WATCH: Young fiddlers take to the stage for bumper music competition

The 37th Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year Competition got underway on Friday morning with hearty applause greeting youngsters treading the boards at Mareel.

This year there are 175 entries from 100 fiddlers, with Primary 6 and under pupils up to senior performers playing over the next two days.

Iain Williamson is on the judging panel and was gearing up for the day ahead.

He said it was important to keep traditional Shetland music going and it was great to see young musicians picking up the fiddle.

“It’s great to see them have a keen interest,” he said.

“It’s still going on in the schools and outwith the schools [with] people together and it keeps the tradition alive.”

Valerie Watt secretary of the Shetland Folk Society said: “We’re really delighted that there’s an increased number of fiddlers that are choosing to play the traditional tunes, that’s the old Shetland tunes.

“There’s no better way to preserve them [than] to get our young folk playing them.”

. More in next week’s Shetland Times