THE First Minister was forced to call off a visit to Shetland on Friday after his plane was unable to land on the island due to fog.

John Swinney’s flight circled Sumburgh Airport several times before it had to divert back to Edinburgh.

He had been due to announce a funding package to support island communities during the visit, designed to help tackle local issues and invest in new opportunities.

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A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Due to the weather in Shetland the plane carrying the First Minister was unable to land.

“He looks forward to visiting Shetland in the near future.”

Swinney was also due to use the visit to campaign for the upcoming General Election alongside the SNP’s election candidate for Orkney and Shetland Robert Leslie.