Up-Helly-A’ opening for lighthouse attractions
The visitor centre at Sumburgh Head Lighthouse will open during the Lerwick Up-Helly-A’ celebrations on 27th and 28th January.
From 10am to 4pm each day the centre will be open to enable visitors to see the exhibitions and a series of special events in the education room.
Morgan Downie, the Sumburgh Head artist in residence for January, will read new works and from his earlier collection stone and sea, at 2pm on the Tuesday afternoon, followed by a reading of new works with a question and answer session on Wednesday at 1pm.
The Wednesday reading will be followed by Brian Johnson, former lighthouse technician and current retained lighthouse keeper for the Northern Lighthouse Board.
Brian will show his own photographs from the history of Sumburgh Head on Wednesday at 2pm, and talk about his experiences in a question and answer session on the lighthouse service.
Brian has been responsible for the restoration of the Diesel Kelvin engines that power the foghorn, which has not been sounded for 27 years. He has recently carried out pressure tests in anticipation for the foghorn’s re-activation in 2015. His original images of lighthouse history will be seen at their best on the new wide screen and projection facility in the education room.
The gift shop will also be open for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks and snacks.
Kate Watt
Probably be a better idea to open on the Wednesday and Thursday – maybe even the Friday, many, many folk come to Shetland for the week, and Tuesday is spent in Lerwick doing what they came to do – enjoying Up Helly Aa, its the other days during their stay that should be focused on!