2010
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
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January
- 6th
A 71 year old woman, a retired school teacher from Buckley, North Wales was killed when the car she was travelling in left the snow covered road between Semblister and Effirth, Bixter went down a slope and overturned in a burn. She had been in Shetland with her husband, who was with her in the car at the time, visiting their daughter and grandchildren over the festive period, and they were travelling to Sumburgh Airport to fly home when the accident occured. The other occupants of the vehicle at the time, both male, were injured. - 8th
The 30th Scalloway Fire Festival with Michael Pottinger representing Jarl Sigurd Eysteisson the Powerful. The galley was named Hamelea. - 9th
A very slow thaw began, marking the beginning of the end of the longest cold spell in the isles in 29 years. Ice and snow conditions having been present in one degree or another since December 17th. Although there were numerous school closures and other events cancelled or postponed due to the poor travelling conditions on the roads, there was only a small amount of disruption to vital services and external links as there was only a relatively light covering of lying snow at any one time in most areas. - 14th
The Lerwick Lifeboat was tasked to tow the Danish registered motor fishing trawler Tiede to Lerwick Harbour as there was no other vessel in the area available to offer assistance, after she reported at 5.50am that she was without power 45 miles E of Unst, having fouled her propellor. The tow in a 35 knot SE gale and rough seas took approx 22 hours. - 16th
- Strong SE winds and swell during the week, initially posing problems with using the harbour entrance at Aberdeen, Scotland, and latterly due to the height of swell in the North Sea, saw all four vessels operated by Northlink serving Shetland experience delays and cancellations at some time during the week.
- A 44 year old man from Keith, Aberdeenshire, Scotland a crewmember of the Danish registered motor fishing trawler Tiede which had been towed in the Lerwick Harbour by the Lerwick Lifeboat two days previously, was killed in an accident in the Harbour. It is understood that he had been attempting to board the Fraserburgh, Scotland registered fishing vessel Lynden to visit friends, which was moored on the outside of the Fraserburgh, Scotland registered fishing vessel Sunrise at Albert Wharf sheltering from the SE gale, when he fell in to the water. The alarm was raised at 10.25pm by the Captain of the Lynden, and the Bressay Ferry departed from Bressay a few minutes ahead of schedule to offer assistance. The man was recovered from the water by two crewmembers of the ferry using the ferry's inflatable boat, and taken alongside where First Aid was administered. The swell within the harbour from the gale however was such that it was decided safer to only attempt to take the man ashore from the 'Small Boat Harbour' on the other side of Victoria Pier from where he was taken to hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.
- 16th/17th
A 15 metre section of wall at the west end of Breiwick Road from its junction with Sletts Road along the Sletts was flattened by the high swell of a SE gale. The wall was already scheduled to be rebuilt later this year, due to its age and condition, and temporary barriers have been erected until that work starts in early summer. A photo of the sea conditions in the area at the time can be viewed here - 21st
- The Vela (BCK368) a 24 L metre, steel hulled motor fishing trawler, registered in Buckie, Scotland, five crew, ran aground off the NAFC Marine Centre, Port Arthur, Scalloway at around 6.30pm while entering Scalloway Harbour. The Captain reported at the time that they had ended up too close to shore as a result of the light on one of the harbour entrance marker bouys not being operational, a claim later refuted by the harbour authority, the Ports and Harbours division of the SIC, who chose instead to describe the faulty light's role as "contributory". The search and rescue helicopter and the Aith Lifeboat were dispatched to the scene to assist if necessary. Having grounded on a low tide, the vessel was successfully refloated on the rising tide around 10.30pm with the assistance of a tow from her pair trawling partner vessel, the Peterhead, Scotland registered Nordfjordr (PD118), and entered harbour under her own power. No-one was injured in the incident and there were no reports of damage to the vessel.
- The Aquarious (BF89), a motor fishing trawler, registered in Banff, Scotland, six crew, lost power near Lerwick Fish Market in Lerwick Harbour, drifted northwards and grounded on the Loofa Baa in the harbour. She was towed off and brought alongside by the Lerwick Lifeboat.
- For the second week running, strong SE winds saw the cancellation of all sailings to and from Shetland by Northlink vessels.
- 26th
Lerwick Up Helly-Aa. The Guizer Jarl was Rae Simpson who represented Sigurd "Snake-Eye" Ragnarsson. - 29th
For the second time within a month a period of cold weather caused disruption, snow and ice making for difficult travelling conditions led to many school closures and cancelled and postponed events, until again a very slow thaw set in almost one week later on February 4th. - 30th
The wintry conditions also led to the second road fatality of the month. The Scalloway Fire Brigade were called out at 5.55 am to a vehicle on fire, which had left the single track road between Vatster and Laxfirth and gone down a slope. A search was immediately started for the driver but with no success, until the Sumburgh Search & Rescue Helicopter was called in, who located the remains of the driver, a 66 year old Lerwick man who had hired the vehicle, buried in drifted snow approx 300 yards from the wreck.
February
- 27th
Shetland Islands Council Chief Executive Dave Clark's position is terminated, receiving a £285,000 pay out.
March
- 12th
First South Mainland Up Helly Aa. - 27th
Launch of the Shetland ForWirds website.
April
- 14th
The Eyjafjallajokull volcano on Iceland erupted, causing an ash cloud which drifted over Shetland, and much of Europe. As a result of UK flight restrictions, Shetland had no air service for several days and Northlink ferries had unprecedented booking levels for the time of year. - 24th
The standby Aith Lifeboat the "Duke of Kent" was launched at approx 19.30 BST to go to the assistance of the 35 foot Faroese motor fishing vessel Havheston which was at a position approx 8 miles NNW of the Ramna Stacks, and had requested assistance via Shetland Coastguard as she was experiencing fuel problems with her engine. The lifeboat rendezvoused with the vessel at approx 21.00 BST and towed her to Collafirth Pier arriving around midnight. The lifeboat returned to station at approx 02.00 BST on the 25th. - 29th
Work started on making an access road to the back of the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal for the new Total Gas Plant which is to be built there.
May
- 6th
UK General election sees Alistair Carmichael elected and later appointed into the Conservative-Liberal coalition as Liberal Whip. - 30th
End of Analogue TV transmission in Shetland.
June
- 14th
The 2010 Hamefarin took place from Monday the 14th through Sunday the 27th of June. The homecoming welcomed Shetlanders from all around the world back to their home islands. See website for more information
July
- 13th
Dr Ian Tait, from Brae, is appointed as the new curator at Shetland Museum and Archives. - 31st
The restoration on Belmont House was finished.
August
- Cunningsburgh Show, 75th Anniversary.
- 9th
Alistair Buchan appointed as Chief Executive of the Shetland Islands Council.
September
- 18th
Ritu Arora from Middlesex and Gary Johnson from Vidlin were married at Lunna Kirk. - 21st
The drill ship Stena Carron was occupied by members of Greenpeace who climbed the anchor chain while the ship was in Lerwick Harbour. - 25th
A pilot Participatory Budgeting scheme in Scotland is held in the Shetland Hotel entitled Wir Community, Wir Choice and £40,000 is distributed to projects aimed at benefiting the area of Staney Hill.
October
- 29th
Up Helly Aa History has been made.
At the SMUHA Mass Meeting, held on Friday night in the Sandwick Social Club, Lesley Simpson from Maywick, head of the Dunrossness Primary School was chosen as the Guizer Jarl representing Bigton and Levenwick for the 2015 South Mainland Up Helly Aa.
She is the first ever female Guizer Jarl.
November
- Ornithologist Roy Dennis MBE, stood down as chairman of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust after 15 years at the helm.
He is being replaced by another former Fair Isle warden, Roger Riddington, who now edits the monthly journal British Birds from his home on the Shetland mainland. - 2nd
Shetland was named as one of the top 10 tourist sites in the world by the esteemed Lonely Planet guide. - 5th
Three members of the BBC Radio Shetland staff went on strike for 48 hours over a national pension dispute. - 6th-12th
Shetland, and some other parts of Scotland experience a series of telecommunication failures which results in Vodafone being knocked out for a few days and the internet serevely slowed up. - 11th
Musician Newton Faulkner performs at the Clickimin Leisure Centre - 12th-14th
Food and Craft fair at the Clickimin Leisure Centre. - 26th
Winter arrived early. A period of snow which was to last two weeks began, and although there were some short delays to travel and transport, and event cancellations locally due to the poor ground conditions, the worst disruption was from the knock on effects of travel and transport delays on the UK mainland, also from snow.
December
- Outrage is expressed in Shetland as the UK Government proposes severely limiting the coastguard services.[1]
- 8th
Shetland Islands Council voted by 13 votes to 9 to close the Scalloway Junior High School, from Summer 2011. - 14th
Shetland Islands Council vote 9-3 with one abstination to back the Viking Energy proposed windfarm. The final decision rests in the hands of the Scottish Executive.[2]
