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Tunnels story?
Plans for fixed links have taken a major step forward, as Shetland Islands councillors have today decided to approve the recommendations for options to be taken forward to the next stage of the Inter-island Transport Connectivity Programme, including subsea tunnels between some of Shetland’s islands.
They decided:
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Bluemull Sound: Fixed link between Unst and Yell, with a dedicated vessel for Fetlar operating over an extended day. Investment in the Bluemull Sound ferry service will be required in the immediate term
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Bressay: Continued investment in the ferry service with a longer term commitment to a fixed link
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Whalsay: Continued investment in the ferry service with a longer term commitment to a fixed link
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Yell: Fixed link
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Foula: Business as Usual
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Papa Stour: Ferry Do Something
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Skerries: Ferry Do Something
Members also approved up to £200K of funding from existing budgets to progress the project, including further development of funding and financing options.
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Blue Green Algae alerts in Shetland Lochs
 With the recent spell of warmer weather, blue-green algae has been reported at Loch of Voe, Voe and Loch of Cliff, Unst. Warmer, calmer conditions can encourage these naturally occurring algae to grow, leading to blooms that can sometimes be seen as green or blue-green scum on the water's surface or washed up along the shoreline.
As a precaution, warning notices have been put in place advising people to avoid contact with any visible algal scum. While not every bloom is harmful, some types of blue-green algae can cause skin irritation, sore eyes, stomach upsets and flu-like symptoms if people come into contact with them or swallow affected water. They can also be dangerous to dogs and livestock, so it's important to keep pets away from affected areas.
There is currently no impact on public water supplies, as drinking water is treated to remove blue-green algae and any associated toxins.
Blue-green algae can change quickly, with blooms appearing, dispersing and reforming depending on weather and wind conditions. If you notice what you think may be a blue-green algae bloom, or have any questions or concerns, please contact Environmental Health on 01595 745250.
Papa Stour Linkspan
 Essential maintenance work on the Papa Stour ferry terminal linkspan will take place from Monday 13 to Friday 17 July. During this time, there will be no vehicle access to the ferry, with the service operating for foot passengers only via a temporary gangway. Passengers are advised to plan ahead, as the afternoon sailing on Wednesday 15 July has been cancelled and space at the terminal will be limited.
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Road Closure - Bridge End, Burra
 The Council’s Roads Service will be carrying out fibre ducting works over the East Isle bridge in Burra for BT Openreach from Monday 6th July.
These works will involve cutting a shallow, narrow trench up the centre of the bridge to lay the ducts in and will require the bridge to be closed when works are underway.
When cars are queuing to cross the bridge, work will stop periodically to let cars cross, before resuming and closing the bridge again. This will result in unavoidable delays to traffic and anyone needing to cross the bridge should allow up to 20 minutes extra travelling time. Traffic will be managed to minimise delays until the work is completed, which may take up to three days.
The bridge will be open to traffic after 3.30pm and overnight, until 9am the next morning.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Lerwick Town Hall to close for three months to allow for energy efficiency upgrades
 Lerwick Town Hall will close from 1 July for around three months while essential work is carried out to upgrade its heating system following its connection to the Lerwick District Heating Scheme. During this time, the building will be closed to visitors and bookings, although registration appointments will continue from nearby Lystina House. The project is the final phase of a series of energy efficiency improvements that will help reduce the building's carbon emissions and energy use. Read the full story to find out more.
 Find out more about the heating upgrades with the Climate Yarns team
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Game on for Summer of Sport!
Get ready for a summer packed with fun, friendship and fantastic sporting opportunities!
Shetland Islands Council, in partnership with sportscotland, is delighted to launch a programme of free activities as part of the national Summer of Sport 2026 initiative.
Funded by the Scottish Government and delivered through sportscotland, the programme is designed to help young people get active, try something new, and discover the enjoyment and benefits of sport.
A huge thank you goes to the many clubs, coaches, volunteers and partner organisations whose support has made this bumper programme possible. So get involved, have fun, and help make this a summer to remember — it’s game on for Summer of Sport 2026!
🔵➡️ Programme details and event booking are available on our website.
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New pink bins make recycling electrical goods even easier
launching a new trial to help boost recycling of small electrical items across the islands.
Bright pink recycling bins will be placed alongside existing glass recycling points, making it easier to dispose of items like toothbrushes, toasters and kettles that can’t be reused or repaired.
Around 230 tonnes of electrical waste is already recycled in Shetland each year, but the Council is aiming to capture even more of the items that might otherwise end up in general waste. The trial bins will be collected regularly, and full details of where they are located are available on the Council website.
If your electrical items are still in good condition, you can still take them to reuse centres such as scrap stores. For larger items, a bulky uplift service is also available.
➡️ A full list of bin locations can be found on our website
📷 Click on the thumbnail to find out more about the new bins with the Climate Yarns team
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Our Performance Matters
From inclusive play areas to support for female entrepeniers, start up grants and other funding, our performance videos highlight just some of the work teams across the Council have been doing.
You can find out more about Council performance, and the work we're doing across Shetland on the performance pages on our website.
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First tenants move in to new Mid Market Homes
The first tenants have now moved into six new mid-market rental homes at North Road, marking another step in providing more affordable housing options in Shetland.
The one-bedroom properties attracted strong interest, with 73 applications received. Managed by Shetland Mid-Market Homes, the development offers high-quality homes at rents below typical market levels for people on low to moderate incomes.
➡️ Read the full story to find out more about Shetland Mid-Market Homes.
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Project Search Graduation
Five young people have celebrated graduating from this year's Project SEARCH programme at a ceremony in Lerwick Town Hall.
Project SEARCH supports young people with additional support needs to develop the skills, confidence and workplace experience needed to move into employment. The graduation also recognised the invaluable support of local employers who provided placements throughout the year, helping students prepare for the world of work.
➡️ Read the full story to find out more about this year's graduates and the Project SEARCH programme.
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Keeping The Promise
Shetland recently welcomed Fiona Duncan, Independent Strategic Advisor for The Promise, to discuss local progress towards delivering the commitments made following Scotland's Independent Care Review. The visit brought together the Council and local partners to share what's working well, explore the challenges of delivering change in an island community, and help inform national learning as Scotland works towards keeping The Promise by 2030.
➡️Read the full story to find out more.
📷 Chief Executive Maggie Sandison and Fiona Duncan, Independent Strategic Advisor for The Promise, during a recent meeting in Shetland. Image courtesy of The Promise Scotland.
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Cullivoe Primary take home Sustainability Award
Cullivoe Primary School has won the Sustainability Award at the national Assist FM Awards, recognising the school's outstanding work to reduce waste, grow food and embed environmental awareness into everyday learning.
The award celebrates the efforts of pupils, staff and the wider community, who have worked together to make sustainability part of everyday school life.
➡️ Read the full story to find out how Cullivoe Primary School earned national recognition.
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Learning through play earns national recognition
Baltasound Junior High School has become the first school in Scotland to receive a Play Pedagogy Award from Play Scotland, recognising its commitment to putting play at the heart of teaching, learning and wellbeing.
The award was presented during a special school play event, celebrating the whole school community's work to embed children's right to play. Baltasound was one of ten pilot schools that helped shape the new national award.
➡️ Read the full story to find out more about the award and what it means for pupils and learning.
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Latest school inspection reports published
Three recent HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) reports have been published for Mid Yell Junior High School & Nursery, Baltasound Junior High School & Nursery, and Lunnasting Primary School & Nursery. Each inspection highlighted a range of strengths across leadership, learning and teaching, and pupil wellbeing, alongside clear priorities for continued improvement.
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Mid Yell Junior High & Nursery
 Inspectors highlighted a nurturing and supportive learning environment, strong leadership, and effective support for pupils’ progress and wellbeing.
Areas for improvement focus on strengthening school improvement planning and consultation, developing shared understanding of high-quality learning and teaching, and continuing to review and refine curriculum programmes.
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Baltasound Junior High & Nursery
 The school was praised for inspirational leadership, highly inclusive practice, strong relationships, and excellent links with the island community. Pupils were described as confident, articulate and proud of their school.
Improvement priorities include further development of consistent learning and teaching approaches, and refining nursery planning to better balance children’s interests with planned learning and progression.
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Lunnasting Primary School & Nursery
 Inspectors highlighted positive attitudes to learning, strong leadership, effective teamwork, and a highly supportive and inclusive school environment. Nursery provision was also praised for engaging learning experiences and skilled staff.
Areas for improvement focus on strengthening school improvement planning and improving approaches to planning, assessment and the use of data to support children’s progress.
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Fostering can make a real difference to children like Sebastian
 Sebastian came into care as a child and moved between several different settings before finding a stable home. He speaks very honestly about how unsettling that was, and why having more Foster Carers could make a real difference for children growing up now.
If you'd like to help more children like Sebastian, visit our website to fint out more, and find out if fostering could be for you.
Watch: latest videos on our YouTube channel
From keeping pets safe to sharing our roads and countryside responsibly, our latest videos highlight simple ways we can all look after each other and the environment.
Recent uploads include advice on ticks and climate change, how to safely pass cyclists on single-track roads, and seasonal guidance on walking dogs near ground-nesting birds and during lambing time.
➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch the latest videos
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 We head out for a walk with Sian and Sonny to find out more about the prevalence of ticks and the link to climate change.
 Advice for accessing the outdoors during nesting season
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 What should you do at passing places? Watch our video to find out how to safely handle passing cycles on single track roads.
 Lambing season advice for dog owners
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Council representatives in discussion at Mareel
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Shaping Shetland’s next Partnership Plan
Work is underway on the development of Shetland’s next Partnership Plan, bringing together representatives from across the public sector, community councils, community development organisations and other partners.
The process began in May with a scene setting session, followed by a second session in June focused on inequality. This session explored what the evidence shows about life in Shetland, including the contrast between strong national indicators and the more complex reality experienced by some households.
While Shetland performs well on many national measures, the discussions have highlighted the importance of looking beyond headline statistics to understand issues such as hidden hardship, fuel poverty and barriers to accessing support in smaller communities.
The programme continues through a series of themed sessions running to February 2027. Upcoming topics include population and economy (September), housing and connectivity (October), climate and biodiversity (December), and public sector reform (January), before a final session brings the work together.
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Work with us
If you want to help make a difference, there's no better place to work than for Shetland Islands Council. Grow your skills, support your community, and be part of what makes these islands work.
We currently have vacancies for a range of roles, including Plumbers, Joiners, Deckhands, Fire Officers, Teachers, Support Workers and more.Take a look today and see where a career with the Council could take you
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