SNH Area
SEN/HIEN Area | Shetland
Shetland Enterprise (SE) |
Designations (areas) - Natura | SPA (592ha) |
Designations - other | Fair Isle National Scenic Area
Fair Isle SSSI
Council of Europe Diploma site |
Consultees | SNH (Shetland)
Fair Isle Marine Environment Tourism Initiative
SE |
Broad habitat type(s) | Rocky coastline, cliffs, heather moorland, acidic and maritime grassland |
Natural heritage values | - Outstanding scenery, natural and cultural heritage interest
- Diverse assemblage (17 species) and very large numbers breeding, migratory seabirds (e.g. Fulmar, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Puffin)
- Entire World population of endemic Fair Isle sub-species of Wren and frequent unusual migrant species
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Socio-economic activities A: - direct conservation management (includes maintenance of traditional/sustainable management practices) | - National Trust for Scotland owns and manages island with local community, for natural and cultural heritage
- Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust manages the observatory, includes accommodation for up to 30 full-board visitors (employs full-time and seasonal staff, also visiting researchers)
- Seabird research (part of JNCC national monitoring scheme) - mostly carried out by staff of Observatory
- SNH Management Agreements (compensatory but viewed as positive management schemes) over areas of hill ground
- Crofters in ESA scheme
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Socio-economic activities B: - other land or water use (production), industry, tourism/recreation/education, rural development projects | - Crofting, (see above: several crofters in ESA scheme)
- Small-scale lobster creeling
- Tourism based on natural and cultural heritage (the two are hard to separate) is of major importance to the island: in addition to Observatory, some B&B accommodation is available. Tourists either general interest (scenery, island life, culture and nature) or specialist (especially birdwatchers) - transport links, shop etc. all very dependent on tourism
- Cruise ships increasingly stop at Fair Isle; mail boat (essential to island's economy) will take tourists around Isle in summer
- Well-developed craft industry linked to natural and cultural heritage of the Isle (e.g. model boats ('yoals'), strawback chairs, knitwear, stained glass, sheepskin) - well-organised (e.g. craft fairs to coincide with arrival of cruise ships)
- Observatory Ranger Service (SNH grant-aid) to enhance visitor enjoyment - provides some local employment (involves local experts in aspects of crofting, archaeology, botany)
- Major initiatives: Fair Isle Marine Partnership (FIMP) and Fair Isle Marine Environment Tourism Initiative (FIMETI). Initiatives from islanders to achieve recognition of importance and to safeguard the marine areas around Fair Isle (current SPA covers terrestrial areas of Isle only). Rural Challenge funding to establish FIMETI, community objectives are: 'to maintain and enhance the social, cultural and economic well-being of the Fair Isle community through local sustainable management of the marine resource'. (see key documents under Notes, below)
- Current bid by FIMETI and partners in the Highlands, Norway, Sweden, Lapland, Finland for funding from EU/Norwegian Government Periphery Programme to safeguard heritage through sustainable management
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Socio-economic activities C: - ecological services | - Various - terrestrial, marine, hydrological, landscape, functions
- Conservation of genetic potential
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Socio-economic activities D: - marketing/branding | - Fair Isle is well-known for knitwear and 'cultural heritage tourism' - current (FIMP/FIMETI - see B, above) initiatives should strengthen links to natural heritage values and designated sites too
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Potential/Constraints/Notes | - Constraints on development include transport difficulties (Shetland is expensive to get to and Fair Isle, additionally so and transport can be very weather-dependent)
- There are also limits to the expansion of tourism that could be achieved without damage to the environment or the experience that people look for. Islanders are very aware of these limits and current sustainable development plans (see B, above) offer great opportunities for integrated management of marine and terrestrial resources which could include greater promotion of natural resources and designated sites
- See key documents from FIMP/FIMETI in References (Riddiford (1998), Riddiford and Thompson (1997))
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