The Lord-Lieutenant acts as the representative of His Majesty King Charles III in Shetland and is responsible for ensuring that The King is kept informed of local issues, particularly ahead of a Royal visit.
Lord-Lieutenants are appointed by The King on the advice of the Prime Minister, and the role of Lord Lieutentants is strictly apolitical - they do not hold office in any political party. The role is unpaid and Lord-Lieutenants retire at the age of 75.
The Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants are supported by the Clerk and Assistant Clerk, who perform these roles as part of Shetland Islands Council’s support to the Lieutenancy.
The current Lord Lieutenant
Mr Lindsay Tulloch QPM was appointed as Lord-Lieutenant of Shetland on 5th February 2024, to succeed Mr Robert 'Bobby' Hunter CVO following his retirement on 3rd April 2024.
Born and educated in Shetland, Lindsay spent 30 years in the police service and served across the Highlands and Islands area. Lindsay served as Police Area Commander for Shetland for six years, rising to the rank of Superintendent, before retiring in June 2022. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal by HM The Queen in January 2020. He also previously served as a Deputy Lieutenant. He lives with his wife on the island of Bressay and is involved in many local charities and organisations.
Role of the Lord-Lieutenant
The Lord-Lieutenant's principal responsibilities are:
To organise official Royal visits to Shetland by any member of the Royal Family.
To ensure that The King’s Private Office is kept informed about local issues relating to Shetland.
To participate in the Honours and King's Awards nominations process and recommending guests from Shetland to attend His Majesty’s Garden Party held each year at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
To participate in civic, voluntary and social activities within the Lieutenancy and to liaise with local units of the Armed Services and their associated cadet forces.
To represent The King at Citizenship ceremonies.
To carry out other duties, such as the presentation of decorations such as the British Empire Medal (or where a recipient is unable to attend an Investiture), The King’s Award for Voluntary Service and The King’s Award for Enterprise
