Rural Housing Service - Case Study: Fair Isle

Case Study: Fair Isle Housing Partnership

Partners
· Fair Isle Housing Association
· National Trust for Scotland
· Scottish Homes
· Shetland Islands Council

Funded by
· National Trust for Scotland
· Scottish Homes
· Shetland Islands Council
· Rural Challenge Funding, Scottish Executive

map of Fair Isle

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map
service, with permission from Ordnance Survey

Visit Fair Isle website

photo: Dave Wheeler at www.fairisle.org.uk

Background
Housing
Fair Isle Housing Initiative
Rents
Allocations
Contacts

Background
Fair Isle is approximately 3 miles wide by 1 mile and is situated between the Shetland and Orkney Islands. The island is owned by the National Trust for Scotland which was gifted the island in 1954 by George Waterston. It is one of Britain's most successful small communities, pioneering projects in eco-tourism, windpower and sustainable management of the marine environment, as well as in community housing.

The 70 or so islanders mostly live in traditional crofts on the more fertile and low-lying southern third of the island. The northern part is largely rough grazing and rocky moorland, rising to the 217 metre Ward Hill.

Remote island life necessitates an unusual employment structure , making the home the main centre of activity for many. Some employment is provided by the local authority, in the provision of local services but much is generated by the Isle itself. Various jobs are used to piece together an income to subsidise crofting and enable the community to prosper. Examples include boat building, keeping the Shop, stained glass, violin making, building contractors, silver craft, maintaining the local power system, knitting, managing the bird observatory and keeping visitors.

Fair Isle knitwear

Fair Isle knitwear
(photo: Dave Wheeler at www.fairisle.org.uk )

The population and economic development of the island has seen a steady growth recently, due to a number of developments which have taken place as a result of the partnership between the islanders and the National Trust for Scotland.

Housing
The growth in the population has stretched the island's existing housing stock and new opportunities are required to ensure that the island continues to have a secure future. In March 1993 the islanders established the Fair Isle Housing Forum along with the National Trust for Scotland. The Trust and islanders developed a Management Plan, which recommended the following :

1) a programme of renovation to bring all properties up to a high standard.

2) an annual programme of maintenance should be instituted, to keep renovated property in good condition.

3) the Housing Forum recommends that the NTS should undertake the work in partnership and with support of other bodies and authorities with responsibility for and interest in maintaining one of the finest examples of an isolated, but vigorous human population.

As a result of funding difficulties and a need to achieve these aims the National Trust and the islanders developed a partnership involving Scottish Homes and Shetland Islands Council. Funds were committed to help deliver the improvements.

The partnership was kick-started with a successful bid to the Scottish Executive Rural Challenge Fund of £50,000.

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