Alex Salmond on Shetland for cabinet meeting

Alex Salmond will take part in the cabinet meeting in Lerwick. Picture: Neil Hanna

As well as taking part in the cabinet meeting in Lerwick, Mr Salmond and his team of ministers will carry out other engagements during their time there.

Over two days, the First Minister will host a civic reception, as well as being quizzed by members of the public as he and a number of Scottish Government ministers take part in a question and answer session.

The meeting on Shetland is the first of this year’s summer cabinets, with Mr Salmond describing the islands as a “fantastic venue”.

Since 2007 Mr Salmond has staged cabinet meetings outside of Edinburgh during Holyrood’s summer recess period.

Fantastic venue

A total of around 4,000 people have attended the summer cabinet events in Aberdeen, Bute, Dornoch, Dumfries, Dundee, Elgin, Glasgow, Inverness, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Melrose, Orkney, Pitlochry, Renfrew, Skye, Stirling, Stornoway and Stranraer.

This year’s other meetings will be in Hawick, Campbeltown and Fraserburgh.

Speaking before the visit to the islands, the First Minister said: “I am very much looking forward to visiting Shetland which I am certain will be a fantastic venue for the first of the Scottish Government’s 2013 summer cabinet programme.

“These events are hugely popular, giving ministers an invaluable opportunity to engage with people in communities all across Scotland, listening to their concerns and talking to them directly about the issues that matter, from jobs and the economy to crime, education and healthcare.

“This is the seventh Scottish Government summer cabinet programme and since we began in 2007, ministers have enjoyed meetings in all corners of Scotland. During that time, thousands of local people have taken part in a whole range of events including open public discussions: a very popular opportunity for people to ‘buttonhole’ the cabinet on a host of issues.”