Geography
Fair Isle, the most southerly island of the Shetland group (the northernmost islands of the British Isles) lies approximately 25 kilometres south-south-west of Sumburgh Head at the southern end of the Shetland mainland, and approximately the same distance north-east of North Ronaldsay (the most northerly of the Orkney islands). Perhaps Britain's most isolated inhabited island, Fair Isle is only some 5 kilometres by 3 kilometres in extent, roughly rectangular in shape, with a heavily indented west coast. The landscape has been moulded by the effects of ice during the Ice Ages, with large areas of glacial till covering the southern third, which is lower, more fertile, and mostly taken up with the cultivated crofting area. The remainder, is largely rough grazing and rocky moorland, rising to the 217 metre Ward Hill. Though the area around the impressive landmark of Sheep Rock on the east coast has cliffs of over 100 metres, the west coast, with its deep slash-like geos, offers some of the island's most impressive scenery, with cliffs rising to almost 200 metres along the north-west coast. The climate is oceanic in nature. In winter the weather is generally mild and often stormy. The summers are cool, damp and foggy at times, and often breezy.

Population
The present population of the island is around 70. There are eighteen crofts ranging in size from 3 to 20 hectares. As well as traditional crofting activities islanders are involved in many other forms of remunerative activity - boat-building, building work, wool spinning, knitting, straw work, musical instrument making and repair, environmental consulting, meteorological work, crewing the inter-island ferry, part-time teaching, etc. Many of the islanders are also volunteer members of the Coastguard cliff-rescue team, retained firemen, or air-strip firemen.

There is a primary school - the present roll is thirteen, but there are quite a few children below school age - with one teacher. After the age of eleven children have to travel to Lerwick for there secondary education. Here they board in Halls of Residence and, because of the length of the journey involved, only get home to Fair Isle on a regular basis during the half-term and terms end holidays. There are presently two young people in full-time secondary education in Lerwick. While this is not an ideal situation it is recognised by both children and parents that this enforced independence plays a major part in the their development into responsible young adults. Because of this a large number of the island’ s young people go onto further education before making the conscious decision to return and set up home on Fair Isle when the opportunity arises.

There are two well-attended churches on the island - Church of Scotland and Methodist. One of the crofters is the Methodist minister, with services in the Kirk being taken by a retired minister recently returned to the island.

There is no resident doctor on the island, but medical care is provided by a fully qualified nurse. If further medical care is required, or for out-patient visits etc, patients can travel by the inter-island air-service. In the case of a medical emergency the air-ambulance service can be called upon.

There is a shop on the island. This is well supported by all islanders - realising that in this way they can help enable another family to live on the island.

This ran extremely successfully until 1996 when, with demand for electricity outstripping its capacity, it reached the end of its useful life. A second 100 Kw wind turbine was then added and, together with the rebuilt and upgraded original machine, new load-management system and additional cabling, a much improved system was inaugurated. With this system, developed in partnership with the National Trust for Scotland, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Enterprise and the European Union, Fair Isle continues to maintain a high reputation as the innovators of an autonomous community energy scheme based on wind energy and to lead the field in this developing technology.

General
There are two lighthouses on the island. The one at the north end of the island has been automatic and un-manned now for several years. The one at the south-end was automated and de-manned early in 1998. At one time, when both light-houses were fully manned, it meant an extra six families on the island - and local employment for several islanders.

Also at the south end of the island is located an old fish-store. This has been converted by the NTS to provide simple, but comfortable, hostel type accommodation for visiting work parties. These groups of young people are involved in on-going work on the island. They work on community projects as well as working with islanders strimming bracken, ditching and helping with work around the crofts. Their regular visits to the island are much appreciated by all the islanders - especially the younger ones - as they bring lasting friendships as well as an insight to many other parts of the world.

Visitors
Throughout its recent history Fair Isle has always given a warm welcome to visitors - due in no small part to its position as one of the best places to see rare migrant birds. The late George Waterston - who purchased the island shortly after World War II, and subsequently established the Fair Isle Bird Observatory - more than anyone else is perhaps responsible for this outward looking attitude of the island. It is also true to say that, by encouraging visitors to the isle, the Bird Observatory helped Fair Isle get through a difficult period in the late fifties and early sixties when there may have been doubts expressed about the island’s future. This was assured when the National Trust for Scotland became the owners of Fair Isle. Since then an excellent working relationship has become established between the NTS and the islanders. Not only has there been much input from the landlords with the ongoing modernisation of the croft houses, but there has also been support and assistance from them towards various projects that the islanders have wished to participate in as they struggled to improve their lifestyle in what, at times, can be a very difficult environment. Such involvement has seen the development of an aerogenerator and integrated communal electricity supply, a new Community Hall, the George Waterston Interpretative Centre, licensed airstrip, communal water supply, a new ferry boat as well as a new breakwater and harbour facilities. It must be said that many of these projects could not have come to pass without the active involvement of the Shetland Islands Council and other grant-aiding bodies - who have responded so positively to the islands forward looking attitude.

Access
The island is well served with a modern ferry, owned by the Shetland Islands Council but based on the island and crewed by islanders. This, together with new harbour facilities, means that - even in winter - the island is very rarely cut-off from the Shetland mainland for longer than a week to ten days. In summer the boat sails more frequently - making runs to Grutness at the south end of Shetland on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There is also a sailing on Thursdays which, every alternate weeks, makes the rather longer round trip up to Lerwick.