2009
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
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January
- 9th
Scalloway Fire Festival - Event cancelled. - 15th
Shetlanders and their houses were shaken by an earthquake at around 5.30am. The quake, whose epicentre was near Aith, 15 miles north west of Lerwick, measured 3.3 on the Richter scale and was the largest direct hit of an earthquake to the isles since the end of the 19th century. - 23rd
The Rosemount (PD313), a 26 metre steel hulled motor fishing vessel of Peterhead, Scotland ran aground on Robbie Ramsay's Baa in Da Nort Mooth, Lerwick Harbour just before low water at 14.55. She was attended by the Knab and Lerwick Lifeboat, who refloated her on the rising tide approx 3 hours later. The vessel only sustained a few dents and scrapes. YouTube Lifeboat Video - 27th
Lerwick Up Helly-Aa. The Guizer Jarl was Stephen Mouat, who portrayed 'Othere Fra Hålogaland'.
February
- Heavy snowfalls and an unusually long period of low temperatures caused some problems, with school closures and disruption of public transport. On the 12th there was up to 8 inches of snow in some places. There was some concern about a shortage of rock salt for gritting roads until the Orkney Islands Council stepped in and supplied enough to ensure continuation of the road gritting service.
- 5th
Morgan Goodlad announced that he was resigning from the post of Chief Executive of the Shetland Islands Council after 10 years in the job, and would leave the position at the end of May. - 13th
Uyeasound Up Helly-Aa. - 20th
Northmavine Up-Helly-Aa - 27th
Bressay Up Helly-Aa
March
- 10th
"Red Bones", the third installment of Ann Cleeves' Shetland Quartet, was launched in Lerwick Library, Shetland, with the announcement that Plain Vanilla production company have signed to produce a television adaptation of the Jimmy Perez mysteries. The launch also saw the announcement of the auction in aid of Shetland charity, Vaila's Fund. The highest bid received was £2500 from Douglas Barr, and a character of that name will now appear in the fourth book of Ann's Shetland quartet, which has the working title of "Homecoming Blues". - 12th
The final of the 2009 Young Musician of the Year competition, part of the Shetland Schools Music Festival. The winners were vocalist Erin Sandison in the senior category and pianist and violin player Sophie Wishart in the junior category. - 31st
Contract signed between Shetland Arts Trust and D.I.T.T. Construction Ltd. for the building of the Mareel cinema and music venue.
April
- 2nd
Scalloway Museum secure funding to enable its move to the former Shetland Woolen Company premises in Castle Street. - 25th
New 100 metre, £3.3 Million pier officially opened at Uyeasound by George Jamieson Chairman of Uyeasound Waterfront Trust. - 30th
29th Shetland Folk Festival starts. - In Da Voar Redd Up, Shetland's annual spring clean of beaches and roadsides, 4,157 volunteers collected 54 tonnes of rubbish.
May
- 11th
Hjaltland Housing Association announced that it now had 500 properties in Shetland. - 13th
Scottish Ambulance Service announced that Shetland was to get a second ambulance, which would be based at Brae. - 20th
It was announced that the new Chief Executive of the Shetland Islands Council is David Clark, son of 70s chief Executive Ian Clark.
June
- West Yell Kirk was closed
- Sunniest June in Shetland since records began
- 4th
2009 European Election
- The Transcend (BF61), a wooden hulled motor fishing vessel, registered in Banff, Scotland, five crew. While engaged in fishing operations sank at a position approx 100 miles NE of Lerwick, near the North Cormorant oil platform, sank at approx 00.45 am after springing a leak. All of the crew were saved by transfer to a nearby vessel, and then onwards to Sumburgh Airport by the Coastguard rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie.
- 5th
Singer-songwriter Malachy Tallack releases his new album "From the Thorn" - 21st
Shetland Flag Day. - 27th
Lerwick Midsummer Carnival raised almost £5600 for the Callum Younger Reach Fund.
- Newly constructed public toilets at Harbour House on the Esplanade open for use. They replaced the previous public toilets, which closed on the 28th and will be demolished.
July
- 1st
Shellfish firm Isle of Shuna announced a 6 figure contract to supply mussels to Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize. (article) - 7th
The Serenity Now, a sailing yacht, two crew. While in passage from Bergen, Norway to Shetland began taking in water, which despite the best efforts of the crew, led to the vessel losing all electrical power, and ultimately sinking at a position approx 80 miles E of Lerwick around 12.30pm (BST). Both crew members were saved by the Coastguard rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie which had been standing by. - 16th-19th
Shetland Amenity Trust hosts a conference to explore Shetland’s place in the Viking world. - 20th
"Bony Dick", the permanent exhibit of a 42ft sperm whale skeleton, at Cloudin on Vaila opened to the public by Dr. Andrew Kitchener, the National Museum of Scotland’s principal curator of mammals and birds. - 22nd
The Accord (LK31), a motor fishing vessel, while lying at her moorings with her crew ashore, caught fire and sank in the Voe of North House, East Burra.
August
- 1st
Voe Show. - 2nd
The 1000th visit of a cruise ship to Lerwick Harbour, the first being the Mira on July 17th 1928. The 204 metre Boudicca of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines on a five day cruise from Rosyth, Scotland to Bergen, Norway and back was escorted in by the Lerwick Port Authority vessels Kebister and Knab, before being met at Holmsgarth by the 2009 Jarl Squad and Lerwick Brass Band. There followed small receptions at both the Hay's Dock Café Restaurant in the Shetland Museum and Archives and onboard the vessel, for representatives of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Lerwick Port Authority, where Fred Olsen Cruise Lines marketing manager Nigel Lingard and Boudicca Captain Bjarte Roksund were both presented with replica model Viking Galleys. - 7th
Fiddlers' Bid releases their new CD "All Dressed in Yellow" - 9th
Annual 10KM Round Spiggie Fun Run and Walk in aid of the Mind Your Head charity. - 12th
Cunningsburgh Show. - 15th
International Lighthouse Weekend. Amateur Radio in action. Eshaness Lighthouse contacting 400 other worldwide lighthouses by radio. Open to the public, 9am - 5pm Sat and Sun. See : http://illw.net/ for more information. See Also : Shetland Amateur Radio. - 27th
Brothers, Ralph and Bob Brown, entered the Guinness Book of Records for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest ever powered boat. After a 6700 mile voyage from Florida they arrived in Scalloway in their 21 foot 'Flat Boat'. See here for pictures and more info.
September
- 6th
Walk To Cure Diabetes charity walk, to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raised over £11,000. - 12th
The Gunnister Man is returning home from the National Museum of Scotland, for a major exhibition in Shetland Museum. - 18th - 20th
Peerie Willie Johnson Guitar Festival
October
- 14th
The realigning and rebuilding of the cliff top footpath and century old stone wall at the Knab, a project begun in 2005, was completed. The final coping stone being laid by SIC vice-convenor Josie Simpson, deputising for convenor Sandy Cluness who was unwell. - 27th
At the Mass Meeting of Guizers in the Garrison Theatre, Ryan Leith, son of former Jarl Peter Leith, was elected to the Up Helly-Aa Committee.
December
- 16th
Northlink Ferries announced that they would be selling their 38 year old cargo vessel Hascosay, and that she would be replaced by the chartered 10 year old, 122 metre length vessel Shield. Shetlanders were invited to suggest a new name for her in a competition, which she will be given before entering service.
