1971
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- The population of Shetland was 17,325. 459 less that 1961
- Musician and poet Lise Sinclair born
- Only 3 Shetland vessels prosecuted the herring fishery using drift nets, down 17 in 6 years, the purse seine net having become the preferred method. A total of 17 drift net vessels and 11 purse seine net vessels fished from Lerwick for the season, landing a combined total catch of 120,000 crans valued at £584,000. 87% of it from the purse seine net vessels.
- The combined value of Shetland's Herring, whitefish and shellfish catch for the year was £2,107,000 from 71 vessels, 46 of which were over 50ft long. 460 men were employed full-time in the catching sector, plus another 170 part-time employed catching shellfish.
- The islands had 14 fish processing factories, including ones in Yell, Skerries, Whalsay and Burra, as well as in Lerwick and Scalloway, which employed approx 700 people, rising to approx 900 during the herring season. The U.S.A. being an important market, with 4500 tons of frozen fish, valued at £1,500,000 being shipped directly from Scalloway for the year.
- The Brent Oil Field is discovered off Shetland, by BP.
February
- 15th
Decimal Day, with the pound officially going decimal throughout the UK.
- 27th
St Ninian (II) sails from Lerwick for the last time.
April
- 25th
UK census took place.
May
- 4th
Election of the Lerwick Town Council. - 7th
First oil rig in Shetland waters is positioned north-east of Unst.
June
- 2nd
Lerwick Health Centre opens as local NHS doctors form group practice.
July
- 8th.
Ragnar Thorseth with 'Santho' arrived at the Out Skerries on his 6000 nautical mile tour around The Norwegian Sea.
August
- 16th
Shetland Crofthouse Museum was opened.
October
- 18th
The Trondra and Burra bridges are officially opened by George Younger, Under Secretary of State for Scotland.
December
- 19th
The Gullborg RE38, a motor fishing vessel of Faroe suffered an engine room explosion and sank approx 14 miles SE of Fair Isle.
