Three murals which hung in the old Anderson High School building in Lerwick have taken pride of place in the new school.
The murals, which were made in the 60s and 70s, have been in storage until now.
They previously hung in the old school dining area and assembly hall and now hang above the new dining hall and canteen.
The murals
Two of the murals were created by ex-pupils Ian Coutts and Ian Guthrie back in 1963.
They were in their sixth year at the time, and were asked by the school’s art teacher, Charlie Forret, to make something for the dining hall which had just been built.
With the help of fellow pupils John Mouat, Brian Tait, William Goodlad and David Johnston, the boys painted the murals in their free time.
Both are painted onto wooden boards, which are around 33ft in length together.
Mr Coutts’ mural shows Shetland history spanning from Neolithic times to the present day, featuring various images of fishing and crofting.
Mr Guthrie’s mural is a Shetland regatta scene painted in a bold colourist style.
Both Mr Coutts and Mr Guthrie went on to study art after leaving school before becoming teachers.
They even taught together for a period of time at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh.
The third mural was painted by Martin Emslie, a former art teacher at Anderson High School.
It was created in 1979 and brings together iconic locations from ‘Old Lerwick’, including The Old Tolbooth, Commercial Street and the Market Cross.
Mr Emslie’s piece was on display at the Freefield Centre before it closed in 2013, but is now hung in its new home at the school.
The ex-teacher helped to restore his mural before it was displayed.
Leaving a mark
Valerie Nicolson is the current head teacher at Anderson High School, which moved into its new building in 2017.
She is keen to ensure that these murals are not the last hung in the school.
She said: “I’m so pleased to see these pieces of art in our new school building. They are an important part of the school’s art history and they now have pride of place in a busy part of the school, where they add a lot of colour and character.
“We have plans to add a new mural to the school in the future to ensure that current pupils can leave their mark too, reflecting Shetland life today.”