Jean Urquhart MSP visited Fair Isle during her latest constituency trip to Shetland, taking the opportunity to experience one of the region’s smallest and most unique communities.
The local MSP discussed topics such as marine conservation, community enterprise and travel provision for the island.
An added bonus was enjoying “Fair Isle Thursday”, when local folk and visitors come together at the famed Bird Observatory for a ceilidh.
Commenting on her trip, Jean Urquhart said:
“It was a privilege to have the opportunity to visit one of Scotland’s smallest and most vibrant communities.
“Those who live on Fair Isle really pull together as a community, with many residents performing various jobs on the island and so contributing to everyone’s wellbeing.
“Of course, Fair Isle’s geography is both a blessing and a challenge, with its environment attracting a unique blend of wildlife which in turn attracts tourists from across the globe.
“We must do all that we can to ensure that conservation efforts which are unanimously supported by those who live on Fair Isle, maintain the bird population for a stable economy and future generations to enjoy.
“Access to and from the island is vital to sustain the population and attract visitors not only from Shetland mainland, but from the rest of the world too.”
ENDS
Jean Urquhart 