Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative

Other Publications

A number of booklets relating to various aspects of the natural and cultural values of the Fair Isle marine resource were prepared and published in 2003-04. These are now all Out of Print, however details of the booklets are given below for your general information.

The 'SEA AREA FAIR ISLE' booklet by Nick J Riddiford and Kerri Whiteside was published in 2024 and is now In Stock. It is available for sale to visitors to Fair Isle, Shetland and Orkney at the outlets mentioned below.

It is also possible to place a Mail Order for this booklet at The Orcadian Bookshop.

'Sea Area Fair Isle' by Nick J Riddiford and Kerri Whiteside.

This 38 page publication, with colour photos, is a tribute to the Fair Isle community’s intrinsic dependence on the sea through the millennia, and the community’s efforts – past and present – to ensure that this vital resource is safeguarded for the generations to come. It describes how impacts on that resource have focused community minds and explores the factors behind the ensuing changes, which have accelerated in recent times. Finally, it looks to the future and the positive steps being taken to demonstrate to the wider world the huge cultural, economic and environmental values the seas bring to this small Isle.

PURCHASING THE BOOKLET
Income from sales of the booklet goes to the Fair Isle Marine Research Organisation (FIMRO) to further their work.

'Sea Area Fair Isle' can be purchased by Mail Order from The Orcadian Bookshop (£15 plus P&P).

For those visiting Fair Isle, Shetland and Orkney, the booklet is available at the following outlets:

FAIR ISLE
- Stackhoull Stores
- Waterstone Memorial Centre & Museum
SHETLAND
- The Shetland Times Bookshop (Lerwick)
- Sumburgh Lighthouse GIft Shop
- Sumburgh Hotel GIft Shop
ORKNEY
-The Orcadian Bookshop (Kirkwall)

Eight Acres and a Boat by Jerry Eunson.

"Two hundred years of crofting in Fair Isle with the Eunsons, Irvines, Leslies, Stouts, Williamsons and Wilsons."

Includes some interesting sections on the history of fishing around the Isle & gives a great insight into the nature of Fair Isle's maritime culture & the Isle's dependence for its survival on the health & well-being of its marine environment.

246 pp. Illustrated with black & white photographs.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

'Standing into Danger -Shipwrecks of Fair Isle' by Anne Sinclair

With 41 pages, several B&W photographs, sketches and a fold out map, this booklet contains a very readable and interesting account of over 100 recorded shipwrecks around the coast of
Fair Isle, from the first - a Viking longship in AD. 900, to the last – a scallop vessel from Buckie in Scotland on her way to Shetland - in 2001. Also included are the Spanish Armada flagship El Gran Griffon (1588), the Lessing (1868) and the Fair Isle Disaster (1897). Where known, details are given of the ships’ cargoes, number of crew and passengers on-board as well as some very poignant descriptions of dangerous and heroic rescues in hazardous seas by the local men of Fair Isle using their small Fair Isle yoals and of the difficulties of providing food and accommodation on the Isle for so many rescued souls.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

Fishing Traditions of Fair Isle by Emma Perring.

"At the end of the nineteenth century, the crofter-fishermen of Fair Isle were able to row out to sea less than a kilometre and catch a yoal full of fish in half an hour. The waters surrounding Fair Isle were teeming with fish, and it was primarily this resource that supported the men and their families: through export and for home consumption. Yet today no islander is employed at the fishing." Based on Fair Isle diaries this booklet explores the changes in fishing stocks around the isle during the 20th century and what impact this has had on the community.

32 pp. Illustrated with a mixture of colour, black & white photo's and line drawings.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

Exploring the Coasts & Shores of Fair Isle by Elizabeth Riddiford

Fair Isle's dramatic and varied coastal landscape has much to offer those who have time to explore. Including some suggested coastal walks, this booklet illustrates some of the richness and variety of Fair Isle's important maritime resource and why the Fair Isle community strives to protect it. Whilst introducing the reader to this richness and variety, there is still much more to discover and a reference/suggested further reading list is included at the back of the booklet for those interested in finding out more.

32 pp. Illustrated with colour photo's & black & white line drawings.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

Handwork Edited by Anne Sinclair

In Fair Isle and Sorsele, Nord Trondelag and Steigen, artisans of the past helped enable their communities to survive through the sustainable production and decoration of articles made from wool, wood and metal. Handwork we hope, will give the reader a taste of their legacy and of some of those skills which continue into the present day.

40 pp (in three columns, English, Norwegian & Swedish). Illustrated with colour & black and white photo's.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

A Taste of the North edited by Emma Perring.

"Taste of the North" introduces some of the rich and varied traditional foods found within Fair Isle and northern areas of Norway and Sweden. Some recipes are still used widely within the regions, but the collection of others required knowledge to be passed down through the generations, inspiring community involvement across the ages. We hope you will also be inspired and enjoy sampling our traditional fare!

40 pp (in three columns, English, Norwegian & Swedish). Illustrated with colour & black and white photo's.

NOW OUT OF PRINT

Other Available Materials

Please visit Fair Isle’s main website (see Links) for availability of other books and videos.

NOW SOLD OUT.

Fair Isle Bird Observatory Annual Reports

Includes:
Fair Isle Seabird Report, Systematic List, Ringing Report, various papers, Reports on other wildlife (including Cetaceans and Pinnipeds).

Illustrated with colour & black & white photographs, b&w drawings, tables and histograms.

Can be downloaded from the Fair Isle Bird Observatory website at
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk

News Headlines

'Sea Area Fair Isle' Booklet Now Available for Purchase Launch of The Fair Isle Marine Research Organisation (FIMRO) New Website FIMETI AND FIMRO JUST PUBLISHED.....