Band of pensioners storm UK island's tourist centre in bid to form breakaway state

An independence activist and his followers stormed a tourist information centre in a bid to seize control of it as part of a push to form a breakaway state.

Stuart Hill, 81, and a band of fellow travellers burst into VisitScotland's premises in Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, wearing name badges. They fixed a sign to the wall and announced that they were ready to start running the centre, having set up a "point of sale system".

Their efforts to become the isolated island's main tourism hub proved short lived however, as police officers arrived not long after and escorted them from the building, the Shetland Times reported.

The surprise invasion was designed less to make a quick buck on a North Sea island chain which welcomes around 80,000 visitors a year, but to make a point about their sovereignty. Mr Hill is a staunch believer in an independent Shetland Islands and argues that now is the time for the 22,000 people living on the most northerly tip of Britain to go it alone.

In Stuart's mind, VisitScotland has no right to be running a tourism office on the Shetland Islands as the Shetland Islands are not a part of Scotland.

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"After prolonged correspondence with VisitScotland and Shetland Islands Council, we were left in no doubt that, in the absence of proof that Shetland is part of Scotland, VisitScotland has been acting fraudulently in promoting Shetland as a Scottish destination and Shetland Islands Council's claim to ownership of the building is inferior to The Sovereign Nation of Shetland's allodial claim, which dates back to November 2013," Stuart explained.

The independence activist explained that the invasion of the tourism centre was to "secure the building for the benefit of the people of Shetland, continuing its use as a visitor centre for the benefit of Shetland, with only Shetland goods available in the shop and promoting Shetland as a destination more interesting than just another Scottish island."

He told the Mirror: "I have been investigating since 2004 how Scotland derives its authority in Shetland. Shetland will inevitably become an independent state.

"A lot of people here would like more autonomy. The protest was a toe in the water to see what happens. The tourism office was open. We said we are here to take it over. Not with any great intent, expecting to physically take it over. The important thing is to make a point."

When asked how many people joined him in the protest, Stuart said: "The truth is the truth. I am not interested in numbers."

According to the octogenarian, "sovereignty in Scots law is ownership of the land. they are two of the same." This - he argues - is not the case in Shetland. "The crown has never owned the land of Shetland. It belongs to the people."

The Shetland Times reports that Stuart is planning another takeover of the tourist information centre, having been “too nice” and “wasted time talking” on the first attempt. He reportedly suggested that his followers enter the building on a quiet Sunday before barricading themselves in and changing the locks. When asked by the Mirror, he would not be drawn on any future plans.

By must accounts, Shetland has been part of Scotland since 1472, when it was annexed to the Scottish crown as part of Margaret of Denmark's dowry to King James III.

A VisitScotland spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an incident took place at Lerwick iCentre on 30th July, which was swiftly dealt with by police.”