A 20-foot Christmas tree from Maløy in Norway has today been put up outside Lerwick Town Hall.
The tree has been provided through the Lerwick-Maløy twinning arrangement which was first established in 1956. The arrangement aims to promote cultural links between Shetland and the former municipality of Vågsøy, on the west coast of Norway, which includes the main town of Maløy.
In 2020, Vågsøy was merged with the nearby municipality of Florø, to form the larger administrative area of Kinn, with around 17,000 inhabitants - this tree has been provided by the new Kinn Council.
The tree has recently been shipped to the UK by Norwegian shipping company Sea-Cargo – although slightly delayed by poor weather – and then inspected by Forestry Commission officials in Aberdeen. The tree has since arrived in Shetland and was installed at the Town Hall this morning. Christmas lights will be added tomorrow.
Malcolm Bell, Convener said: “Shetland has many cultural and historical connections with our neighbours in Norway and we have for many years also had links with our twin town of Maløy. I’m grateful to Kinn Council for providing this Christmas tree to the people of Shetland, which symbolises the long-standing friendship between our two communities.”