Communities minister makes isles her first port of call

The Scottish government’s new cabinet secretary for communities and local government visited the isles on Tuesday – in her first official visit in the role.

Aileen Campbell, the MSP for Clydesdale, was given a tour of Shetland Soap Company, where she saw the production process and spoke to staff and management. Social enterprise is part of Ms Campbell’s brief so she was pleased to learn more about the soap company which is part of Cope Ltd.

“It’s been really great to see here behind the scenes.”

The visit followed a meeting with elected members and council representatives.

Ms Campbell said she had welcomed the chance to meet SIC figures, including leader Steven Coutts and chief executive, Maggie Sandison.

“Local government is very much part of my responsibility, and the partnership working that we do with local government is important to establish good relations,” she said.

“It’s been lovely that my first local authority that I’ve visited has been Shetland Islands Council.”

More on the visit and Ms Campbell’s Shetland connections in Friday’s Shetland Times.