The 70 or so islanders mostly live in traditional crofts on the more fertile and low-lying southern third of the island. It still has a small elementary school with its own web site.
The northern part is largely rough grazing and rocky moorland, rising to the 217 metre Ward Hill. The island is one of the best places in Britain to see sea birds with over 100,000 pairs of 17 species of seabird breed on the island - Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins form the bulk of this figure, the remainder comprising smaller numbers of Storm Petrels, Gannets, Shags, Arctic and Great Skuas, Gulls, both Common and Arctic Terns and Black Guillemots.
It has interesting weather and an active weather man who puts detailed information on the web. He even has a webcam set up so you can see what the day is like on the island.
The island is best known for its beautiful sweaters designs. It has a famous lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1892 and engineered by David A. Stevenson. Fair Isle made history in 1998 when on March 31st it was the last station to have its keepers removed in Scotland. This ended 200 years of lighthouse keeping in Scotland.
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