacted at bjleslie@btinternet.com

There will also be a get-together of all living ex-Junior Jarl’s on the Saturday following next Up-Helly-A’ and an Up-Helly-A’ exhibition in Da Gaddery for six weeks over the season.

Ian Spence of the Junior Up-Helly-A’ committee is looking for interesting photos of small squads and their members, particularly those other than the Junior Jarl’s Squad which is already well documented. He can be contacted on  aispence@btinternet.com phone 01595 694176 or 07778 582931.

It may well be a fiery festival, but Up-Helly-A’ has more to do with water than you might first realise.

An odd thing to say, perhaps. But that’s the conclusion of this writer, in any case, who has been known to have too much time on his hands to think.

It’s certainly nothing to do with rain that has brought us to this conclusion – at least not this time. Thankfully, the evening procession was spared the sort of precipitation that has made past excursions a venture only for the brave and foolhardy.

Guizer Jarl Neil Robertson, in the end, was spared from having to swim, penguin-like, to the halls in cascading waters.

The men enjoyed fine conditions as they led the finely-finished, yet tragically short-lived galley, Nils Olav through the streets for the day’s spectacular climax. The galley’s name, incidentally, comes from a king penguin that resides at Edinburgh Zoo.

Nonetheless, Up-Helly-A’ comes round like the tide, its sea of flaming torches washing over the streets with predictable, time-honoured tradition – the guizers kicking off the procession in a hubbub of chatter and back-slapping, the flames of their torches like white horses on the waves as they drift out in the ebb towards the sanctuary of the waiting burning site.

There, at the march’s end, the flow will see the squads circle the playing field’s perimeter, before drawing the galley into an ever-enclosing fiery vortex. The torches are cast adrift, and squads look on and cheer as the fine-looking vessel is sacrificed in a sea of burning torment, submitting itself, at the last, to an ocean of ever-rising flames.

• More in the 16-page supplement free with this week’s Shetland Times.

The Shetland fiddle group which took last year’s Edinburgh Tattoo by storm has been invited back to play at the event this year, as well as scoring an “outreach” trip to the Antipodes in February.

Musical director for the 40-strong Hjaltibonhoga fiddle group, Margaret Scollay, only learned of the Tattoo’s plans for the return of the colourfully clad fiddlers on Up-Helly-A’ day.

She was picking up Tattoo executive producer Brigadier David Alfrey from Sumburgh Airport to take him to Lerwick to see the fesitval when he asked her if the fiddlers would like to come back, something that had previously only been “strongly hinted at”.

Mrs Scollay, who played in all 25 of Hjaltibonhoga’s tattoo shows, said: “I am still kinda stunned by it – it’s very exciting.

“I think I can speak for Hjaltibonhoga in saying that we did what we went to do. We really enjoyed getting to play alongside the military and other instrumental bands.”
She added that last year’s performances: “Seemed to have had a phenomenal impact as far as Shetland is concerned. It’s very humbling.”

While Mrs Scollay as musical director was responsible for choosing the tunes and arrangements, she had great support from “a few good folk around me” including Dana Stewart who administered the event that involved over 100 people from Shetland in total.

While four fiddlers had signed up for all 25 of this year’s shows within hours of Mrs Scollay sending out notification, there are still many fiddlers required if the numbers pan-out like last year, when 97 fiddlers were used in a rolling programme of performers – not all of whom could play at every show.

Next February’s trip to New Zealand and Australia, which will see Hjaltibonhoga playing alongside Scottish counterparts, will also mean some tough choices, as there are likely to be only about 20 participants at a time of year the school timetable will make attendance difficult for some of the younger ones.

• Full story in Friday’s Shetland Times.

Local charity Mind Your Head has contracted an experienced mental health professional to develop adult support services in the isles.

The six-month contract will see Anouska Civico work on developing a support service and comes in response to the findings of the Mind Your Head Community Survey Report published in August 2014.

It is hoped the new service will see Mind Your Head workers offering support to clients across the isles.

The support service will be a new direction for Mind Your Head which has been primarily involved in raising awareness of mental health issues and reducing the stigma of mental health problems since its first Fun Run in 2005.

The “important project” has been funded through the generosity of the Shetland community and in particular the efforts of the friends and family of the late Vaila Tait who died in 2014. They raised £3,780 as they wished to help people who suffer from mental health problems and also raise awareness within Shetland.

Anouska Civico has been appointed to Mind Your Head to develop adult support services.

Mrs Civico has extensive experience in mental health services having previously managed accommodation and community-based outreach services for people of all ages and varying needs. She will be helping the organisation design the proposed service and put in place clear plans to help secure external funding.

She said: “I am delighted to be undertaking this important piece of work for Mind Your Head. As an organisation they have a very good reputation among the Shetland community and the support service seems an obvious move.

“It will help Mind Your Head offer something additional for local people who need that extra bit of support at a difficult time in their life, while continuing with the projects that are already established.”

Mind Your Head team leader Jacqui Clark said “These are exciting times for us as we move into an important stage in our organisation’s development. We want to make sure that the service we develop meets the needs of the Shetland Community.”

She added, “Anouska’s experience along with evidence gathered through our 2014 Community Survey puts us in a strong position to move this forward and work towards launching a service that will make a real difference to our community’s mental health and wellbeing”.

They are also working at developing a service for young people which is called Wellbeing 10. This service is currently at consultation stage with local partners and service providers. Further information is available on the Mind Your Head website.

Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Loch­head outlined his main prior­ities for supporting a successful fishing sector to industry represent­atives in Scalloway yesterday.

Top of the agenda for the fishing industry was the landing obligation or “discard ban”, the ongoing review of quota management, and contin­uing work on the inshore fisheries strategy.

Speaking prior to the Scalloway meeting, Mr Lochhead said that fishermen, consu­mers, environment­alists and the public all wanted to see the phasing out of the discarding of fish which is thrown, dead, overboard and a “complete waste of a valuable food resource”.

Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead makes a point. Photo: Dave Donaldson

He added: “The question which is causing a lot of people concern is how we get there. We have a comp­licated mixed fishery and it is quite difficult for fishermen to catch their quotas but at the same time avoid discards.

“I accept that. That is why were are looking at the potential for a phased in approach of the discard ban over the next few years, so we can learn how to do it properly, so we can work with the industry and of course let’s not forget that the policy of phasing out fish discards has a lot of flexibility built into it to help have a bit more of a smooth transition.

“But I do not underestimate for a second the scale of the challenge. It’s about chang­ing the culture of how we treat our fisheries and of course our fishermen are the last people in the world who want to throw good quality fish overboard dead.”

Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) welcomed the opportunity to quiz Mr Lochhead during his visit to Shetland this week.

SFA chairman Leslie Tait said: “His visit coincides with better times for the industry – good stocks have bred confidence, so significant invest­ments are being made once again.

“However, it is vitally important that the discard ban and possible changes to quota allocations don’t jeopardise these positive develop­ments, and we will be raising these issues with the minister.”

According to the SFA fishing is not only incredibly important to the Shetland economy, but a third of the whitefish landed in the UK is caught within 100 nautical miles of Shetland.

The Faroese mackerel quota and inshore fisheries are among the other issues that were discussed. Fishing, Mr Lochhead said, cont­i­buted more than £400 million to the Scottish economy each year.

“It is great to hear that the fishing has been good over the last year, with further quota increases across many of our key stocks promising to keep businesses buoyant.

“This brings confidence and it’s great to learn that new vessels are being brought into the Shetland fleet and that Shetland has just had its record year for fishing. I’m hopeful that we can see revenues grow fur­ther, adding to fishermen’s bottom line and creating further good quality jobs,” he added.

“I also want to discuss our current review of fish quota management, which goes to the heart of our aspirations to tackle inequalities in Scotland. Quotas are the lifeblood of this industry and we want to ensure they’re managed in the common interest, in a way that provides active fishermen with the access to quota that they need, rather than concen­trating them in the hands of those with the deepest pockets.

“We want to create a platform for sustaining jobs and paving the way for the next generation of young skippers, by providing an environ­ment in which new businesses can secure the quota they need to get off the ground and add to the health of Scotland’s fishing fleet, in a way which spreads the wealth offered by our abundant fishing grounds.

He claimed that Shetland’s fish­eries were a “great example” of the steps the govern­ment had taken to empower local com­mun­ities and that Shetland’s inshore fisheries had shown how a local community could manage its precious natural resources.

• Richard Lochhead meets isles food producers – see The Shetland Times tomorrow.

Shetland Charitable Trust is looking for three new independent trustees to help with our work of improving the quality of life for the people of Shetland, using income from the islands’ oil funds.

We currently spend over £9m a year on charitable donations to support social care, welfare, sports, recreation, culture, the environment and the arts in Shetland. Decisions on how we earn the money and what we spend it on are taken at seven formal trustee meetings a year.

We’re looking for public-spirited people who’re mainly resident here, have local knowledge, broad experience and the ability to work with fellow trustees. The work is unpaid but job satisfaction can be high.

To find out more about what’s involved in being a trustee, please download an application pack from our website
www.shetlandcharitabletrust.co.uk or
phone 01595 744 994
or visit our office at 22-24 North Road, Lerwick, to arrange for a briefing.

NB The closing date for applications has been extended to 12 noon on Friday, 27th February, 2015.

Applications, including a c.v. and covering letter, should be marked ‘Private’ and addressed to:

Independent Chair of Recruitment Panel,
c/o Shetland Charitable Trust,
22-24 North Road,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0NQ.

9-seat mini bus, good all round order.

Scalloway Legion

require part-time bar staff for evenings and weekends

Telephone Legion bar on 01595 880355 after 6pm

or apply in writing to The Secretary.

BUTCHER (FULL-TIME/PART-TIME)

BUTCHERY/COUNTER ASSISTANT (FULL-TIME/PART-TIME)

Applicants must be enthusiastic and self-motivated, physically fit, able to work as part of a team as well as unsupervised, take instruction and have a genuine interest in the preparation and display of meat products. This position requires the individual to be outgoing and have a pleasant personality for dealing with the public. Excellent communication skills and a willingness to learn are essential. A full driving licence is desirable but not necessary. Some evening work may also be required.

All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

For an application form and job description for any of these positions come in-store or contact:

Main Street, Scalloway, ZE1 0TR.

Tel. 01595 880624

scalloway.meatco@virgin.net

Sinclair’s Taxis require a full-time Offi ce Assistant to work in the Lerwick Office. The duties include answering telephone and email enquiries, organising all taxi hires and invoicing using Sage Accounts.

Experience with Microsoft spreadsheets and Sage Accounts is required. Good geographical knowledge of Shetland is essential.

Please apply in writing to:

Sinclair’s Taxis,
26 North Road,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0PE.

Nordri Ltd is Shetland’s leading supplier of small scale renewable energy solutions, offering both commercial and domestic installations to meet your energy needs. Due to our continued growth, an exciting opportunity has arisen to join our team.

The ideal candidate would have a sales background with a keen engineering understanding. The work will require travelling throughout Shetland, working as a member of our team and under their own initiative.

A high level of customer service is essential.

Hours per week, terms and conditions are negotiable.

Please apply by sending CV and covering letter via e-mail to: brian@nordri.co.uk

CLOSING DATE: 6th February, 2015.

Local Company ● Local Service

Serco NorthLink has announced disruptions to its service between Lerwick and Aberdeen tonight.

The southbound Hrossey, which was due to call at Kirkwall, will now sail direct to Aberdeen, leaving Lerwick at the usual time of 5.30pm.

According to the ferry company the arrival of the Hjaltland, making her trip north, may be delayed until 10am at Lerwick tomorrow.

NorthLink said the disruptions were due to “forecast adverse weather conditions”. However, the Pentland Firth service was not expected to be affected.

Saturday’s northbound sailing of the Hrossey, due to leave Aberdeen at 5pm and call at Kirkwall on the way to Lerwick, was under review, the company added. An update would follow tomorrow morning.

Scotland can and does already generate more energy than it needs, so to me fracking in Scotland is all about corporate greed.

We all know fracking has been shown to cause CO2 emissions and pollute ground water in the USA, where the public are now successfully working to ban it. Why would we want to risk damage to our land when its not necessary?

MP Alistair Carmichael voted against a temporary ban on issuing licenses for fracking in Westminster last Monday while the Scottish government voted for a halt a few days later.

In what way is Mr Carmichael doing his job as the Secretary of Scotland, representing the will of the Scottish people in Westminster, when he is so often, blatantly, going against our wishes?

Is he incompetent in not finding out our opinion before he votes, or is the “Con Dem” party more important to him than the people who voted for him?

Angela Sutherland
34 Kalliness,
Weisdale.