Yell Schools Set Sail

19 primary pupils from Cullivoe Primiary, Burravoe Primary and Mid Yell Primary schools all had a half day experience on board during the trips in May. They boarded at the pier in Mid Yell and were able to hoist the sails and take turns at the helm.

Head Teacher at Cullivoe, Claire Lawson, said “The crew were very friendly, clear with their safety instructions and were very good at directing the children putting the sail up and down and bringing the boat back into the pier. Everyone had a turn at being ‘Skipper’ and learned a little about navigation. It really was an excellent trip.”

A further 10 secondary pupils from Mid Yell Junior High were able to enjoy an extended trip this year and stayed on board overnight. In addition to the sailing experience, pupils were able to help prepare the evening meal and sleep in the bunk accommodation.

Being able to offer pupils trips on Swan provides them with a practical hands on experience which is just not possible in a classroom. The funding Cooke Scotland has provided for a number of years has enabled hundreds of young people to benefit from this.

Mark Lawson, Head Teacher at Mid Yell said ‘Once again our young people benefitted from an amazing opportunity to spend some time out on the water onboard the Swan. It really is remarkable to see how much of a positive impact it has on our pupils. From a short trip around local waters for our youngest pupils to an overnight adventure for the older ones, every individual pupil takes a great amount from it. Working together as a team to make the boat sail and taking turns at cooking and cleaning on board, are all experiences that we could never replicate in the classroom and are so very valuable. We would like to give a massive thank you to the Swan Trust for all the work they do in pulling these trips together and to Cooke Scotland for once again sponsoring these activities and making them possible for the bairns of the North Isles.’

Cooke Scotland’s Communications Coordinator, Emma Grains, said: "As a leading producer of Scottish salmon in Shetland, we proudly support the local communities where we live and work.

"The Swan sailing trips are a fantastic opportunity for young people to build skills and confidence on the water. As shared users of the marine environment, Cooke are proud to support Shetland's nautical heritage and encourage the skills of sailing a traditional fishing boat to be passed on to the next generation."

Swan left Lerwick on Friday last week, bound for Harlingen in the Netherlands, where they will join the Tall Ships Races with trainees from Aberdeen. A group of young people from Shetland will join the ship in Stavanger in July to compete in the race between the Norwegian city and Aalborg in Denmark. This is a continuation of the successful partnership between Sail Training Shetland and the Swan Trust.