1978
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- Hom Bru start playing. The band lineup is, Gary Peterson, Davie Henry, Brian Nicholson, and Alec Johnson.
- Sumburgh Airport recorded its busiest year, with 685,000 passengers and 51,000 aircraft movements.
- Construction begins on Sullom Voe Oil Terminal.
- Clunies-Ross family forced to give up control of the Cocos Islands by Australian government.
January
- 6th
Thomas Fraser dies aged 50. - 31st
Lerwick Up Helly-Aa.
May
- 2nd
Election of the Shetland Islands Council.
June
- 8th
The Avenger (LK290), a wooden hulled motor stern fishing trawler, registered in Burra, foundered between Fair Isle and Orkney. - 24th
Lerwick Midsummer Carnival.
August
- 15th
Scatsta Airport officially re-opened by Mrs F. Hunter of Scatsta Farm. - 24th
Author Annie Deyell died.
September
- 12th
New Arrun class lifeboat Soldian, named in a ceremony performed by The Duke of Kent
October
New Whalsay purse net fishing boat 'Antares', costing £1 million, arrives.
- 13th
The steel hulled motor fishing trawler Okino, registered in Grimsby, England caught fire at a position approx 53 miles W of Shetland when a fuel pipe fractured. The chief engineer was badly burned while trying to shut down the engines, and was airlifted from the vessel to hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland by helicopter. The remainder of the crew abandoned ship on to a Ocean Inchcape Ltd. oil supply vessel which took the burning Okino in tow to Lerwick. Upon arrival a significant blaze was still burning below decks which made conditions very punishing on the firefighters attempting to extinguish it with conventional water jets while wearing breathing apparatus, and it was decided to use expanding foam instead, which was successful. This was the first incident that foam had been used in the Northern Fire Board area.
November
- 25th
First oil comes ashore at Sullom Voe Oil Terminal from the Shell Dunlin field.
- 30th
First oil is exported from the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal on board the Shell tanker "Donovania"
December
- 30th
Following a collision with No.2 jetty while berthing, 1174 tonnes of heavy fuel oil was spilled from the tanker, Esso Bernicia.
