LERWICK

Lerwick is the most northerly port of call for the 1999 Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races where, almost two hundred years on from Dr Bactrom's voyage, we still promise a most hospitable reception and Shetland welcome from the top of the British Isles. Here, Scotland blends with Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic.

Lerwick Harbour

With purpose-built tugs and pilot boats available, the port services around 4,000 vessels annualy. Local pilots have experience of a wide range of craft including oil industry support vessels, large fishing boats, cruise ships, leisure craft and of course, tall ships.

The facilities and hospitality available in Lerwick is regularly sampled by participants in major international yacht events such as the Royal Western Yacht Club Round Britain and Ireland Yacht race, the North Sea Triange, the Shetland Race and the Spice Race.

Lerwick Town

Over one hundred tall ships are expected to visit Lerwick from Monday, 9th to Thursday, 12th August after cruising-in-company from Greenock on the west coast of Scotland. Plans are well advanced to host an event unique to Shetland, reflecting the islands' rich maritime heritage.

The crews of the visitng ships will be the guests of honour at the event. Opportunities will be available to participate in sports, sightseeing tours to historic castles, archaeological sites, the sensational seabird city of Noss National Nature Reserve, longship cruises along Lerwick's waterfront and stops en route to see our famous Shetland ponies.

Spiegeltent Gaiete - an Art-Deco salon built in Belgium in 1930 will feature for the event. Sited on Victoria Pier in Lerwick's old town, it will provide a spectacular setting for entertainemnt. Crews and visitors will experience the high quality and varied music which is part of Shetland's heritage, and an important element of our everyday life.

Although the fleet will be berthed in Lerwick during their stay, outlying communities are anxious to extend a welcome to any visitors and would welcome any vessel in the Cutty Sark fleet wishing to visit on their way to the host port. Plans are already uinderway in Unst, the most northerly island in Shetland, to cater for vessels electing to navigate round the northerly tip of the islands, passing the historic Muckle Flugga lighthouse en route to Lerwick. Unst is the island on which Robert Louis Stevenson based his map of Tresure Island.

On the night prior to the fleet's departure for Aalborg, Shetland will bid farewell to the tall ships with a grand torchlight procession of Vikings, and one of the biggest fireworks displays ever staged in Shetland (sponsored by the Bank of Scotland) will take place in Lerwick Harbour. The display will be staged from a barge, exploding above the tall ships' fleet and will offer spectacular views to everyone.

The visit of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships will culminate the following day with a spectacular Parade of Sail on Thursday, 12th August which promises to be one of the most memorable sights ever to have been witnessed in the islands this century.