There is indeed an island on the edge of the world. Discover the place from the first-hand experience of people who have visited and stayed on the edge of the world.
History
Foula has been populated for up to 5,000 years. In the 9th Century, the Norse seized the island leaving behind the ancient language Norn still spoken up to the 19th Century. Today, the Holbourn family privately owns the island. About five square miles in size, Foula is one of Great Britain's most remote islands in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.
The population of the place has wavered over the years, at present, there are 30 island residents including one school-aged kid who attends the school alone. In Foula, most residents have a link with the island, whether they had family there or they simply grew up on the island.
Foula, Staying Connected
Foula is more connected now than it was eight decades ago. Now, there are flights available from Foula to the Mainland or main island of the Shetlands. The flight has four days a week schedule and lands on an air strip built in the 1970s by the residents. There is no noise, no traffic, and no noise pollution.
Night Life
On most occasions, the residents of Foula get together if there are island visitors and fill the night with music. They organize a sing-along at a particular house, strumming traditional Scottish folk music on their string-based instruments such as guitar or the mandolin. This kind of camaraderie is seldom witnessed or enjoyed by overnight staying tourists, but for a weeklong stay, people get a lot more comfortable and would sometimes go their way of making sure you are well, says BBCTravel.
Living Double Lives
Maintaining the island's infrastructure entails everyone to pitch in. In Foula, most of the island's residents have numerous jobs. One works as a firefighter and at the school, another one handles the post office and a tour guide of the island to visitors. Moreover, all residents of this island own for a minimum, a handful of animals, commonly sheep.
Visits or Tour Plans
For travelers, you can visit the place through their shetlandvisitor.com/foula. You may also visit the Leraback Bed & Breakfast, which can also handle your island needs.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
