Foula
| Gaelic name | Fughlaigh |
|---|---|
| Norse name | Fuglaey |
| Meaning of name | Old Norse for 'bird island' |
| Location | |
 Foula
Foula shown within Shetland
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| OS grid reference | HT960392 |
| Coordinates | 60°07′59″N 2°04′01″W / 60.133°N 2.067°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Shetland |
| Area | 1,265 hectares (4.88 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 43 |
| Highest elevation | The Sneug 418 metres (1,371 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Shetland Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 38 |
| Population rank | 56 |
| Population density | 3 people/km2 |
| Largest settlement | Ham |
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| References | |
| Location | Foula isle Shetland Scotland United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 60°06′45″N 2°03′50″W / 60.112388°N 2.064014°W |
| Year first constructed | 1986 |
| Foundation | concrete basement |
| Construction | metal tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower and lantern |
| Height | 8 metres (26 ft) |
| Focal height | 36 metres (118 ft) |
| Original lens | 4th order Fresnel lens |
| Light source | solar power and wind power |
| Intensity | 35 watt metal halide lamps |
| Range | 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 15s. |
| Admiralty number | A3860 |
| NGA number | 3562 |
| ARLHS number | SCO-085 |
| Managing agent |
Northern Lighthouse Board |
Northern Lighthouse Board
Foula (Old Norse Fuglaey, "bird island", compare Norwegian Fugløy, "bird island", Scottish Gaelic Fughlaigh) in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, is one of Great Britain’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island was the location for the film The Edge of the World. RMS Oceanic was wrecked on the nearby Shaalds of Foula.
Foula is a bleak yet spectacular island in the Atlantic Ocean, 20 miles west of Walls in Shetland. The island is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) by 3.5 miles (5.6 km), with a low-lying coastal strip along the east side. With an area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km2), it is the seventh largest and most westerly of the Shetland Islands. It rises from low broken cliffs in the east to precipitous 150 to 365m cliffs on the west. The island has five peaks, rising to 418m (1371 feet) at the Sneug and 376m (1220 feet) at the Kame. At the north end is Gaada Stack, a natural arch. Foula lies on the same latitude as Saint Petersburg.
Foula has a population of 38 people, living in Hametown and Ham. Islanders previously made a living from fishing – first for whitefish, then lobster. Today, most islanders are crofters with income from sheep farming and ornithological tourism.
A hidden reef, the 'Hoevdi Grund' or the Shaalds o' Foula, lies just over 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of Foula between the island and the Shetland mainland. Tides here can reach 12 knots (22 km/h) and as the reef comes to within a few feet of the surface, it poses a significant threat to shipping.
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Wikipedia