New friendship agreement signed between Shetland and Norway

Davie Sandison and the mayor of Øgarden, Tom Georg Indrevik. Photo: Ryan Taylor

The bond between Shetland and Norway has been reinforced with the signing of a new friendship agreement.

A special ceremony was held at the Scalloway Museum this morning [Saturday].

And a further gesture of friendship has seen the equivalent of almost £50,000 donated towards the Prince Olav Slipway project, a restoration initiative which aims to preserve an important war-time site.

The friendship agreement was signed by Davie Sandison, who is a Shetland Central councillor, and the mayor of the island municipality of Øygarden, Tom Georg Indrevik.

It succeeds a previous agreement between Scalloway and Sund in Norway, which was signed in 2014. However, changes on the Norwegian side have since seen Sund become part of the larger Øygarden, which has led to the new agreement being signed.

The mayor of Øygarden said: “We are grateful to those who contributed in the establishment of this historic new agreement we are signing.”

Jim Young, of the Shetland Bus Friendship Society, said the donation of over 597,000 Norwegian kroner would make a massive difference to the slipway project, which is being planned as part of a number improvements to the waterfront.

The slipway was built in “double quick time” in 1942, as an “essential” place for the repair of Norwegian fishing boats that “took a terrible pounding” from their missions across the North Sea.

Mr Young said it was fitting that the first boat on the slipway was a fishing vessel which had come from Øygarden.

“The restored slipway will be a new attraction in Scalloway, which will contribute to a larger project to redevelop the whole of the Scalloway waterfront.

“It will also serve as a memorial to the engineers of William Moore and Sons.”