Security training to be provided in build-up to Tall Ships

Granite Elite have been appointed to provide security at next year's Tall Ships Races. From left: Logan Spence, Craig Fraser, Rebecca Smith and Emma Miller (Tall Ships Shetland project manager).

A security company will provide training to people in the isles in the lead-up to next year’s Tall Ships Races in a bid to get more qualified security guards.

Aberdeen-based Granite Elite has been appointed to provide security services at the four-day Tall Ships event in Lerwick in July 2023.

The company, which was founded in 2019, has provided security at events such as the Highland Games, the Scottish Traditional Boat Show in Portsoy and the Royal Deeside Motor Show.

Granite Elite will be bringing qualified and trained security guards with them to Shetland for the event.

But they will also be running training sessions in the islands over the coming months, to give any interested locals a chance to attain their Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence.

Shetland Tall Ships Ltd. said the move “should mean that Shetland will have suitably qualified staff” to allow large-scale standing concerts to go ahead.

Granite Elite managing director Craig Fraser said his company was was excited to be branching out into Shetland for the first time.

“We are ecstatic to be doing business with Lerwick Tall Ships and we’re looking forward to getting involved with the local community and helping make it a fantastic event,” he said.

“We’ll be coming into Shetland soon to do some training to get locals through their SIA qualification, with the aim of using a mixture of local staff and our contingency from the mainland.”