Bid to resurrect Faroese links
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A WICK councillor has called for links to be re-established between the town and the Faroe Islands as part of their abandoned twin-town partnership.
Gail Ross said it is time to establish contact with the town of Klaksvik after it emerged no links have been made since 2008.
The two towns were part of a twin-town initiative for years to recognise former ferry links between Scotland and the North Atlantic islands which lie 208 miles north-west of Shetland.
After ferry links between Scrabster and Klaksvik ended four years ago, no further contact has been made, despite Wick and Klaksvik still being linked officially.
As civic head of Caithness, Mrs Ross was in Thurso on Monday to welcome scouts from Brilon, Germany, as part of the 40th anniversary celebration between the two towns.
She was impressed by what the links brought to Thurso and said efforts should be made to enable Wick to enjoy the same sort of benefits.
"After speaking to people about the town’s former links with the Faroe Islands, I feel that this is something we could maybe try and resurrect," she said.
"I plan to hold talks with council officials in the next few weeks to find out if anything can be done as, at the moment, the twin town is only just a title with no substance to it.
"To see the scouts and officials between Thurso and Brilon socialising with each other was fantastic and I think that we could benefit from this as well."
In 2007, a working group was established by the Highland Council when Smyril Line reintroduced its service from Scrabster to the Faroe Islands, Norway and Iceland.
The international link was expected to bring benefits to the tourist industry in the county but, after only 18 months, Smyril Line announced it was ending the link and there have been no moves to reintroduce.
The last contact made between the two towns was in 2008 when the working group travelled to the Faroese town to discuss economic opportunities.
Alex Macmanus, who works as an assistant to Caithness ward manager David Sutherland, said the issue will be discussed with Mrs Ross next week in greater detail.
He said there is no longer a working group associated with the twin-town link after Smyril Line scrapped the service.
"We have had no records in recent years of any efforts to make contact with our links in Klaksvik," he said.
"We will be holding a business meeting with councillors next week where we will have the opportunity to discuss it in more detail."
Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council members said they would support moves to look into re-establishing the link.
Treasurer Geraldine Durrand said most people are not aware Wick was involved in the twin-town initiative or have even heard of Klaksvik.
"There has been nothing that has happened between the two towns for years and as a result people have forgotten all about the twin-town initiative," she said.
"Despite there being signage at town entrances indicating the link, there still isn’t enough being done for people to realise we are associated with the Faroe Islands."
