Saturday 20 August 2011

Dreams and Schemes


This puffin is pictured on that most remote of islands, North Rona. In 1844 the islet's owner, Sir James Matheson, wished to present it to the British Government as a place for penal servitude. His offer was not taken up. Lord Leverhulme had his early 20th Century schemes for regenerating the Isle of Lewis. After the Second World War, Gavin Maxwell set up what became a short-lived shark fishing station on Soay, south of Skye. There is a tradition of people with notions and projects wanting to bring new life to isolated communities. Is there a case for a Scottish Redundant Islands Trust to take into care the abandoned and deserted?  The person below is on North Rona, perhaps pondering its future.


Scottish Islands Explorer - identifying island interests

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