Walk and cycle gets underway at Tingwall

Conditions may not have been quite what were hoped for, however there were plenty of smiles as the Routing 4 Youth event got underway in Tingwall on Saturday morning.

Gloomy skies brought persistent rain, but that was not enough to deter the 50-odd participants who ran, cycled or walked the nine mile route from the Tingwall Kirk to Bridge End in Burra.

Initiated by St Columba’s Church in Lerwick, the event has been billed as “multi-generational” and has been designed as part of the Year of Young People initiative.

Funds were being raised for Disability Shetland and Christian Aid.

The idea came from church member Wilma Goodlad, of East Voe, who said she was delighted to see it taking place.

“Like Up-Helly-A’, it’s going ahead despite the weather. And we’re delighted to see a bit of rain because the gardens have been missing it these last few weeks.

“It’s a bit much today, but we’re going ahead. I think there’s about 50 people here at the moment. Some from churches, some not from churches, and we’ve come together to do this journey from Tingwall to Burra, and to have fellowship together. We’re delighted to be here.”

Attending was the moderator of the Church of Scotland Youth Assembly, Robin Downie.

“It was Wilma who contacted me and she said she’d really love to do something for the Year of the Young Person. We arranged it and Wilma came up with the idea of having this nine mile walk across Shetland,” he said.

“We thought this would be fantastic, and we could have runners, we could have cyclists and we could have walkers. It was really Wilma’s idea, and I was invited along and am absolutely delighted to be here.”