Well into the second half of the 19th century, Shetlanders fished from open boats. The six-oared vessels known as ‘sixareens’, the earliest versions of which were imported as kits from Norway, typically made two three-day fishing trips in a week, and would work up to 40 miles from shore. It was an occupation fraught with risk. There were catastrophic losses in July storms in 1832, when 105 men in 17 boats perished, and 1881, when 58 men and 10 boats were lost.
It’s no surprise that Shetland’s history and economy are intimately linked to the sea and to fishing. Since the first settlers arrived, the prolific fishing grounds around our coasts have been a source of food and the main basis for trade. Reminders of the fishing heritage can be found all over the islands. However, in 2025 it’s the turn of the restored fishing boat, ‘Swan’, to take centre stage, as she celebrates her 125th birthday.
These disasters were one factor in a move toward larger, decked sailing boats, which could bring home more fish and were much less vulnerable in poor weather. In both Shetland and Scotland, these larger boats first came into use during the 1850s and the designs were steadily refined. The boats became larger and by the 1890s some were being fitted with steam capstans for hauling the nets. From the early 1900s, engines were gradually added.
Swan is a boat of the kind known as a Fifie, ordered by Hay & Co. of Lerwick for her skipper, Thomas Isbister, and built in the sheds at Hay’s Dock. She was launched by his daughter, Ottie, in May 1900. The Shetland News reported that she was acknowledged “to be one of the finest fishing boats afloat in the North of Scotland, as regards to model, strength or workmanship”.
The newspaper added that Swan was the largest boat ever built in Lerwick, 67 feet long and with a 20-foot beam. Like other recent boats, she was fitted with a steam capstan. On launching, she “took to the water like a duck, being brought up in the limited space in a most masterly manner”.
Swan worked out of Lerwick initially, and was involved in whitefish longlining in the spring and drift-netting for herring over the summer. In 1905, she moved to the island of Whalsay, where she was given a different, “smack” rig in 1908. She had an engine fitted in 1935 and continued to fish, adopting seine netting, into the 1950s.
The vessel was eventually sold to an owner in England for use as a houseboat but, in the years that followed, she passed through several hands and suffered neglect. Lying at Hartlepool, she sank more than once and had to be refloated.
A new owner bought her in 1989 and began restoration, but it proved too big a job and he put her up for sale. A local navigation teacher, Tom Moncrieff, wrote to the Shetland Times with a proposal that she be brought back to Shetland, restored and used as a sail training vessel. As he said, “there will never be another Swan”.
That letter led to the establishment of a steering group to secure and restore the boat. Temporary repairs allowed a crew to bring her back to Shetland, where close examination revealed that her condition was substantially worse than a survey report had suggested.
However, the members of the steering group were determined to press ahead and the Swan Trust, a charity, was formed in 1990; full disclosure here: I served as a trustee for several years.
The task of raising the funds required began immediately and it wasn’t long before work began on the repairs, with the boat ashore on the quayside at Lerwick’s Morrison Dock. It became obvious that much of the hull timber needed replacing, and that work continued until 16 April 1994, when Swan was lowered back into the sea.
Fitting out the interior took another two years but, on 11 May 1996, Swan was ready for a first short voyage in the harbour. The following month, she made a trip to be reunited with her former home port in Whalsay and men who had sailed in her.
Since 1998, the trust has operated Swan as a sail training vessel, and she has carried thousands of passengers. Many of them have been trainees, some of whom later went on to become crew members. However, she also earns income from public passenger excursions. These have included visits to ports not only around the United Kingdom, and especially on the west coast of Scotland, but also in Iceland, Denmark, Faroe, France, Holland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.
She has also taken part in the Tall Ships Races. On these voyages, she has often carried musicians, artists and photographers; Catriona Mackay wrote a tune for her, Lerwick 243, beautifully played on this YouTube video.
Swan’s 125th birthday has been marked by a number of events, including several excursions and a special exhibition at the Shetland Museum and Archives. It presents several models of the vessel, together with a detailed timeline telling Swan’s story. The various certificates and awards that the boat has won are also on display.
Last year, she was fitted with a new main mast, thanks to sponsorship from NorthLink Ferries. Looking ahead, the Trust has raised funds for some major improvements to the boat, to be undertaken over winter 2025/26.
If you would like to sail on Swan, you can find out more on the Swan Trust’s website. As well as an annual programme of excursions, there is the opportunity to charter her for group trips, perhaps to celebrate a special event, experience a unique holiday or create a valuable team-building experience for work colleagues. You can also volunteer to assist with the many tasks essential to keeping Swan in operation, ranging from marketing and promotion to fundraising or maintenance.
There is no doubt that Shetland is very fortunate to have Swan, one of only two vessels of her type still in use. The vision and determination of Tom Moncrieff, the steering group and the trustees have been fully vindicated and it’s to be hoped that she will continue to delight those who sail in her.
Alastair Hamilton
Alastair Hamilton moved to Shetland in 1976. Until he retired, he worked for Shetland Islands Council, latterly as Head of Planning, and was also involved in economic development.