Repairs required for Market Cross after bump

Instead of clearing up mess, one rubbish collector made more in Lerwick this week when his truck bumped into the monument at the Market Cross knocking some of the plinths out of position.

The monument, which is over 150 years old, was last moved in 1997 to enable work to be done to paving slabs around it.

Neil Robertson from the roads department said that as yet, they were unsure as to the extent of the damage.

Mr Robertson said: “The next step will be to find out how much damage has been done and how many pieces the monument is in to see what repairs are needed.”

He said the council would be liaising with Historic Scotland throughout the works.

The Market Cross takes its name from the monument, which historical guide Douglas Sinclair has said was rumoured once to have been part of Scalloway Castle, although that was more legend than established fact.

The cross replaced Scalloway as the place for proclamations and announcements in 1838 and the lamp was fitted in the late 19th century.

In 1997 it was swivelled to line up geometrically to the new paving slabs. The Market Cross was a no go zone for two weeks while this was being done.