Fair Isle Explained

Location Map:Scotland Shetland
Caption:Fair Isle shown within Shetland
Gridreference:HZ209717
Norse Name:Friðarøy/Friðarey
Meaning Of Name:"fair island" or possibly "far-off isle" or "sheep isle". The Norse form Norse, Old: Friðarey means literally "calm/peaceful isle" or "island (Norse, Old: [[wikt:ey#Icelandic|ey]]) of tranquility (Norse, Old: [[wikt:friður#Icelandic|frið(u)r]])".[1]
Area Rank:61
Highest Elevation:Ward Hill
Population:65[2]
Population Rank:51
Main Settlement:Stonybreck
Island Group:Shetland
Local Authority:Shetland Islands Council
References:[3]
Module:
Qid:Q17851868
Embed:yes
Fair Isle North Lighthouse
Skroo
Location:Fair Isle
Shetland
Scotland
Coordinates:59.5521°N -1.6095°W
Yearbuilt:1892
Automated:1983
Construction:masonry tower
Shape:cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Marking:white tower, black lantern, ochre trim
Lightsource:engine generator
Intensity:204,000 cd
Characteristic:Fl (2) W 30s.
Fogsignal:3 blasts every 45 s
Managingagent:Northern Lighthouse Board[4] [5]
Qid:Q17851293
Embed:yes
Fair Isle South Lighthouse
Skadden
Location:Fair Isle
Shetland
Scotland
Coordinates:59.5139°N -1.6526°W
Yearbuilt:1892
Automated:1998
Construction:masonry tower
Shape:cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Marking:white tower, black lantern, ochre trim
Fogsignal:2 blasts every 60 s
Managingagent:Northern Lighthouse Board[6]

Fair Isle (; Norse, Old: Friðarey; Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Fara), sometimes Fairisle, is the southernmost Shetland island, situated roughly 38abbr=offNaNabbr=off from the Shetland Mainland and about 43abbr=offNaNabbr=off from North Ronaldsay (the most northerly island of Orkney).[7]

The entire archipelago lies off the northernmost coast of Scotland, in the North Sea. As the most remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom (and among the most northerly settlements in Great Britain),[8] Fair Isle is known for its wild bird observatory, interesting historic shipwrecks, Scottish and Shetland-style traditional music, and its traditional style of knitting. The island has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1954.

History

Fair Isle has been occupied since Neolithic times, which is remarkable given the lack of raw materials on the island, although it is surrounded by rich fishing waters. There are two known Iron Age sites: a promontory fort at Landberg and the foundations of a house underlying an early Christian settlement at Kirkigeo.

Most of the place names date from after the 9th-century Norse settlement of the Northern Isles. By that time the croft lands had clearly been in use for centuries.

Between the 9th and 15th centuries, Fair Isle was a Norwegian possession. In 1469, Shetland, along with Orkney, was part of the dowry of the King of Denmark's daughter, Margaret, on her marriage to James III of Scotland.[9]

On 20 August 1588 the flagship of the Spanish Armada, El Gran Grifón, was shipwrecked in the cove of Stroms Hellier, forcing its 300 sailors to spend six weeks living with the islanders.[10] The wreck was discovered in 1970. The large Canadian sailing ship Black Watch was wrecked on Fair Isle in 1877.

In 1862 around 40% of the population migrated to New Brunswick.[11]

Fair Isle was bought by the National Trust for Scotland in 1954 from George Waterston, the founder of the bird observatory.[12] [13] In that decade, electricity was not yet available to residents and only some homes had running water; the population was declining at a level that created concern.[14]

The population decreased steadily from about 400 in 1900. There were around 55 permanent residents on the island in 2015,[15] the majority of whom were crofters. In April 2021, the population was 48 and the island became the first place in the UK all of whose adult inhabitants had been vaccinated against COVID-19.[16] The island has 14 scheduled monuments, ranging from the earliest signs of human activity to the remains of a Second World War radar station. The two automated lighthouses are protected as listed buildings.

The island houses a series of high-technology relay stations carrying vital TV, radio, telephone and military communication links between Shetland, Orkney and the Scottish mainland.[17] In this respect it continues its historic role as a signal station, linking the mainland and the more remote island groups. In 1976, when television relay equipment was updated to permit colour broadcasts to Shetland, the new equipment was housed in former Second World War radar station buildings on Fair Isle.[18] Many television signals are relayed from Orkney to Shetland (rather than from the Scottish mainland) via Orkney's Keelylang Hill transmitter station.

Wartime military role

During the Second World War, the Royal Navy built two radar stations on top of Ward Hill (712abbr=onNaNabbr=on), which operated from February and March 1940 and played an important role in detecting German bombers approaching Scapa Flow on 8 and 10 April 1940.[19] The ruined buildings and Nissen huts are still present. A cable-operated narrow gauge railway lies disused, though it was once used to send supplies up to the summit of Ward Hill.

On 17 January 1941, a German Heinkel He 111 bomber, modified as a meteorological aircraft, crashed on the island; wreckage remains on the crash-site to the present day. The aircraft had been flying on a routine weather reconnaissance flight from its base at Oldenburg in Germany. It was intercepted by RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters from 3 Squadron, based at RAF Sumburgh; both of the aircraft's engines were damaged and several of the five crew were wounded. The pilot managed to make a crash-landing on Fair Isle to avoid ditching his crippled aircraft in the sea. Two crew died and three survived. The dead crew were buried in the island's churchyard; the survivors were detained by the islanders and remained for several days until weather conditions allowed them to be taken off the island by means of the Lerwick Lifeboat.[20] Before the Lerwick boat reached the island, two separate boats from Orkney ran aground whilst making their way to collect the prisoners of war.[21]

The South Light was a target. During raids, the wife of an assistant keeper was killed in 1941 and their daughter was injured; in 1942, the wife of another keeper and their daughter also died in a raid.[22]

On 22 July 1941, Spitfire X5401 piloted by Flying Officer M. D. S. Hood crash-landed on Fair Isle returning from a reconnaissance mission over Ålesund, Norway. The pilot recalled the crash site to be adjacent to the track which crossed the airstrip. The cause of the crash proved to be a leak of coolant, which resulted in the engine overheating. The aircraft was recovered and flew again, and the pilot survived the war.[23] [24]

Geography

Fair Isle is administratively part of the parish of Dunrossness, Shetland, and is roughly equidistant from Sumburgh Head, some 38km (24miles) to the northeast on the Mainland of Shetland[25] [26] and North Ronaldsay, Orkney, some 43km (27miles) to the southwest.[3] Fair Isle is 4.8frac=2NaNfrac=2 long and 2.4km (01.5miles) wide. It has an area of 80NaN0, making it the tenth-largest of the Shetland Islands. It gives its name to one of the British Sea Areas.[27]

Most of the islanders live in the crofts on the southern half of the island, the northern half consisting of rocky moorland. The western coast consists of cliffs of up to 200m (700feet) in height, Ward Hill at 217m (712feet) being the highest point of the island and its only Marilyn. On the eastern coast the almost detached headland of Sheep Rock rises to 132m (433feet).

Climate

Fair Isle experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), bordering on a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), with cool summers and mild winters. This is especially pronounced because of its location far from any sizeable landmass; Fair Isle has the smallest overall temperature range (least continental) of any weather station in the British Isles: a maximum of 22.6C and a minimum of -5.6C since 1951. This 60+ year temperature span is actually smaller than many places in inland southern England will record within a given three-month period. To further illustrate how extreme the maritime moderation at Fair Isle is, a rural location near the coastline in Northern Stockholm County on a similar latitude in Sweden broke Fair Isle's then all-time records in both directions within a 48-hour period between 26 and 28 April 2014.[28]

On 19 July 2022, a maximum temperature of was registered in Fair Isle.[29] [30]

The lowest temperature recorded in recent years was -4.6C in February 2010.[31] Rainfall, at under 1000abbr=onNaNabbr=on, is lower than one might expect for somewhere often in the main path of Atlantic depressions. This is explained by a lack of heavy convective rainfall during spring and summer months due to the absence of warm surface conditions.

Fair Isle's ocean moderation is so strong that areas on the same latitudes in the Scandinavian inland less than 1000sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 to the east have average summer highs 2- higher than Fair Isle's all-time record temperature, for example the Norwegian capital of Oslo and the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The -5C all-time low is uniquely mild for European locations on the 59th parallel north. The winter daily means are comparable to many areas as far south in the British Isles as south-central England, because of the extreme maritime moderation. It is in hardiness zone 9b or 10a (compared to 8b for the Faroes, 7b or 8a for Stockholm, and 1b for parts of Canada, all on or near the 60th parallel north. Central Florida (at 27-8 degrees north) has this hardiness zone.

Economy

Over the centuries the island has changed hands many times. Trading links with Northern Europe are reflected in Fair Isle Haa, a traditional Hanseatic trading booth located not far from the South Harbour, traditionally used by residents of the southern part of the island. Rent was usually paid to absentee landlords (who rarely visited) in butter, cloth and fish oil.

Fishing has always been an important industry for the island. In 1702, the Dutch, who were interested in Shetland's herring fisheries, fought a naval battle against French warships just off the island.

Fair Isle is noted for its woollen jumpers, with knitting forming an important source of income for the women of the islands. The principal activity for the male islanders is crofting.

In January 2004, Fair Isle was granted Fairtrade Island status.

Bird life

Many rare species of bird have been found on the island, with at least 27 species found on the island that were the first British records, and is probably[32] the best place in western Europe to see skulking Siberian passerines such as Pechora pipit, lanceolated warbler and Pallas's grasshopper warbler. For example, in 2015, rare birds discovered on the island included pallid harrier, arctic warbler, Moltoni's warbler, booted warbler, paddyfield warbler, siberian thrush, and thrush nightingale.[33]

The island is also home to an endemic subspecies of Eurasian wren, the Fair Isle wren Troglodytes troglodytes fridariensis.

Bird observatory

In 1948, George Waterston founded a permanent bird observatory on the island. Because of its importance as a bird migration watchpoint, it provided most of the accommodation on the island.[34] The first director of the observatory was Kenneth Williamson.[35] It was unusual amongst bird observatories in providing catered, rather than hostel-style, accommodation.

In 2010, a new observatory was built: a wooden lodge of two storeys, which cost £4 million and accommodated around 30 guests.[36] The 2010 observatory building was destroyed by fire on 10 March 2019; the observatory's records had been digitised and were not affected.[37] [38] The cost of rebuilding was estimated at £7.4m.[39]

Infrastructure

Other than the restaurant of the bird observatory, and its small evening-only bar, there are no pubs or restaurants on the island. There is one shop, one school and a community hall used for meetings and social events. There is no police station on the island; the main station is Lerwick and a section station is located in the village of Brae.[40]

Passenger service to the island is provided by SIC Ferries on the vessel Good Shepherd IV[41] or by a nine-seat passenger aeroplane from Tingwall Airport near Lerwick, operated by regional carrier Directflight.[42]

Electricity supply

Fair Isle is not connected to the National Grid; electricity is provided by the Fair Isle Electricity Company. From the 1980s,[43] power was generated by two diesel generators and two wind turbines. Diesel generators were automatically switched off if wind turbines provided sufficient power. Excess capacity was distributed through a separate network for home heating, with remote frequency-sensitive programmable relays controlling water heaters and storage heaters in the buildings of the community.[44] Following the installation of three wind turbines, combined with solar panels and batteries, in a £3.5 million scheme completed in October 2018, the island has had a 24-hour electricity supply.

Communication

Fair Isle is home to two GSM 900 MHz base stations operated by Vodafone and O2.[45] On 16 April 2019, an EE 4G antenna was turned on by Openreach.[46] In 2023, the island became connected by a fibre submarine cable, as a spur off a cable linking Shetland and Orkney. This supplements and upgrades the long distance microwave link opened in 1979.[47] Full fibre services then became available to all properties on the island.[48]

Emergency services

Fair Isle has a fire station equipped with a single fire appliance, and staffed by a retained fire crew of local volunteers. It was originally part of the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, which was absorbed into the national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on 1 April 2013. A locally organised volunteer fire brigade was formed in 1996 by island residents. This was later absorbed into the statutory fire service, with professional training provided, and the local service designated a retained fire crew. The first purpose-built fire engine was stationed to the island in 2002.[49]

In October 2011, a contract for the construction of a £140,000 purpose-built fire station was awarded to Shetland company Ness Engineering,[50] who completed the construction and equipping of the fire station, including its connection to the island power and water supplies, and the installation of a rainwater harvesting system within the building.[51] The new fire station was officially opened on 14 March 2013.[52]

There is a small Coastguard cliff-rescue team on the island. Like the fire service, the Coastguard is a retained (volunteer) emergency service.[53] The Fair Isle Coastguard cliff rescue team were the first British Coastguard unit to be equipped with a quad ATV.[54] The quad is painted in HM Coastguard livery, with reflective Battenburg markings and has an optional equipment trailer.

There are no emergency medical services on Fair Isle. Routine medical care is provided by a community nurse. In the event of accident and emergency the community nurse provides first aid until casualties can be removed to Shetland Mainland, usually by helicopter air ambulance. In severe weather conditions or life-threatening emergencies, the Coastguard helicopter can undertake the patient evacuation.[55]

Transport

Air

Fair Isle Airport serves the island with flights to Tingwall Airport near Lerwick, and weekly to Sumburgh Airport, both on Shetland Mainland. Flights to Kirkwall on Orkney were scheduled to begin in September 2017, provided by Loganair.[56] Private aircraft use the facility and scheduled flights arrive twice daily, three days a week. There is a small terminal building providing limited services. Fire cover is provided by the island fire service.

There are two helipads on the island; one at the South Fair Isle lighthouse and used by Northern Lighthouse Board and HM Coastguard helicopters, and the other at the North Fair Isle lighthouse.

Sea

There are two main harbours, north harbour and south harbour; both formed naturally, being sheltered by the headland of Bu Ness. They are separated by a narrow isthmus of gravel. The north harbour is the main route for goods, provisions, and Royal Mail postal services arriving at and departing from the island. The ferry Good Shepherd IV plies between Fair Isle north harbour and Grutness on Shetland Mainland. In summer only, the ferry also runs from Lerwick once every two weeks.[57]

Road

A road connects the populated areas of the island, along its full length.

Education

Fair Isle has one primary school, with two classrooms. There is a full-time head teacher, and a part-time assistant teacher.[58] The number of pupils varies over time, but has generally been between five and ten, with three pupils as of 2021. Islanders of secondary school age are generally educated off-island, on Shetland Mainland, where they board in halls of residence, returning to Fair Isle during holiday periods.[59]

Religion

Christianity is the only formally organised religion on Fair Isle. There are two churches, one Methodist, and one Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). The Methodist Church has a resident non-stipendiary minister, who reports to a full-time minister on Shetland Mainland.[60] The Methodist Church was constructed in 1886.[61]

The Church of Scotland church was built in 1892. The Church of Scotland parish which contains Fair Isle is Dunrossness, which is linked with Sandwick, Cunningsburgh and Quarff parishes. The congregation's minister is Reverend Charles H. Greig.

Conservation designations

Most of the island is designated by NatureScot as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SCA).[62] [63] The island and its surrounding seas are also designated by NatureScot as a Special Protection Area (SPA) due to the important bird species present.[64]

In 2016 the seas around Fair Isle were designated as a Marine Protected Area (MPA).[65] As of 2019 it is the only MPA in Scotland to be designated specifically as a "Demonstration and Research" MPA.[66] The aims of this MPA designation are defined as being:

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. The form Norse, Old: friðar is the genitive singular.
  2. Web site: Tiny Scots island with population of just 65 self-isolating in bid to beat coronavirus . 31 March 2020 . Daily Record . 1 November 2020 . 4 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200404090320/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/tiny-scots-isle-population-just-21783107 . live .
  3. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 4 Shetland (South Mainland). 9780319228104. Ordnance Survey. 2014.
  4. 14 July 2016.
  5. http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Fair-Isle-North/ Fair Isle North
  6. Web site: Fair Isle South . live . Northern Lighthouse Board . 14 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160625055550/http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Fair-Isle-South/ . 25 June 2016.
  7. Web site: Fair Isle - Shetland.org. www.Shetland.org/visit . NB Communication; Promote Shetland.
  8. News: Crane . Nicholas . Nicholas Crane . Britain's 10 best islands . live . The Daily Telegraph . 18 February 2016 . 14 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160101011651/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/9289443/Britains-best-islands.html . 1 January 2016.
  9. 7.
  10. William Boyd, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 9 (Edinburgh, 1915), p. 635.
  11. Hutchison. Iain. The 1862 Fair Isle Clearance to New Brunswick. The Scottish Historical Review. 102. 2023. 91-115.
  12. Web site: Case Study: Wind Power on Fair Isle . dead . . 7 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080420084059/http://www.ntseducation.org.uk/students/case-fairIsle.html . 20 April 2008.
  13. Book: Nicolson, James R . Shetland . registration . David & Charles . Newton Abbot, UK . 1972 . 27. 9780715355480 .
  14. Web site: Tallack . Malachy . The Trust and us . . 17 September 2007 . 2 November 2020.
  15. News: Bid to boost Fair Isle population launched . 29 June 2015 . live . . 1 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150701035241/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-33304707 . 1 July 2015.
  16. News: Stout . Jen . Covid: Every adult is vaccinated in Fair Isle, the UK's remotest island community . 15 April 2021 . BBC News . 15 April 2021 . 14 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210414195020/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-56691073 . live.
  17. See reference at Fairisle.org.uk .
  18. See Bringing Colour to the Shetland Isles, by Gerry L Sanderson, 1976, page 48, available on-line here .
  19. Book: Brown, Ian . Radar in Scotland 1938-46 . 2022 . 126-131 . Society of Antiquaries of Scotland . 978-1-90833-221-9.
  20. Web site: Deutsche Luftwaffe Heinkel He111 H-2 / T5+EU . Air Crash Sites Scotland . 10 April 2013 . 18 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130818054120/http://aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/heinkel-he111_fair-isle.htm . live .
  21. Web site: 9 June 2021. The story of Fair Isle's Heinkel. 3 February 2022. New Statesman. en-US.
  22. Web site: FAIR ISLE SOUTH LIGHTHOUSE . Imperial War Museums . 1 November 2020.
  23. Web site: World War II - Page 3 of 7 . 2022-09-21 . Sumburgh Airport Archives . 3 September 2017 . en-US . 22 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220922170007/http://sumburghairport.notshetland.com/crash-log/world-war-ii/3/ . dead .
  24. Book: Earl . David . Dobson . Peter . Lost to the Isles . 2013 . 173 . Hanover Publications . 978-0-9523928-4-2.
  25. http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/102939/details/unknown+atlantic/ "Unknown: Atlantic"
  26. http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/shetland%20pages/shetland-fair-isle.html "Fair Isle"
  27. Web site: Fair Isle . dead . fairisle.org.uk . 9 February 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080308175131/http://www.fairisle.org.uk/index.htm . 8 March 2008.
  28. Web site: Öppna data för Svanberga A. sv. Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. 7 September 2019. 30 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130114545/https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer/#param=airTemperatureMinAndMaxOnceEveryDay,stations=all,stationid=98490. live.
  29. Web site: 03008: Fair Isle (United Kingdom) . . 19 July 2022 . ogimet.com . OGIMET. 24 July 2022 .
  30. Web site: Fair Isle records its hottest temperature ever . Hirst . Andrew. 19 July 2022 . www.shetlandtimes.co.uk . The Shetland Times. 24 July 2022 .
  31. Web site: Tutiempo . 2010 temperature . 7 November 2011 . 29 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201521/http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/FAIR_ISLE/02-2010/30080.htm . live .
  32. Book: Archer. Mike. Bird Observatories of the British Isles. Grantham. Mark. Howlett. Peter. Stansfield. Steven. T & AD Poyser. 2010. 978-1-4081-1040-9. London. 163.
  33. Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2015 . British Birds . October 2016 . 109 . 22 June 2020 . 24 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200624211020/https://www.bbrc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/15-report.pdf . live .
  34. Book: Okill. David. Deryk. Shaw. 2010. Bird Observatories of Britain and Ireland. Fair Isle. Archer, Mike . Grantham, Mark . Howlett, Peter . Stansfield, Steven. T & A D Poyser. https://web.archive.org/web/20120324022239/http://www.poyserbooks.com/images/Bird_Observatories_of_Britain_and_Ireland_9781408110409.pdf. 24 March 2012. dead.
  35. Web site: The History of Fair Isle Bird Observatory . fairislebirdobs.co.uk . 1 August 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080513125312/http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/history.htm . 13 May 2008 .
  36. News: Fair Isle fire family 'humbled' by kindness . BBC . 15 March 2019 . 15 March 2019 . 15 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190315020059/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47569194 . live .
  37. News: Fire damages Shetland's Fair Isle Bird Observatory roof . BBC . 10 March 2019 . 10 March 2019 . 10 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190310160052/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-47515175 . live .
  38. Web site: Vow to rebuild fire-hit Fair Isle Bird Observatory in Shetland . BBC . 11 March 2019 . 12 March 2019 . 11 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190311213738/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-47524027 . live .
  39. Web site: Shetland star's video plea to bring world-leading bird observatory back to life . The Scotsman . 1 November 2020 . 5 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201105080314/https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/shetland-stars-video-plea-bring-world-leading-bird-observatory-back-life-2956810 . live .
  40. Web site: Shetland Island Area Commander . live . Poileas Alba . 1 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201107144401/https://www.scotland.police.uk/your-community/highland-and-islands/shetland-island/ . 7 November 2020.
  41. Web site: Ferry Timetables . live . Shetland Islands Council . 13 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210413104550/https://www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries/timetable . 13 April 2021.
  42. Web site: Resources, Fair Isle . live . Shetland Heritage . 1 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918235130/https://www.shetland-heritage.co.uk/downloads/resources/geographicleaflets/Fair_Isle.pdf . 18 September 2020.
  43. News: Johnston . John . The glory of 24-hour power finally reaches Fair Isle . live . BBC News . 12 October 2018 . 12 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181012050038/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45812273 . 12 October 2018.
  44. Web site: Fair Isle Renewed. Network Control. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042621/http://www.fairisle.org.uk/FIECo/renewed/control.htm. 4 March 2016.
  45. Web site: Sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk reference 6840 and 6983 . 5 December 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091207163802/http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/ . 7 December 2009 . dead.
  46. Web site: Cope. Chris. 18 April 2019. 'Life-changing' 4G arrives in Fair Isle. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190418155845/https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2019/04/18/life-changing-4g-arrives-in-fair-isle/. 18 April 2019. 14 April 2021. Shetland News.
  47. Web site: Fair Isle: BT Microwave Sites . 2024-03-24 . www.dgsys.co.uk.
  48. Web site: Jackson . Mark . 2023-12-28 . Full Fibre Rollout to Remote Fair Isle Sets New Openreach Record . 2024-03-24 . ISPreview UK . en.
  49. History of the service and the appliance recorded in The Scotsman newspaper.
  50. Contract award and value recorded in The Shetland Times newspaper.
  51. Construction and design outlined by Ness Engineering .
  52. Link to photographs of the opening ceremony .
  53. http://fair-isle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/hm-coastguard-metal-ceremony-service.html Photographs
  54. The quad is reported, with photographs, here .
  55. An example of such a medical evacuation .
  56. News: New Fair Isle flights from Orkney launched by Loganair . The Scotsman . Alastair . Dalton . 23 March 2017 . 9 June 2017 . 20 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170420074042/http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/new-fair-isle-flights-from-orkney-launched-by-loganair-1-4401941 . live .
  57. Web site: Tiny Scots island with population of just 65 self-isolating in bid to beat coronavirus . live . Daily Record . 31 March 2020 . 2 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200404090320/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/tiny-scots-isle-population-just-21783107 . 4 April 2020.
  58. School website .
  59. News: Scotland's most remote school seeks new headteacher . 27 August 2021 . live . BBC News . 28 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210827233206/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-58322157 . 27 August 2021.
  60. Details of ministers on the Shetland Methodist website
  61. Date referenced at Undiscovered Scotland .
  62. Web site: Fair Isle SSSI. 12 October 2020. NatureScot. 25 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125221037/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/620. live.
  63. Web site: Fair Isle SAC. 12 October 2020. NatureScot. 2 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190902095446/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8253. live.
  64. Web site: Fair Isle SPA. 12 October 2020. NatureScot. 2 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190902095446/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8496. live.
  65. Web site: Fair Isle MPA(DR). 12 October 2020. NatureScot. 16 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190816095231/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/10499. live.
  66. Web site: Scottish MPA network – Parliamentary Report. Scottish Government. December 2018. 2 September 2019. 28. 18 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190818132520/https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/progress-report/2018/12/marine-protected-area-network-2018-report-scottish-parliament/documents/00544750-pdf/00544750-pdf/govscot:document/00544750.pdf. live.