Swan
The Swan Trust is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, operated by a board of volunteer trustees. The Trust works closely with Sail Training Shetland to offer annual sail training experiences to many young people, and provides school trips and public sailing opportunities in and around the Shetland islands in the north of Scotland. Swan has also delivered trips around Scotland, UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Faroe and Iceland.
By crewing the Swan, young people discover the excitement and reward that comes with relying on themselves and each other, and learn some of the most important skills in life. It is heartening to see some of these young people returning to become regular volunteers and crew members on board Swan, as well as several going onto various careers at sea.
To further encourage and promote Sail Training, the Trust awards a trophy annually to their Sail Trainee of the year. The Trust has also received awards for their sail training work from Sail Training International and when they were awarded National Historic Ships Flagship of the Year, the judging panel were particularly impressed with their youth work.
The Swan and her crew are very proud to have taken part in many Tall Ships Races events over the years and have received a number of host port awards during this time. The ship is a sociable, inclusive boat and our trainees are supported and encouraged to develop their skills, expand their experience and create lifelong happy memories while on board.
History
The Fifie Swan LK 243 was launched in May 1900 at Hay and Company’s yard in Lerwick, Shetland. She was regarded as “one of the finest fishing boats afloat in the North of Scotland”. But the Fifies’ days were numbered – steam drifters were already beginning to push sailboats out of business.
In her early days, the Swan was operated from Lerwick and was used for longline fishing for white fish in the spring, and driftnet herring fishing from May to September.
By 1935 the Swan was one of only five herring sail boats left in Shetland. Fitted with an engine, she was given a new lease of life. And when the seine net fishing was introduced in the late 1940s, Swan participated in yet another chapter of Shetland’s fishing history. Finally, in the 1950s the grand old lady was retired, and in 1960 towed to Grimsby to be converted to a houseboat. In 1982 she ended up in Hartlepool, where she lay neglected, sinking two or three times due to lack of care.
The boat was spotted and identified by an enthusiast who was instrumental in beginning her restoration. A group was formed in Shetland to bring her home. The Swan Trust was established in 1990 and the dream of restoring part of Shetland’s maritime tradition was made possible.
The restoration was a painstaking process, which took 6 years to complete. Local craftsmen with specialist knowledge worked to faithfully restore her to her former glory.
On 16th April 1994 the restored and empty hull was returned to the water at Morrison Dock in Lerwick. Over the next two years the internal restoration continued at the small boat harbour, and on 11th May 1996 the Swan made her first tentative sail through Lerwick harbour, almost 96 years exactly since she first took to the water. The Swan spread her wings in the first week of June 1996, sailing from Lerwick to Whalsay, to be reunited with men who had served as crew members when she was a fishing vessel. This first journey was a proud and rewarding moment for all involved.
Swan began her new life as a sail training vessel in 1998, with 40 trips that year carrying 450 trainees.
Accommodation
Accommodation on Swan is provided in two shared spaces, with 8 bunks in the main saloon and 7 bunks in the aft cabin – both very cosy spaces. In the main saloon all meals are served, music played and stories shared.
Everyone on board does have their own designated bunk, and these all have privacy curtains and a reading light. As there are no individual cabins, accommodation is usually mixed gender.
In winter 2025, Swan is undergoing an upgrade of the forepeak section where the galley and heads are located. This means that from spring 2026, there are two brand new shower rooms with toilets, and a new, improved galley layout.
Swan is a 125 year old traditional fishing vessel, restored to become a sail training vessel and as such she retains much of the character and charm of an older vessel.
Specifications
Shipping type: ketch
Homeport: Lerwick, Scotland
Date built: 1900
Restored: 1996
Capacity: 10 trainees + 5 crew
Length: 20 m
Beam: 6 m
Draught: 2,6 m
Sail: 201 m2
Height of mast: 14 m
Engine capacity:
Displacement:
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Swan
Harlingen (NL) - Antwerp (BE)
05 Jul 2026 - 13 Jul 2026*Places at request.* The Tall Ships Races 2026: Cruise in Company. Join the Swan for a spectacular journey, filled with Sail Training, exploring new places, and...
Swan
Antwerp (BE) - Stavanger (NO)
13 Jul 2026 - 24 Jul 2026*Places at request.* The Tall Ships Races 2026: Race 2. Sail from Belgium to Norway in a race against an international fleet of tall ships. Step...