A Second Chance At A First Impression
Fair Isle Adventure
Ed & Sarah's Journey to Britain's Most Remote Inhabited Island
Where Scotland Meets Scandinavia
Where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, lies the Shetland Archipelago... Britain's most remote inhabited island. We flew in December 2020, and it feels like we are walking into a painting. Think Norway meets Hawaiian islands where Father Time and Mother Nature have a field day. Of all the 115 islands in the archipelago, just 15 are inhabited ones. We are at Britain's most remote island, Fair Isle - population 55, now 57!
Britain's Most Remote Inhabited Island
The Route to the Edge
The original interactive map has been replaced with Blogger-safe route context so the post stays stable without external map scripts.
Fair Isle
Britain's most remote inhabited island. Population 55, then 57 with Ed and Sarah.
Lerwick, Shetland
Main town of the Shetland Islands and PCR testing location.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Journey starting point and gateway north.
Aberdeen, Scotland
Distance reference for Shetland's northern position.
Bergen, Norway
Nordic neighbor showing Shetland's Scandinavian pull.
Fair Isle in Motion
Shetland Archipelago Overview
Where Scotland meets Scandinavia - introduction to the stunning Shetland Islands
Fair Isle First Impressions
Walking into a painting - the ever-changing weather lights this landscape in unique ways
Island Life Exploration
Discovering the daily rhythms of Britain's most remote inhabited island
Remote Island Adventures
Life at the edge of the world - exploring Fair Isle's unique landscape
Getting There - The Journey
The 20-minute heart-in-the-mouth flight from Shetland mainland
Living Off The Grid
Life on the edges with wind turbines, solar power, and zero light pollution
Getting to Fair Isle
There are two choices for transport to reach the island...
Option 1: Puddle Jumper
20-minute straight run aboard a 7-seater twin engine prop plane from Shetland mainland. Heart-in-the-mouth flight, up-close and personal with the pilot and control dashboard.
Option 2: Good Shepherd IV
2-hour rough crossing aboard the island's ferry - a converted fishing vessel. Sometimes the North Sea is even too rough for the ferry. Weather dependent!
Pandemic Travel to the Edge of the World
Edinburgh to Lerwick
First, Sarah and I flew into Lerwick, Shetland's mainland via Edinburgh, Scotland. Next, we got a PCR test for Covid (Think Positive Test Negative). The Shetland Isles are located in the North Atlantic, closer to Norway than to Aberdeen. Go Vikings! At first I thought Fair Isle was the Faroe Islands (that's Danish and in the sub Arctic Circle).
Getting PCR tested in Lerwick - pandemic travel protocols
The Puddle Jumper Experience
Thankfully, our flight link was not cancelled due to fog, wind or just plain bad weather. The 20-minute straight run aboard a 7-seater fixed-wing plane from the mainland of Shetland - a twin engine prop plane, heart-in-the-mouth flight, up-close and personal with the pilot and his control dashboard. We followed-on to Fair Isle, population 55, now 57! What a place to self-isolate during the global pandemic!
Landing on Fair Isle - walking into a painting
Walking Into a Painting
It feels like we are walking into a painting. Think Norway meets Hawaiian islands and Father Time and Mother Nature have a field day. No man is an island, as John Donne wrote, but north of the border, you can live on one. Scotland's Shetland's is good like that. It feels like we are moving through paintings as the ever-changing weather lights the landscape in unique and splendid ways.
Sarah exploring the dramatic Fair Isle landscape
Living Off The Grid
Fair Isle is not connected to the National Grid. Energy is generated on the island by the Fair Isle Electricity Company (FIEC) using wind turbines and solar, stored in a battery backup system. We brought torches (flashlights), as there is zero light pollution or street lights. Living off the grid and living on the edges - this is what true remoteness feels like.
Wind turbines and solar power - completely off the National Grid
South Lighthouse Discovery
We discovered the South Lighthouse - Josie and Dave's place. These historic lighthouses have guided ships through these treacherous waters for generations. The lighthouse keepers and their families form the backbone of Fair Isle's small but resilient community. Every building, every person has a story that connects to the island's maritime heritage.
South Lighthouse - Josie and Dave's place
Becoming Islanders
Thanks to the popularity of the TV Series Shetland, we had it on our radar as places to visit this year. But visiting became living, observing became participating. In a community of 55 people, every person matters, every contribution counts. We became part of the fabric of Fair Isle life, understanding what it truly means to live at the edge of the world.
Ed and Sarah - 2020 Pandemic Travel to Britain's Most Remote Island
Ready for Your Own Remote Adventure?
Where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, extraordinary journeys await those brave enough to venture to the edge of the world. Fair Isle is calling - will you answer?
"Some places change you not by what they show you, but by what they strip away - until only what matters most remains."