Three teams from Shetland Junior Rugby Club were able to make their planned trip to Edinburgh this weekend when Eastern Airways stepped in to fly the bairns from Scatsta after their ferry to Aberdeen was cancelled on Friday night.

Thanks to the airline’s help, the under-15 girls, under-14 boys and under-12s were able to go and see Scotland play Italy at Murrayfield ion Saturday, leaving Scatsta at 4pm on Friday. Their weekend was to be capped with a series of games at Murrayfield’s back pitches against Edinburgh Wanderers on Sunday.

An Eastern Airways spokesman said: “It was brought to our attention that the ferry service had been cancelled and the Shetland Junior rugby team were due to travel to Edinburgh. To avoid the disappointment of missing out, Eastern Airways and the Integrated Aviation Consortium (IAC) have agreed to assist, on this occasion, to fly the team on an aircraft that is repositioning from Scatsta to Aberdeen. We hope the boys and girls have a great day out and we’re glad to have been able to help.”

Ferry operators Northlink had earlier come under fire for the disruption caused to sporting organisations for the cancellation of its sailings.

The problem arose afterNorthlink decided last night’s northbound sailing should go no further than Kirkwall because of a poor forecast. As a aresult there was no ferry in Lerwick to complete the southward journey tonight.

Northlink are major sponsors of rugby in the isles, and without their help Rugby coach Dave Wagstaff said: “Without their level of assistance we would not be able to field teams in national leagues and club competiions across all age groups. The assistance given, particularly from the lcoal staff is excellent.”

The cancellations also caused problems for the Shetland women’s hockey team’s match against Highland Ladies 2 on Sunday.

Danus Skene has stood down as chairman of the board of Shetland Arts to avoid any conflict with his recently announced candidature as MP for Shetland and Orkney.

The decision was announced at last night’s meeting of the board of Shetland Arts when Mr Skene stood down. It follows the intervention of MP Alistair Carmichael in a consultation on restructuring Shetland Arts Development Agency.

A statement from SADA said that Mr Skene wanted to focus his energies on his candidature for the SNP in the forthcoming Westminster elections, and dd not want the best interests of SADA to be jeopardised by the possibility of its affairs being dragged into the arena of party political conflict.  He will remain a trustee of the organisation.

His fellow trustees would like to thank him for his work and leadership over the last two years, it added.

Danus Skene has stood down as chairman of Shetland Arts.

In line with SADA’s policies and procedures there will be a vote amongst the trustees to elect a new Chair at next month’s board meeting.

SADA is the leading arts agency in Shetland, developing and promoting a year round programme of festivals, film, music, theatre, literature, craft, visual arts, dance, and comedy events.

Mr Carmichael wants the SADA consultation being undertaken by general manager Graeme Howell, to be held in public. He was contacted by several staff members concerned about the direction and rapidity of the process.

Brough Lodge, the Gothic mansion on Fetlar, is to receive over £460,000 to help transform it into a mixed use commercial building.

The lodge, regarded as one of Shetland’s most unusual buildings, is one of the latest recipients of funding from Historic Scotland’s Building Repair Grants Scheme.

Over £1.7 million is to be invested in projects from Shetland to Dumfries, to support the repair and restoration of historic buildings.

The Gothic mansion, which has Moorish influences, is being transformed into a mixed-use commercial venue that will bring people to Fetlar for arts and environmental courses and retreats, as well as offering short-stay holiday accommodation.

Cabinet Secretary for culture, europe and external affairs Fiona Hyslop announced the grant today.

She said: “Our diverse built heritage plays an important role in towns and cities across Scotland and forms a key part of our cultural identity.

“The recipients of this award showcase the scope and scale of these buildings and investing in their repair will ensure they can open their doors to the public for years to come

“One of the key elements of the recently launched strategy for the historic environment ‘ Our Place in Time’ is that we work with partners to help to conserve and promote our built heritage, so it can be enjoyed by current and future generations, and schemes such as this are an important way of helping to achieving this.”

Brough Lodge Trust’s Pierre Cambillard, said: “Our vision is to convert Brough Lodge into a venue for the arts, environment and tourism that will benefit Fetlar and have a positive impact across all of Shetland.”

“This funding will help us complete the second phase of the restoration and bring more people into Brough Lodge, whether from the local community or further afield.”

“This restoration project will create around six jobs, bring more tourists to the island and will offer local people, including school pupils, the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities guided by acknowledged local experts.”

“Brough Lodge played a huge role in Fetlar’s past; this grant will help secure its role in Fetlar’s future.”

“We’re extremely pleased to have Brough Lodge’s potential recognised by Historic Scotland in this way.”

Shetland captain Jon Pulley dives over the line to score a try during Shetland’s 102-7 victory against Lochaber on Saturday. Photo: Kevin Jones

The Shetland rugby team’s revival continued on Saturday when they trounced visitors Lochaber by 102 points to seven.

Sadly the Highlanders were only able to muster nine players for the trip north and “borrowed” three of the Shetland squad so the fixture could go ahead.

Shetland 102, Lochaber 7

One of the stand-outs for Shetland was Iain Goodlad on the wing who proved too fast for the Lochaber players and scored four tries.

Captain Jon Pulley and flanker Stewart Mouat were also among those who touched down for the home side.

The result gives Shetland five important points in their battle to avoid relegation from the BT Caledonia League Division 2 North. They are now on the same number of points as Aberdeen Wanderers, although the Aberdeen team have three games in hand.

Shetland will hope to continue their run of victories when they travel to Aberdeen at the weekend to play against third bottom team Aberdeen University.

• For full report, more photos and league table see The Shetland Times on Friday.

One issue often raised since the recent court decision about Viking Energy is how do we try and repair any divisions in the community.

There is no simple answer to that, but a start might be trying to respect each other’s opinions and accepting that someone on the other side of the argument can have as genuinely held views as yourself.

This would mean accepting that people supporting the windfarm, for example, did care about wildlife, the environment and the islands and were not just interested in making money for themselves.

There have been personal attacks or comments on people simply because they hold views someone disagrees with. Challenge opinions by all means – but it doesn’t need to be personal. If we can stop that it will be a start.

Chris Bunyan
Kyoab,
Bressay.

Team Tom singer Lisa Ward is to battle it out on The Voice on Saturday, after securing a spot with the Welsh singing superstar in the blind auditions.

Ward, who released her EP Liminal last month, performed Skunk Anansie’s Weak after making a lengthy trip from the isles to the BBC studios in Manchester.

In the next round of the hit show Ward will sing against another member of Tom Jones’ team in a bid to make the following stage of the competition.

The Voice will be shown on Saturday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

NHS Grampian wants Shetland folk to help provide names for two major new health buildings on its Foresterhill hospital campus site in Aberdeen.

The buildings, a new hospital and a centre costing around £120 million, will serve patients from the Northern Isles as well as the Grampian area.

The new hospital will include maternity, gynaecology, breast screening and breast surgery services. It will also include a neonatal unit, a centre for reproductive medicine, an operating theatre suite and research and teaching facilities.

The new centre will provide out-patient and day patient investigation and treatment services for people with cancer and for those with blood disorders, including non-cancer conditions as well as cancers. The centre will also include pharmacy services and research and teaching facilities.

Both are in the early stages of planning, and are expected to be developed by the end of 2020.

The details can also be found at www.nhsgrampian.org/involvingyou then clicking on “Projects and Consultations”.

Suggestions for names should be sent to: matt.eaton@nhs.net or by post to Freepost, NHS Grampian (no stamp is required). The closing date for submissions is noon on Friday 13th March.

All suggested names will be considered by a panel involving clinicians, managers and the public. The agreed names for both buildings will be confirmed during April.

A scene from the CBBC “Ten Pieces” film. ©BBC

The Shetland Schools Music Festival committee, together with the Shetland Community Orchestra, are running a day of workshops and performances as part of the “Ten Pieces” project.

A new initiative for primary schools, Ten Pieces is led by the BBC and focuses on classical music and creativity.

The aim is to open up the world of classical music to children – and inspire them to develop their own creative responses to the pieces through music, dance or digital art.

The project will culminate in a major event this summer which will showcase the work of children from the nations and regions, as well as the original 10 pieces. Clips of creative responses from children throughout the UK will be made available online.

The Shetland event is on Sunday 15th March at Mareel from 1pm to 5pm, and is open to all interested primary-aged children who play a musical instrument.

The children will work alongside members of the orchestra on three pieces of music, culminating in a performance in the afternoon. This performance will be recorded and sent to the BBC for inclusion on the BBC Ten Pieces website.

Spokeswoman Sioban Tekcan said: “The event will be an educational and memorable event for the primary children of Shetland.

“It will give them the opportunity to be part of an inspirational national BBC initiative and to get together with other young musicians and play alongside experienced musicians in the orchestra, developing their creativity, confidence and collaborative skills.”

Places can booked through the Shetland Box Office.

A Scottish parliamentary committee is visiting Shetland to hear views from local people on the Smith Commission’s proposals.

Members of the Devolution (Further Powers) Committee will be holding a public meeting at Lerwick Town Hall on Monday 16th March and are inviting people to discuss the legislation that takes forward the provisions in the Smith Commission’s agreement.

Committee convener Bruce Crawford said: “Last year’s historic referendum demonstrated a level of political interest and engagement never previously achieved in this country.

“Our job in the Scottish Parliament – and more specifically for those of us on the Devolution Committee – is to ensure that the extra powers promised in the Smith Agreement are scrutinised in detail and that we continue to listen and engage with the Scottish public as we carry out our work as a committee.

“That is why we are listening to people across Scotland to get their views and to reflect those views in our scrutiny.

“Shetland is somewhere we were keen to come and I am very much looking forward to meeting with local people and ensuring that the views heard feed into our scrutiny of all relevant and related legislation.”

The public meeting will begin at 5.30pm and it is expected to end at around 7pm. Tickets must be booked.

The Shetland women’s hockey team which beat Highland Ladies 7-0 in the quarter-final of the Scottish District Cup on Sunday. Back (from left): coach Peter Sharp, Kristan Robertson (vice-captain), Janetta Williamson, Abbey Irvine, Rhiannon Inkster, Emma Inkster, Aimee Keith, Stacey Laurenson, Vicky Anderson, Jillian Copland. Front row: Toni Sidgwick, coach Jill Hibbert, Julie Kirkness (captain), Victoria Duthie, Megan Grant, mascot Hannah Williamson, Megan Hibbert, Nicola Balfour and Karis Irvine.

The Shetland women’s hockey team are through to the semi-finals of the Scottish District Cup for the third consecutive year, following a resounding win over Highland Ladies 2 at the weekend.

Scottish District Cup

Highland Ladies 0, Shetland 7
Shetland started the match with a bang and goals from Stacey Laurenson, Victoria Duthie, Kristan Robertson and Julie Kirkness gave them a 4-0 lead before Highland had ventured into the blues’ circle.

With 25 minutes gone Highland were awarded their first penalty corner and Jean Deaken (formerly Winchester and originally from Shetland) had an excellent strike which hit hard off the post.

Shetland pounced on the rebound and cleared but Highland got right back on the attack and the ever-athletic Toni Sidgwick in goal had to produce a full-stretch save to direct the ball round the post off the back line.

Shetland started the second half strongly and it wasn’t long until Duthie grabbed her second, following an initial strike by Laurenson.

Kirkness made it six with a clinical finish before Duthie completed her hat trick, sweeping a hit past the Highland keeper from the edge of the circle.

Joint coaches Jill Hibbert and Peter Sharp selected Duthie as their player of the match.

They said: “It was a passionate, determined performance from the Shetland team, displaying some excellent hockey.

“We are delighted to be progressing to the semi-final for our third year in a row. This continued high level achievement is a testament to the hard work being put in by the players to maintain and progress to a higher level.”

• For full report see The Shetland Times on Friday.

Lerwick Community Council has backed plans to build 21 houses at the old observatory site in the town – despite objections from residents.

The social housing for Hjaltland Housing Association would consist of 12 one-bedroom properties, eight two-bedroom properties and one three-bedroom home.

If given the green light, they would be built on a site directly behind Hjaltland’s existing Nordavatn social housing site.

But residents who live in the five private homes in the old observatory area have objected to the plans.

In a letter to the council which several residents submitted, they have said the house plans do not respect the design or scale of existing homes and “would have a detrimental effect on the immediate neighbourhood”.

The proposed development, residents argue, is of “unacceptably high density” and “would lead to over development in what is a low density area”.

They noted there were already 22 one-bedroom homes at Nordavatn and said another 12 would not improve the neighbourhood.

“To build more single living accommodation would alter the fabric of our community greatly, we would go from living in a nice family area, to being outnumbered by single living accommodation, which in itself creates a problem.

“Noise disturbance would soon become an issue, the quantity of vehicles on the road would become problematic for everyone, especially the families who have children.

“Child safety is our main concern with so many single living accommodation surrounding us and our neighbours, already there have been incidents where tenants of Hjatland Housing Association have been wandering through private gardens, being abusive to dog walkers and a high volume of police traffic have been seen visiting Nordavatn regularly.

“These types of incidents will become more of a concern if the planning of this development goes ahead.”

Concerns have also been raised about the plans not having enough parking spaces, and disruption to residents in the private observatory homes caused by the building work.

According to the plans the site has been highlighted as having “development potential” under the council’s Shetland Local Development Plan 2014.

Last night residents Calum and Renata Sinclair, who live in one of the private observatory buildings spoke to community councillors about their concerns.

Mr Sinclair said told the meetingit was a family area and “it’s just far too much accommodation for the size of the area”.

He said if all these homes were to be built it would have “a huge negative impact on the area” and if the plans were more family oriented then he would not be here speaking to councillors.

Community council chairman Jim Anderson said he had spoken to Hjaltland chief executive Bryan Leask, who told him there were about 450 people in Lerwick on the association’s waiting list. Eighty-five per cent were in need of one and two-bedroom properties, said Mr Anderson.

He agreed there were not enough family properties in Lerwick, but added, “we have got to build what folk are looking for”.

More in Friday’s Shetland Times

A man has been arrested at Sumburgh Airport for trying to board a flight to Glasgow while allegedly carrying an offensive weapon.

The 29-year-old was apprehended and taken into police custody following a report from security staff.

The weapon is believed to have been a knuckle-duster, although that has not been confirmed by police. A report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Police say no passengers, or members of the public, were put at risk.

Chief Inspector Lindsay Tulloch urged people to think carefully about what they carry onto a flight.

“People travelling by plane are reminded of the restrictions placed on the carriage of certain items or sharp objects which could be considered or identified as a weapon.”

The area of the Staney Hill where the new houses could be built. Photo: John Coutts

Up to 400 homes could be built on Staney Hill if plans are backed by the council next week to give planning permission in principle.

Shetland Leasing and Property Developments Ltd (SLAP), along with Hjaltland Housing Association are seeking approval for the 29 hectare site at North Staney Hill.

SIC planners have recommended the application be approved, subject to conditions and the papers will go in front of the council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

SLAP is pleased with the response from SIC planners and said the proposals would “lead to much needed new homes being built in Lerwick”. The company held a pre-planning application, public consultation event at the Clickimin in March last year, which was attended by 52 people.

They said this was mainly people from neighbouring properties and it has since “engaged widely and openly with a range of stakeholders including Lerwick Community Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Historic Scotland.

“Concerns on issues such as the need for new tree planting, open space, public access, traffic, drainage and potential visual impacts on the setting of the scheduled Clickimin Broch monument have all been fully taken into account,” SLAP said.

Lerwick Community Council is in favour of the plans, though community councils in Northmavine, Yell and Dunrossness have objected.

SLAP chairwoman Susan Groat added: “We have worked closely with planning consultant Alan Farningham and his team and with the SIC’s planning department to ensure that people’s concerns have been satisfactorily addressed.

“We are naturally pleased that the application is being recommended for approval at the next planning committee on 10th March.

“Lerwick is in need of a significant number of new houses and a strategically-placed site such as this with a capacity for 300-400 houses will help to ease some of the demand for housing.”

More on this story and other  social housing plans in Friday’s Shetland Times

The police have warned people to beware of fraudulent phone calls after a Lerwick woman was contacted by a scammer pretending to be from a bank.

Jennifer Watt warned people to be extra vigilant after her mother Effie was called by a man called Harold Duvall who purported to be from a company called Metrobank MS Ltd.

Mr Duvall said that Mrs Watt’s late husband Jimmy, who died two years ago, had £152,000 in shares that had to be claimed before they were confiscated by the government. He had sounded “very plausible” and even gave an account number for his bank.

But Ms Watt, who had taken the phone from her mother, smelled a rat when the huge value of the shares was mentioned. Her suspicions grew when Mr Duvall wanted a bank account number and sort code from Mrs Watt as well as a “release fee” which would be necessary to prevent the authorities seizing the money.

She said: “It was a new one on me, like something out of Heir Hunters, and I think he was trying to pass himself off as an heir hunter.”

When Ms Watt asked for company details and a phone number, the man hung up.

Householders who receive any fraudulent calls are being urged to report them to police on 10 to help the force build an idea of the type of scam and who the cheats are targeting. People should also report the matter to trading standards. Bank details, credit card numbers or PINs should never been given over the phone to strangers.

More advice is available on the Police Scotland website.

Council findings detailing the cost of educating secondary education pupils have been slammed in an independent report commissioned by pressure group CURE.
Elected members were last year given a report which appeared to show a cost per secondary pupil of £13,657 – 40 per cent higher than Orkney’s corresponding figure of £9,780.

But Edinburgh-based economic development agency, Anderson Solutions, has set out the difference between Orkney and Shetland’s cost per pupil as just £200 once savings made up until that point are taken into account.

A 13-page document prepared by the organisation has criticised the report which went before the SIC’s education and families committee last July. It gave prominence to a table showing that Shetland’s estimated cost per pupil was more than £3,800 higher than in Orkney.

The report from Andersons was submitted to the council as part of the consultation process on the future of the schools estate in the isles. CURE has now opted to release the report, following the recent decision by the SIC not to publish any submissions to school closure consultation.

Anderson Solutions Preliminary Review of SIC report

The pressure group’s Karen Hannay said the council was being selective in what information it chose to support school closures, rather than reflect the real situation.

“For example, a figure widely quoted was the difference in costs of education between Orkney and Shetland. The review found that using the council’s own revision of figures, £200 per pupil is the difference, not the grossly over-estimated £3,800 per pupil.

“The consultant also made reference to a significant omission within the council report, which is the lack of analysis for return on investment comparisons between the three island groups. In this case, the most obvious measure of return on investment would be academic attainment – a comparison of exam results would certainly have favoured the junior high model.

“CURE believe the independent review shows that the executive summary of the SIC report … is neither a fair nor an accurate summary of its findings. It could be concluded that the information has been selectively chosen to support an established council position to close schools rather than provide a balanced view of the issues.

“We leave it to the Shetland public to read and make their own conclusions. However, it is incumbent on us to ensure this information is in the public domain as it formed an important part of the consultation process.”

However, director of children’s services, Helen Budge, said several subsequent reports had given elected members more up-to-date findings.

She highlighted a report which went before the education and families committee on 20th January, showing progress had been made in reducing Shetland’s comparative costs for secondary education.

That report shows the average cost per pupil had reduced from £13,657 to £11,849 – a fall of over 13 per cent in a period when Scottish average costs had risen over 1.8 per cent. The costs per pupil in Orkney and Western Isles had also increased over the same period, to £10,505 and £10,173 respectively.

“There is not such a differential as there was,” said Mrs Budge.

In this week’s Shetland Times a passenger relives the dramatic moment when a Sumburgh-bound flight plunged 2,900 feet after being struck by lightning.

The Shetland Times, 6th March 2015

• Lerwick community council has backed plans to build 21 homes at the old observatory site in the town, and the fire brigade has launched a major recruitment drive for retained fire fighters with four community stations in Shetland “desperately” short of staff.

• Up to 400 homes could be built on Staney Hill if plans are given the green light to give planning permission in principle next week.

• Meanwhile council findings detailing the cost of educating secondary pupils have been slammed in a report by pressure group CURE.

• In other news mainstream political parties are remaining tight-lipped about how many members they have in the isles, as the build up towards the General Election gathers pace. Labour is the only one of the traditional “main” parties to share its membership figure at just under 50.

• And there is coverage of Bressay and Cullivoe Up-Helly-As, as well as the Shetland rugby team’s romping victory.

Distribution Shetland

Salary £22,936-£33,970 DOE

SSE Power Distribution (SSEPD) is part of the SSE Group and is responsible for keeping the lights on for 3.75 million UK homes and businesses in central southern England and the north of Scotland. If something unexpected causes a power cut in our regions, it is our job to fix it as quickly and as safely as possible.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Craftsperson to join our team in Shetland. In this role you will be involved in all aspects of work in our overhead line and underground cable network.  This role can be physically demanding and will involve working outdoors in all weather conditions. You will also be required to participate in standby duties for fault restoration work.

Ideally you’ll have working experience on our electricity network and preferably have, or be working towards SAP authorisation. However, someone with a craft background will be considered and a full training package is available.

You should have a high regard for safety and excellence. Good customer communication is vital to this role as we deal with customer related issues face to face on a daily basis. A clean driving licence and flexible approach to working hours travel and work location is a must.

If you have the skills to work in an environment that is passionate about safety, innovation, teamwork and excellence in everything we do, and want to be part of one of the greatest growth industries of the 21st century, we’d like to hear from you.

Closing date for applications is 15th of March 2015

Apply at www.ssejobs.co.uk

Stunning big car in silver with grey leather interior. All aluminium body panels. Serviced every 10,000 by same main Jaguar dealer. Sat nav. radio/CD, electric seats, windows, mirrors, rear parking sensors, alloys with good tyres. No advisories on MoT.

PROPERTY 1: SMUCKWELL

Semi-detached three bedroom, one and a half storey house with two single storey extensions with double garage attached to adjoining house (Dalesview).

ACCOMMODATION: Ground Floor: Entrance Porch, Utility Room, Lounge, Kitchen/Dining Room, Bedroom with en-suite accessible bathroom, Bathroom. First Floor: 2 Bedrooms with coomb ceilings.

PROPERTY 2: DALESVIEW

Semi-detached three bedroom house with attached garage belonging to adjoining property (Smuckwell). Parking area at front, again shared with the adjoining property (Smuckwell). Gross internal floor area 104 sqm.

ACCOMMODATION: Ground Floor: Entrance Porch, Utility Room, 2 Bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite Shower Room. First Floor: Lounge, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom.

VIEWING Contact our Reception

This single storey property situated in an elevated position within a large plot provides fine views towards Lower and Upper Voe, and is within a short walk of the local shop and village hall. The house provides a spacious living room and fitted kitchen with both offering access to the dining area. These and the 3 double bedrooms make it an ideal family home.

ACCOMMODATION: Vestibule, Toilet, Living Room, Kitchen, Dining Area, Three Bedrooms, Bathroom & Garage.

VIEWING Contact our Reception