The difference in the bus service between the north and south of Shetland

If you live in Lerwick, Shetland, or south of it, you find that there is a superb bus service. If you live north or west of Lerwick then things are vastly different.

Lerwick to the airport at Sumburgh, the bus service runs seven days a week, up to Lerwick and back again, on and on, often with very few, if any people aboard.

Here in Hillswick, thirty-five miles north of Lerwick where I live, things are not the same. There are no buses on a Sunday at all. If you want to go anywhere on a Sunday you either drive yourself, get a lift or walk - that's it - unlike Lerwick, where the buses go round and round, or back and forth to the airport.

During the week we have a minimal service, down to town in the morning and back home in the afternoon. Six days a week there is a bus leaving here at 07.30, getting to Lerwick at about 08.50 and five days a week there is a bus leaving here at 10.00 which gets in at 11.10 - but not on a Wednesday - oh, no, there is a bus into town, getting you in at 08.50, and leaving town at 17.10. A large gap of approximately eight hours in between. Very nice if you want to watch the tide come or go. It's similar Monday, Friday and Saturday except there's a 10.00 bus down to town but even that can mean a long, expensive day out. There is a bus from Brae, coming in in the morning for visitors (three months a year) but nothing to take them away later in the day.

Why? Why is this the situation when we need the use of public transport too. Some of the people using the airport come from up here. Some of the people living up here would benefit by being able to go shopping on a Sunday. Why is there no similar service for us, why does Lerwick and south of Lerwick enjoy a massively better service. Some of us up here do not drive for a variety of reasons, as is true of those south but they have a decent bus service looking after them while we do not.

And being a Wednesday today, after a hospital appointment I caught the 11.30 to Brae and walked for about six miles with my thumb out. I got a lift all the way home from there from a very kind neighbour but that is not possible or suitable for everyone. What does the rest of our society do when those at the south end are going up and down on the bus?

When will Shetland gain independance???

You hear a lot of chit-chat about what would happen to Shetland (and none of what they tell us is good) if Scotland were to go for independance and break away from the UK.


Personally, I'd like to hear the truth instead of the political garbage that gets spewed out incessantly.


If we got the truth and nothing but the truth, would Scotland still be giving its oil to support the UK.


Come to think of it, would Shetland be giving the oil that comes ashore here away to support the waste of the UK and the EU. 


Let's face it - why should we???

What is the next political step here in Shetland?

There are a lot of people willing to go on and shout and bawl about seperating Shetland from the United Kingdom. Personally, I think that there could possibly be massive gains in this for us all, not only for the fishing industry but oil too. In fact, everyone here in Shetland.

After the results of the last election, which I must admit surprised me a little as it was poorer than I thought it would be, the general public has been shouting loudly that they want this and that they need that.

What are we going to do about it?

Are we going to make a move to go it alone?

We can do it if the people want to. But they need to speak up. They need to be honest about their beliefs.

Where are you now, Billy?

The ferry

I have just had a look at how Northlink have been doing over the past few days and, more importantly, how they will be running the ferry tonight from Aberdeen up to Shetland because a friend is booked to be on it tonight. As usual he's on his motorbike and he'll be here until Sunday.

Fingers crossed that the boat sails fine and that we have a week of good weather. It's always a better visit if the sun is out and the wind is down. Then the walking boots go on and the camera can come out.

Hopefully, while he's here we'll get the chance to walk from here in Hillswick, up by Heylor, right along the voe, out to the Atlantic. It's easy to access from here where I live but I've never done it via the next voe up.

Fingers crossed, eh.

Alistair Buchan

Jings, crivens, help ma boab, I'd no longer commented on the fact that he hasn't blogged lately than wham, bang - it's right out there. Now, the question that we have to ask is, was his weekly blog, as usual, a week late, or possibly, did he read my blog and feel that he'd been spotted - not doing the job that he'd actually promised. Now before I go any further I have to point out that I had not been paid to point this out in any way, I had not been paid to make him look small in any way - I do all these things quite naturally!!!

Shetland Islands Council Chief Executive's Blog

It's very good, Alistair Buchan putting out his blog for us to read and enjoy, and making sure that we have the information that he wants us to have (truth - well maybe?) but the header states "Weekly Updates from Chief Executive Alistair Buchan". It would appear that the Shetland week is longer than anybody else's.

When will it come out again - or - Will it come out again?

Norwegian visitors pay tribute to Shetland Bus operation

May 17th, 2011 by Jim Tait 

A crowd of Norwegian visitors celebrated their country’s independence day with a march through Lerwick town centre today.
The group arrived the previous day on a number of boats, including the Helandwhich is of special significance to Shetlanders, being a veteran of the Shetland Bus operation during World War II.
The parade began at 10am at Victoria Pier, headed through Commercial Street and the Esplanade and back to the pier where the Norwegian national anthem was sung. The event was recorded for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, to be shown on television in the country.
In the afternoon, the visitors laid a wreath at the Shetland Bus Memorial in Scalloway in memory of those who lost their lives during World War II. They then headed back to Lerwick were, accompanied by members of the Norwegian-Shetland Association, they laid flowers on the Norwegian war graves.