The National Geographic magazine has recently ranked Fair Isle the 5th best island in the world to visit.

An article in the Scotsman on 03/10/12 states:

"Fair Isle, located halfway between Orkney and Shetland, has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland since 1954.

Alexander Bennett, group manager for the trust’s Countryside and Islands North, said: “This is an amazing accolade for Fair Isle – a place of outstanding natural beauty, supported by a thriving and committed community. We hope this exposure encourages more people to make the trip to sample Fair Isle’s unique charms, wonderful wildlife and warm welcome.”

A VisitScotland spokesman said: “This is a truly international list. It is great to see Scotland represented in such an internationally renowned publication on a list of islands from every corner of the globe.

“For an island relatively small in terms of size, it certainly stands head and shoulders above many others with its scenery and wealth of nature, particularly birdwatching, where huge numbers of birds attract visitors year after year.”

(Please see the Links page on this website for information on transport and accommodation on the island.)