The Shetland News

Wave power plant planned

SCOTTISH renewable energy developer Pelamis Wave Power and Swedish multi-national Vattenfall plan to develop a 20 megawatt wave energy farm off the west coast of Shetland.
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Tuscan Christmas
In travel brochures Tuscany is invariably connected with summer. The sun sits high in a deep blue sky, fields of yellow sunflowers bake in the heat, and the waters of the Italian Riviera shimmer in the haze. What the pictures don’t show is the throng of tourists and the over-crowded beaches. But it’s easy to avoid the crowds - and the heat - by visiting in winter, says Rosa Steppanova.

New Year in Florence
The train journey from Campiglia Maritti near Piombino to Florence takes just under two hours, and the railway line follows the Riviera coast as far Cecina before heading inland towards the Tuscan capital. Italian trains are comfortable, spacious, run on time, and this one provided us with the perfect venue for a picnic lunch of pecorino cheese, olives, tomatoes, ciabatta and a bottle of Elisabeta’s Chianti, writes Rosa Steppanova.

Brian Henderson Exhibition
- New Paintings
A new collection of paintings by celebrated local artist Brian Henderson, which will be displayed until 26 January, opened at Vaila Fine Arts on Saturday evening. The 24 still lifes on display were previewed with a glass of wine and tiny oatcakes by a lively group of friends, collectors and former pupils in the bright, warm space of the gallery.
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An invaluable insight into wind farms
“Are you also going to be converted?” I was asked on Thursday morning while queuing at Sumburgh Airport to be searched before boarding the flight to Edinburgh. The remark touched on a sore point as it was exactly the same question I had asked myself when I accepted an invitation from Viking Energy for a two day visit to three Scottish wind farms.
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Shetland Nature News:
Compiled by Brydon Thomason

A magical encounter
We are truly privileged in Shetland to enjoy the highest density of Eurasian otters in Europe, which in turn makes it arguably the best place in the world to watch and study them in the wild. Read more

The long and the short
THERE is one family of birds that is sure to draw interest, even for those with little or no interest in ornithological and that is owls.
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An authentic Arctic encounter
With the year beginning with the ‘snowy snap’ of weather across the isles and most of the United Kingdom, I was eagerly optimistic that Shetland could be graced with some sort of exotic form of avian Arctic visitor. Read more