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only in Shetland and a wider area which required detailed knowledge of Scotland was not necessary.) At the A.G.M. on 17/9/1995 training courses for new guides were discussed and notification was received of the new body Shetland Tourism, formed 3/3/95. At a meeting on 2/4/96 there was a discussion regarding non-qualified persons offering guided tours in their own vehicles. It was also reported that Associate Membership of the Scottish Tour Guides Association was now available. In November 1996 Douglas Smith became chairman.
The Shetland Association then had 29 guides, seven of whom were Norwegian speakers. It was decided that in-house training for new guides would be held on six successive Saturdays in 1996. Nineteen persons took the course for new guides for Shetland Tourist Guides Association. The year 1999 saw the first group of people train to become Scottish Tourist Guides Association Green Badge Guides. In 2003 training took place for new guides. Eleven people completed the course and that summer the first buses to visit from mainland UK arrived via NorthLink Ferries Ltd to tour Shetland for 1, 2 or 3 days that required local guides, these being co-ordinated by the Orkney and Shetland Tour Company Ltd. This company was owned by Kathleen Hogarth, a Blue badge guide from Orkney. In November 2003 agreement was reached for affiliation with the Scottish Tour Guides Association.
However the following years in a somewhat surprising statement Shetland Islands Tourism announced that they were taking charge of monitoring tour guides!
‘In 2005 55 cruise ships visited Lerwick,’ Les said. There was an exchange visit between guides on Orkney and Shetland. Orkney guides spent four days on Shetland and Shetland guides spent two days on Orkney.
In 2006 a new constitution changed the name of Shetland Tour Guides Association to Shetland Islands Tourist Guides Association. This avoided the confusion in the similar initials of the Shetland and Scottish associations. There were 36 qualified guides. First Aid courses were run for the Association. New I.D. cards were produced for members now of the STGA.
In January 2007 the OSTC went bankrupt and Island Vista was formed by three Shetland guides, Catriona Anderson, Robin Hunter and Billy Robertson to provide a local service for cruise ships and incoming coach parties. Island Vista went on to be the training provider for guide training courses from 2014. Training courses are held every second year. By May 2009 there were 37 qualified guides.
Over the years many newcomers to the Islands joined the association, often from different nations so there was in time an availability of guides who were competent in different languages. We had almost from the
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