Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland
Picture the quintessential Scottish isle… green hills, steep cliffs, sheep, fog rolling in and out… Well, that’s it. Welcome to Fair Isle.
Sweeping beautiful cliffs of Fair Isle, Scotland
Although the sea was a bit bumpy, we managed a landing in the beautiful harbor at Fair Isle on June 21, 2023, and were warmly welcomed by the locals – who, surprisingly for an island with a total population of 60, warned us about traffic! There was some construction occurring, and they wanted to make sure we stayed safe, but after only seeing three cars, our concerns were lessened.
We quickly set off for a long stroll over the island, from the harbor to the community center, about 2 and a half kilometers inland from our landing site. Along the way, we saw beautiful drystone wall work all along the road, keeping in many of the local wooly residents – the Shetland sheep! In this island group, there are about 8 times as many sheep as people, and that wasn’t hard to believe here.
After the walk in, we were greeted by a lovely array of cakes and biscuits, as well as tea and coffee provided by the locals. A few children were playing ball, and local artisans were sharing their wares (particularly the Fair Isle knitwear for which the island is renowned!). Friends are made quickly here, and we instantly felt as though we were a welcome part of the community.
Although time slipped away too soon, and we had to head back to our landing site, we enjoyed even more stunning views of the cliffs and landscape on the walk back, as the fog had lifted a bit. An incredibly special afternoon on a far flung Scottish isle.
