Fair Isle
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia that anyone can edit
| OS Name: | Fair Isle |
|---|---|
| Shetland Name: | Fair Isle |
 | |
| UK Grid Reference: | HZ210720 |
| Area (ha): | 768 ha |
| Population: | 70 |
| Community Council: | Dunrossness |
| Ferry Services: | Good Shepherd from Grutness |
| Notes: | |
Fair Isle (from Old Norse fridar-øy) is the southernmost island of Shetland, lying roughly 24 miles southwest of Sumburgh Head in the south Mainland and roughly half way between Shetland and Orkney.
Fair Isle is part of the parish of Dunrossness and is governed locally as part of the South Shetland council ward. Most of the population, approximately 70, live near the south end of the island. The population has steadily declined, from around 400 in around 1900. There are no pubs or restaurants on the island, but there is a well stocked shop & post office. The Island has a primary school but, after the age of eleven, children must attend the Anderson High School in Lerwick, and stay in the hostel accommodation there.
Fair Isle is wold famous for its colourful and intricate knitting patterns, and in the past knitting 'gansies' (jumpers), and other woolen clothing has been an important source of income for the women of the island, while the men were involved in crofting and fishing.
The island is also famous as a birdwatching site, with many rare migratory birds having been spotted there over the years. Often these sightings will bring twitchers to the island in great numbers. In 1947 the island was bought by George Waterston (b.1911 - d. 1980), who was jointly responsible for the building of a bird observatory, which included a hostel, there in 1948. Waterston sold the island to the National Trust for Scotland in 1955.
The island is served by regular flights of an Islander aircraft from Tingwall Airport, west of Lerwick, and also weather permitting, by the ferry Good Shepherd which operates to Grutness on the south Shetland Mainland.
Because of its 'stepping stone' location, between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle has become important as a communications relay point for microwave links bringing telephone, radio, and digital TV services to Shetland.
The surge in interest in Yoal rowing regattas in Shetland over recent years has seen a rebirth of the building of traditional 'Ness Yoals' by Fair Isle boat builder Ian Best, who spent several years in Norway, the original source of Yoals until the mid 1800's, learning his trade.
Fair Isle is also home to Malachy Tallack, musician, songwriter, and editor of the monthly Shetland Life magazine. Malachy also writes a regular blog for the New Statesman about life on Fair Isle.
Shipwrecks
Over the years there have been many shipwrecks on or near Fair Isle. The most famous being the El Gran Grifon, the flagship of the Spanish Armada, which was wrecked in the cove of Stroms Hellor on the 20th August 1588, forcing its 300 sailors to spend six weeks living with the islanders. The wreck was discovered in 1970.
Other wrecks on the isle include the Blessed Endeavour in Mavers Geo in 1798, the Laurestinus on August 4th 1804, the Favourite on April 27th 1805, the Li La Too Zee on November 15th 1817, the Vandrandande Man which wrecked on the Head of the Landberg in 1822, the Resolution at Muckle Orie Geo in 1829, the Rover which struck the Heids o' Sheldigeo and foundered at Hesswalls on either October 22nd or 23rd 1831, the Adolph Wilhelm at Slogar, and the Anna Carolina at Hesswalls both on August 22nd 1835, the Lessing in Klavers Geo on May 18th 1868, the Wilhelmina which drove ashore at South Ramni Geo on October 13th 1876, the Carl Constantine on Fogli/Fugli Stack on December 6th 1876, the Hertigen on Sheep Rock on December 14th 1876, the Black Watch on the west coast of the isle on September 19th 1877, the Hebe on November 25th 1881 and the Canadia on Heely Stack or Fugla Stack, near Malcom's Head on March 12th 1915.
Numerous other vessels have wrecked at North Haven, South Haven and South Harbour also on the isle, and are listed on the respective location pages.
World War II
Although Fair Isle is just a small isolated island, it saw perhaps more than it's fair share of involvement in wartime incidents.
The south lighthouse was attacked twice in the winter of 41/42. On the first occasion the assistant lightkeepers wife was killed, and on the second occasion a direct bomb strike to the accomodation block resulted in the death of the keepers wife and daughter.
The north lighthouse was also attacked twice in 1941, but luckily no deaths resulted.
Perhaps the best known incident during the war was on 15th January 1941 when a Heinkel HE111 aircraft crash landed after being shot down by allied aircraft. Three of the 5 crew survived the crash. The pilot, Heinz Thurz, who was only 20 at the time, revisited the island in the late 1980s to see the site of the crash, and the remains of the aircraft, which can still be seen to this day.
Also during the war a RAF radar station was sited at Ward Hill.
Recent Notable Events
On March 31, 1998, 211 years of lightkeeping tradition came to an end when Fair Isle South Lighthouse was automated. It was the last manned lighthouse in Scotland.
On January 29, 2004, Fair Isle was granted Fairtrade Island status.
Businesses
See also
External Links
- Fair Isle Lodge and Bird Observatory - Visit Their Website
- Dave Wheeler - Dave Wheeler Images - A Collection of Photos by Dave Wheeler
- The Fair Isle Times - Visit The Fair Isle Times Website
- Fair Isle community website
- Fair Isle bird observatory
- Details of its airport
- Hand dyed spinning fibre
- Full board accommodation on Fair Isle
- Photographic tour of the island
- The Fair Isle Weather Data
- Fair Isle North Lighthouse
- Fair Isle South Lighthouse
- Fair Isle - Visit Shetland website
- Ian Best Boatbuilder
- Malachy Tallack's New Statesman Blog
