Fidra (archaically Fidrey[Skene, W. F. (November 1862) "Of the early Frisian Settlements in Scotland". Antiquaries of Scotland. 4 Part 1.]) is a currently uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, northwest of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland. The island is an RSPB Scotland nature reserve.
Geography
Like the other islands near North Berwick, Fidra is the result of volcanic activity around 335 million years ago. Fidra consists of three sections; a hill at one end with the lighthouse on it; a low-lying section in the middle, effectively an
isthmus; and a rocky stack at the other end.
History
The island's name is believed to be
Old Norse in origin, referring to the large number of bird feathers found there. Like the nearby
Bass Rock, it has a substantial
seabird population, and is now an
RSPB reserve. The village of
Gullane lies to the south-west, and the nature reserve of
Yellowcraig and village of
Dirleton, to which parish Fidra belongs,
[Martine, John (1890) Fourteen Parishes of the County of Haddington, Edinburgh, p.50-51] are to the south. Remotely operated cameras on the island send live pictures to the watching visitors at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.
[ Fidra Web Cam Scottish Seabird Centre. Retrieved on 18 June 2008.]
Upon the island are ruins of an old chapel, or lazaretto for the sick, which was dedicated in 1165 to St Nicholas.[Tabraham, Chris (2007) Dirleton Castle 2nd edition. Historic Scotland. pp.21-22]
Nature and ecology
The number of breeding
on the island has increased recently due to the removal of an introduced plant,
tree mallow (
Lavatera arborea). It is likely that it was planted by lighthouse keepers for use as toilet paper, and for its medicinal qualities. The shrub was blocking the entrances to the breeding burrows, and in 1996 the number of occupied burrows had fallen to approximately 400. Following clearance by RSPB Scotland staff and volunteers over 1,000 burrows are occupied in 2016.
Cultural references
Robert Louis Stevenson often visited the beaches at the area known today as Yellowcraig and it is said that he based his map of
Treasure Island on the shape of Fidra. (This claim is also made about the island of
Unst in Shetland.) He also mentioned Fidra in his novel
Catriona.
Fidra Books is a publishing house, named after the island, and which uses Fidra's outline as part of its logo.
The progressive rock band Marillion also briefly mention Fidra in the song, Warm Wet Circles, which contains the line "She nervously undressed in the dancing beams of the Fidra Lighthouse",
Lighthouse
The lighthouse, which was designed by David Alan Stevenson (as his first work) in 1885 and supervised by his uncle
Thomas Stevenson was manned until 1970 and is now automated, as are all Scottish lighthouses. However, Fidra was the first unmanned lighthouse.
It is accessible via a private jetty on the east coast of the island.
The light flashes 4 times every 30 seconds during hours of darkness.
[ Reeds Small Craft Almanac, London, Adlard Coles Nautical, 2007]
See also
-
List of islands in Scotland
-
List of lighthouses in Scotland
-
List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
-
Trinity House of Leith
External links
