Santa was in excellent form across two festive weekends after arriving in style at the town’s annual Christmas Parade to switch on the Christmas tree lights. The grotto welcomed 460 local bairns, with families once again turning out in great numbers to enjoy the festive magic in Lerwick Town Centre.
For 2025, the grotto was hosted within Harry’s Department Store, where a dedicated space was transformed into a festive winter wonderland. The central location helped create a warm, traditional Christmas atmosphere and made it easy for families to visit while enjoying everything the town centre has to offer.
Volunteers from the Lerwick Lifeboat Fundraising Crew assisted Santa over the four days, helping to organise visits and hand out gifts to excited children. The £3,500 donation is made in recognition of – and thanks for – their fantastic support.
A small percentage of grotto income contributed towards the cost of gifts, with additional support provided by Living Lerwick. All presents were purchased locally from Harry’s Department Store, ensuring the event continued to support town centre businesses.
Living Lerwick Project Manager Emma Miller said:
“We’re absolutely delighted with how well the grotto went again this year. It’s such an important part of Christmas in Lerwick Town Centre.
We’re incredibly grateful to the Lerwick Lifeboat Fundraising Crew, and of course Santa, for giving their time so generously. The money raised will support our local lifeboat service, which plays such an important role in our community – including bringing Santa into the parade each year. We’d also like to thank Harry’s for hosting the grotto and for their continued support in supplying the hundreds of gifts.”
Living Lerwick would like to thank everyone who visited the grotto and helped make it another memorable and meaningful festive success.
