Latest news with #ShetlandIslands
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge £500million underground tunnels set to connect four UK islands & ‘reverse decades of depopulation'
PLANS for a £500million underground tunnel service connecting four UK Islands have been taken to the next level. This comes after Shetland councillors agreed to take forward proposals for the construction of tunnels between islands in a move described as 'a significant step.' 6 6 6 According to The National, a report on the future of Shetland's inter-island transport was presented to councillors for the first time on Wednesday. The report recommended enhanced ferry services for Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour and Skerries, together with the case for tunnels to Bressay, Unst, Whalsay and Yell. In the wake of the report, councillors have now agreed to fund a study to establish the commercial and financial viability of a tunnel system. Future steps to move the project forward were also discussed. The options presented in the report don't come with any cost estimates, with the council emphasising the funding is uncertain. Earlier this year, The Scotsman reported that the tunnels are expected to cost more than £500million Council Leader Emma Macdonald told The National: "Tunnelling in Shetland is, ultimately, about future-proofing our island population. 'Transport connectivity is central to creating sustainable islands which provide good homes and good jobs for our people, and which reverse decades of depopulation.' She added: 'The experience of our neighbours in the Faroe Islands is clear - tunnelling from mainland Shetland to our outer islands could increase their population, lower their average age, and increase their economic prospects.' Such tunnels are common in the Faroe Islands and Norway. Ms Macdonald also insisted that they must continue to invest in a reliable ferry service as well. Councillors hope these plans will put a halt to depopulation In reference to Wednesday's meeting Ms Macdonald said: 'This represents a significant step towards the construction of tunnels between our islands.' One of the world's deepest bars to open in London Isles MP Alistair Carmichael expressed his excitement for this project, saying it is now time to deliver on this long-anticipated promise. The MP described the tunnels as having the potential to be transformative for Shetland's economy. Mr Carmichael added: 'It has been a long road just to reach this point and there is still a long way to go but I am glad that progress is being made.' He concluded that he is excited to keep up the momentum as he anticipates further talks with UK and Scottish governments. The report was published by a team of consultants appointed by Shetland Islands Council. A team of engineering consultancies COWI, Stantec and Mott Macdonald have been collaborating on the study, and exploring how transport links between islands could be improved over the next 30 years. The National also reported that Wednesday saw the discontinuation of any possibility of a Feltar tunnel for the time being. 6 6 6
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Telegraph
The 10 best British holidays for people who hate the heat
This summer is starting to swelter. And there may be more extreme heat to come. According to a Met Office study published in June 2025, there's a rapidly increasing likelihood of record UK temperatures being hit. 'The chance of exceeding 40C is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the Sixties,' says Dr Gillian Kay, Met Office senior scientist. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising.' Perhaps unsurprisingly, as the weather keeps getting hotter, so internet searches for 'coolcations' have also rapidly increased – up 300 per cent year-on-year. Destinations with brisker climes – Canada, Scandinavia, Iceland, the Alps – are trending. But there are ways to avoid the heat at home too. You just need to pick the right activity and the right accommodation in the right place. If you want to survive your staycation sweat-free, here are a few cool ideas. 1. Shoot the sea breeze on the Shetland Islands Summers on Britain's most northerly outpost are short, cool and breezy – ideal for the heat-averse, and for exploring the archipelago on foot. A wealth of wildlife likes to over-summer here too, so look for whales and dolphins as you stroll at Sumburgh Head, spot great skuas on the cliffs as you round the Ness of Hillswick, and see puffins up close on the isles of Yell and Unst – as far north as it's possible to go. Ramble Worldwide (01707 331133; rambleworldwide) offers a seven-night guided Shetland trip from £2,009 per person, half board, including flights from Glasgow; departing July 5, August 9 and September 6 and 20 2025. 2. Take the posh plunge in Shropshire What's cooler than staying in a stately home? Especially one with its own Georgian plunge pool. Salwey Lodge, near Ludlow, was built in the 1740s and has remained in the Salwey family ever since. Now it welcomes guests. Sleep in one of the four elegant bedrooms, share field-to-fork feasts in the dining room, explore the extensive grounds and dip in the 18th-century baths. There are also wonderful walks from the door, including into Mortimer Forest, a 1,000-hectare green space, perfect for forest bathing in the shade. Salwey Lodge (07766 545515; thesalweylodge) offers a two-night Ludlow Weekend package from £290 per person, full board. 3. Mix hills, vales and waves in Pembrokeshire North Pembrokeshire receives fewer visitors than the south, and offers many ways to escape the heat. Head to genteel Newport and stay at Y Sied – the cottage's thick stone walls should keep temperatures down. There are good spots nearby for sea dips: Newport Sands, Aberfforest, Pwllgwaelod. You can also take breezy walks in the Preseli Hills, which rise behind; perhaps seek shade beneath the 5,500-year-old dolmen of Pentre Ifan. Then explore hidden-away, fern-frilled Rosebush Quarry – one of Wales's best wild-swimming spots. Coastal Cottages (01437 765765; coastalcottages) offers a week at Y Sied, sleeping two, from £719. The Forest of Bowland may only be eight per cent trees, but it's still a good place to escape the heat. Orchard Glamping, set on a forest-edge farm, is a good-value, nature-immersed base. Head off on moorland and riverside walks into the National Landscape, or head to Wyresdale Park where a huge lake offers paddleboard hire and regular wild swimming sessions (£5.50). For a quirkier kind of cool, go to the Flower Bowl activity centre, home to England's only curling rink (taster session £22; theflowerbowl). Orchard Glamping (07725 185366; orchardglamping) offers pods, sleeping up to 6, from £200 for two nights. 5. Drink yourself chilled in East Sussex There's nothing more refreshing on a sweltering day than a chilled glass of something delicious, sipped amid the countryside from which it was made. The new Rother Wine Triangle trail links seven vineyards in the Rother Valley, between Rye, Hastings and Flimwell, all of which offer tours and tastings, and most of which offer accommodation overlooking the grapes (sussexwinelands). Alternatively, disappear into the nearby woods of Glottenham Castle estate: book Rosetti, a glade-tucked cabin with pre-Raphaelite styling, an outdoor shower and a tree growing through its middle. Canopy & Stars (0117 204 7830; canopyandstars) offers four-night stays at Rosetti, sleeping five, from £435. 6. Cool down on the coast in County Down Northern Ireland doesn't tend to get that hot. And even if it does, you'll get sea breezes from all sides at St John's Point lighthouse. Stay at one of the two 1830s keepers' cottages that sit beneath the beacon on this wave-surrounded headland, then visit Strangford Lough, the largest sea lough in the British Isles, where you can walk woodland and coastal paths, and explore by kayak or canoe – paddle over to the Boretree Islands to look for basking seals. Irish Landmark (00353 1 670 4733; irishlandmark) offers two nights at the St John's Point cottages, sleeping four, from £386. 7. Find calm on the canal in Staffordshire The Shropshire Union Canal is a cool corridor of green and blue space, stretching from Chester to the edges of Wolverhampton. It's a rural waterway, fringed by farmland, woodland and quiet countryside, offering an escape from both the heat and the modern world. Hire a boat from the historic market town of Brewood for a gentle journey to Market Drayton and back via deep cuttings, arched bridges, pretty villages, a handful of locks and towpath pubs before mooring up at Gnosall's Boat Inn for a refreshing pint. Drifters (0344 984 0322; drifters) offers a four-night August break aboard Sir Ulfius, sleeping four, from £1,097. 8. Live it up with the oaks in Devon For shadiness at its most English, head to Chevithorne Barton estate. This ancient patch, between Exmoor and the Blackdown Hills, is home to the UK's biggest collection of oaks, as well as a walled garden, bright summer borders and other rare trees. Visit on a free open day (July 7 to 13; August 4 to 8 2025) or, better yet, stay on site in the most tasteful of treehouses. Verte is a RIBA award-winning build of wood and glass where you can row on private lakes and live stylishly amid the trees. Unique Homestays (01637 881183; uniquehomestays) offers a week at Verte, sleeping 10, from £3,795. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park is an untamed vastness, with miles of rivers, swathes of woodland and 22 lochs. A great way to explore is by hiking the 48km Great Trossachs Path, from Inversnaid to Callander. For the coolest take on the route, join a hike-swim trip that combines walks via waterfalls, RSPB reserves and lofty Munros with refreshing dips – a coach can help with your technique or you can simply float and enjoy the views. Responsible Travel (01273 823700; responsibletravel) offers a five-day guided Trossachs trip from £995 per person, B&B, including lunches, excluding flights; departing July 17 2025. 10. Embrace the cold in North Yorkshire Without the Gulf Stream to warm it, Britain's North Sea coast offers a brisker seaside break than the west. For a very cool break, stay at Saltmoore which, opened in 2024, sits on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Its Sanctuary Spa offers a wealth of wellness, from a Brass Monkey ice bath to a cryotherapy chamber. It's only a 10-minute walk to Sandsend beach, a sweeping strand with views to Whitby Abbey, bracing swimming and good surf – you can hire surf boards, kayaks and paddleboards (whitbysurf).
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Family photos could help second home owners swerve tax raid
Second home owners could avoid double council tax bills on a property if there are family photos and heirlooms on display, a Scottish ruling suggests. Court documents published last week indicate the presence of sentimental items can help families to prove a property is their main residence and not a second home. It comes after more than 200 authorities in England brought in a 100pc council tax premium on second home owners from April 1. Authorities in Wales and Scotland have held similar powers since 2017 and 2024 respectively. The recent ruling from the Upper Tribunal for Scotland centres around 'Mr A' who owns a home in the Shetland Islands but works in Saudi Arabia for most of the year, according to Scottish Legal News. Mr A launched an appeal against the council raising the tax bill on his Shetlands property to £2,048. Mr A and his wife argued the house on the archipelago was their main residence, despite the fact their children attend school abroad. They also claimed it was their intention to move back to the Shetlands property permanently in the future. The case was first rejected by Scotland's First-tier Tribunal (FTS) chamber in October, but a further appeal to the Upper Tribunal has proved successful, and it will again be heard by the FTS at a later date. Family photographs and heirlooms were not stated as a defence, however, Judge Sheriff McCartney suggested in the ruling that such an argument could add weight to future claims. She said: 'The question of whether a property is a main or sole residence is fact sensitive. 'It requires the decision maker to have a clear understanding of the relevant facts.' She continued to state several factors were influential in the case, including: how much time the family spent at the property; their ties to each home including where they book dentists' and doctors appointments; the whereabouts of personal belongings such as photographs, heirlooms and 'items of sentimental value'; their living arrangements abroad; and details of Mr A's work contract. Ben Menahem, of law firm Seddons GSC, said: ' Second home owners may well begin to rely on this reasoning to challenge higher council tax premiums, arguing that the presence of such items reflects the property's use as a main residence.' Johnny Drysdale, a property lawyer at Keystone Law, said it is 'interesting to note the judge's broadening of the criteria of what is a main residence'. He added: 'Scottish judgements are not binding on English courts but commentary from judges across the border can be persuasive and influential. 'If these types of quite tenuous ties to a property can be included in the assessment, then we are going to see this tax challenged by people in England and Wales for the same reasons. 'Photographs and items of sentimental value seem very broad and open to interpretation.' Shetland Islands Council enforced the penalty on its 221 second homes last April in an effort to boost availability for locals. It is one of many local authorities across Britain to launch a tax raid on second home owners. Those in England have seen their annual bills rocket to £3,672 on average, according to Telegraph analysis. Andrew Hazeldine, of law firm Aaron & Partners, said the Scottish ruling mentioning presence of family photographs in a second home 'could potentially open up a loophole of sorts'. But he warned that 'simply putting some items of sentimental value or photographs into an unoccupied property is unlikely to sway the court's decision significantly'. Aaron Peake, of credit score service CredAbility, said: 'A couple of framed photos and a few keepsakes aren't going to outweigh hard evidence. 'This ruling doesn't open the door for a flood of people dodging council tax by putting up a few family snaps. In fact, I'd caution anyone thinking about it.'
Forbes
08-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Why The Quiet Heroism Of Norway's War Sailors Is As Relevant As Ever
D/S Hestmanden, one of Norway's many cargo ships that played a key role in the Allied war effort. On the Shetland Islands today, a poignant 80th commemoration of Victory in Europe Day in 1945 has been going on all day. Alongside the harbour in Lerwick are five fishing boats, once part of the clandestine Anglo-Norwegian Shetland Bus mission, and the wartime cargo ship Hestmanden. Among the Norwegians who have sailed the boats over to thank the people of Scotland for their help in the World War II are the descendants of crews from the Shetland Buses and many other Norwegian war sailors. The story of the Norwegian war sailors is one of courage, resilience and humility. Although Norway's population was fewer than 3mn when the war began, it had the fourth largest merchant naval in the world. Norwegian ships carried oil, coal, wool, food, medical and other essential supplies from the Arctic to the Antarctic. 'Britain and Norway have always had a close friendship," observes Jorn Madslien, the grandson of a Norwegian war sailor. 'It's particularly relevant today when maritime co-operation is essential. But without the Norwegian merchant navy, the U.S. could not have got involved in the war." Over the Second World War, more than 4,000 ordinary Norwegian sailors - mostly men - were killed. Yet they went unrewarded and unrecognised even by their own government. Many died before an incremental pension contribution was made many years later while the government only issued an official apology in 2003. Many of the survivors remained deeply traumatised by what they saw and experienced during the war. Most barely spoke about it, some never. Besides, few Norwegians wanted to talk much about the war, with recriminations over collaboration fresh. Today, however, with the help of service archives, the families involved and tales handed down from survivors, we know more. More recently, War Sailor, the most expensive Norwegian film ever made, has told the story on Netflix. Jorn Madslien, grandson of Norwegian war sailor Jorge Maslien. Jorgen Madslien was a policeman in the Norwegian police force when Germany invaded Norway. When he was offered promotion to a senior level, he chose to go to sea rather than remain in the police force under the Nazis. Sailing may have been helpful in his work with the Norwegian Resistance; only last summer did the family realise that Madslien had played a far greater role in the than he had let on. Madslien became the commander of a small local group. Archives reveal Madslein's cell was betrayed. He was arrested, tortured and imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp until the end of the war, when he weighed just 42 kilos. 'We only know this because he wrote a letter to my grandmother when he was freed,' his grandson Jorn Maslien says.'He never spoke about it to anyone other than his next-door neighbour.' In total, over 2,000 men and women from the Resistance were executed or died in died concentration camps. Reprisals against civilians following Resistance Operations were also often harsh. Yet theirr activities forced Germany to keep as many as 300,000 - 350,000 men in Norway, preventing them from fighting elsewhere. When German troops landed in Norway's key ports in April 1940, the command was given that all Norwegian sailors should sail their boats back into Norwegian waters or German ports. None did. Most of the Norwegian fleet was at sea, and so beyond German control. Many sailors initially headed for Norway's northern ports, which were close to an early counteroffensive brought to an end by the fall of France and the Allied withdrawal. The King, Crown Prince and government escaped to London, where they set up the Norwegian government in exile. Crown Prince, later King Olav, was appointed Chief of Defence. Throughout the war, the Norwegians worked closely with the British government and Allied forces. Control of the merchant fleet was vested in the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission, Notraship, a joint organisation run from the U.K. by Norwegian and British officials. An encounter between the factory vessel "Jan Wellem" of the German whaling fleet and the "Norvinn" ... More of the Norwegian merchant fleet, 1930s. (Photo by: United Archives/M-Verlag Berlin/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) In June 1940, the Allies requested that Norwegian boats outside Norway sail to Allied or neutral ports if safe to do so. Not all, but the majority did. Several Norwegian ships were in Swedish ports. Among them were vessels containing steel and ball bearings, badly needed by the U.K. to make aircraft and tank parts. Germany demanded that Sweden seize the ships, but Sweden, a neutral country, replied that it had no powers to prevent these ships from sailing to England. Between 1940 - 41, five ships made the voyage successfully. Swedish and British lawyers also strengthened the law concerning vessels from an occupied country sailing from a neutral third country. Germany tried to put a kvarstad (stay put in Swedish) order on the remaining vessels. Operation Performance, the second effort to get the ships out of Sweden was however a disaster. Many of the ships sunk as soon as they reached Karingon, the last island in the Gothenburg archipelago. Ragnhild Bie's grandfather was on board only one of the two out of ten British and Norwegian ships that made it. 'They were called the Lucky Ships.' Her grandfather then returned to for the third and final operation. This time, his ship was hit and sunk. He escaped on a lifeboat to Norway and made it back to neutral Sweden, from where he flew to England, where he spent the remainder of the war running refugee camps as well as working for the Special Operations Executive (who masterminded the Shetland Bus missions). 'In 1943, the U.S. government donated three submarine chasers, cutting losses on Norwegian cargo ships and ensuring the rest of the Shetland Bus missions were successful," says Bie, a war historian. The Berganger, torpedoed later in the Atlantic In 1940, Harald Lunde was a young Norwegian merchant navy sailor on board D/S Davanger when it was struck by a German U-boat (U-48) as it sailed from Curaçao on September 14 1940, carrying nearly 10,000 tons of fuel oil en route to Bermuda. The ship sank within four minutes. Lunde managed to escape onto a lifeboat, which drifted in the Atlantic for a week before reaching Ireland. Lunde saw friends die on the raft. Only 12 men out of a crew of 29 survived. He went back to sea, but on June 2 1942, his ship the Berganger was torpedoed en route from Buenos Aires and Santos to New York and Boston. This is the report he gave his superiors. By today's standards, it's a model of understatement. After a day, the two consignments of surviving crew were picked up by Norwegian cargo ship and a U.S. destroyer. Chart showing the position where Berganger was sunk Lunde had joined the merchant fleet as a seaman in 1934. He did not return home until 1946. From 1948 - 1973, he sailed for Westfal-Larsen, often as captain on the South American route. Communication between those at sea and their families was almsost entirely through letters. 'It could take months between each message,' says his granddaughter Vilde Regine Villnes. His sons, Oddvar and Gunnar, were only around two and a half years old when they first met their father. 'Of the 25 years he worked at sea, he was away for 20. The older children describe him as somewhat of a stranger, while my mother, the youngest, has a very different and more personal memory of him,' she says. The Norwegian government only officially acknowledged his wartime service in 1973. Lunde was given nothing by the Norwegian government until 1973. ''He received 9,000 NOK in compensation (equivalent to 180 kroner per month), which felt like a token sum considering the sacrifices he had made.' 'Whenever I face doubt or fear, I think of him — a young man adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, holding on to hope and refusing to give up,' Vilde says. The story of these quiet war heroes is about humility, courage and resilience - all qualities that make great leaders. Their history is as relevant today as ever.
