Want to get involved in sail training boat trips in Shetland? There are a number of different ways you can volunteer.
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*We are not currently taking payments for any trip but please contact us on info@swantrust.com to make a reservation*
Join us for a guided tour of Lerwick Harbour to discover more about the growth of Lerwick from a small collection of trading booths and huts to the bustling commercial capital we see today.
We are delighted to be working with experienced local guide Laurie Goodlad to offer this new half day trip for 2021, which will let you see Lerwick as you’ve never seen it before!
Lerwick grew with the arrival of Dutch fishermen from the 1600s. Their arrival every June meant that locals flocked to Bressay Sound to trade with these foreign visitors. Laurie will introduce you to Lerwick at this time, and describe its continued growth, which saw it overtake Scalloway, Shetland's ancient capital, in size and influence by 1838. She will detail the second herring boom of the 19th century, which saw boats like Swan take to the water in their hundreds to execute the summer fishery, and bring you up to date with our current fishing industry, which is still the mainstay industry here in the islands.
Laurie will also tell tales of the ‘smugglers’ who built the town’s foundations and point out Jimmy Perez’s house from the sea on this leisurely tour of the picturesque Lerwick Harbour.
There are two tours available: 9.00am – 12.30pm and 5.30 – 9.00pm.
To reserve your place please e-mail us on info@swantrust.com.
Your trip will begin with a safety briefing including how to work the lines on deck and set the sails. We will then put this into practice, while we delve into Shetland’s past and explore the Lerwick waterfront.
Included in voyage
Want to get involved in sail training boat trips in Shetland? There are a number of different ways you can volunteer.
Learn more
Joseph Kay has spent the majority of his career as a fisherman, laterally as the second skipper on the Donvale. Now working on the Whalsay Ferry, he continues to be an avid supporter of the fishing industry. Here he shares some of his memories of the Swan, his time at the fishing, and stories from those who crewed the Swan, and similar vessels, in the days of sailing herring drifters.
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The Swan Trust has been awarded £17,800 through the Historic Environment Recovery Fund, which was launched last year to support the recovery of Scotland’s historic environment sector from the impacts of COVID-19.
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