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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*Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to cancel this trip. We hope to reschedule for 2021, please contact us if you would like further details when available.*
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 2020, 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 to book on 19th & 22nd May: 9.00am – 12.30pm and 5.30 – 9.00pm.
To book 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
Every year volunteers come together over the winter to help maintain Swan, consisting of both traditional boat maintenance and one-off tasks. Over the past couple of years these have included re-caulking the coach roof and dismantling and overhauling the capstan. Here Swan Trust Trustee Brian Wishart, tells us about repairing the Bowsprit.
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In the next instalment of our personal stories of Swan, Maggie Adamson tells us about her history with Swan and life on board as a crew member of this classic sailing boat. As an accomplished sailor, and world class musician, Maggie has travelled the world, but her passion for Shetland and the Swan has seen her crew the Swan for the past four seasons.
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