'Life-changing' project helps revive Scottish island abandoned for 50 years

School pupils have spoken of their “absolutely life-changing” experience restoring infrastructure on a long abandoned Scottish island, including building its first toilet in half a century.

The last residents of Swona in the Pentland Firth left in 1974, and it is now populated only by a small herd of feral cattle.

Gordonstoun

These days, the closest any people tend to come to the island is when it is passed by the ferry that takes passengers from Gills Bay in Caithness to St Margaret's Hope in Orkney.

In 2022, the MV Alfred ferry got so close to Swona, in fact, it grounded there, after the captain of the vessel "almost certainly fell asleep". However, life returned to the 230-acre island earlier this year, when it was visited by ten students from Gordonstoun School, along with two members of staff.

They spent eight days there, camping in an abandoned house, learning how to catch fish, baking their own bread on an open fire, and pumping fresh water from a 1,000-year-old well.

Students catching fish while staying in Swona | Gordonstoun

The students worked with the owners of the island – descendants of the last people to live there – to rebuild the old pier, paths and stone dykes and make one of the old cottages habitable.

One of the students, Hope Flemington, said: “The trip to Swona was absolutely life-changing. It was a great opportunity to learn new life skills on a remote island while making new friends.

“There was a great camaraderie and a real sense of achievement by being of service to the local community. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.”

Dan McLean, a houseparent at Gordonstoun supporting pastoral care for the students, said: “Swona has thousands of years of human history, including Viking farms, Neolithic tombs and a medieval chapel, before the last inhabitants left in 1974.

“The island has effectively been cut off from the world with just a herd of cattle roaming feral for the past 50 years.

“When I first explained to the students we would have to source our own water and that we would be staying in a cottage that had been unoccupied for 100 years, some of them had a little bit of trepidation about going on the trip.

“However, their spirit for adventure soon kicked in when they realised we would be making a bit of history by being the first group to return to the island in half a century.

“We were also well equipped, bringing seven large boxes of provisions with us. We had to be self-sufficient for more than a week, which meant bringing everything from dry foods, sleeping bags, building supplies and equipment.”

Gordonstoun

The Gordonstoun team travelled to the island in June.

They worked with the Annal family, the descendants of James and Violet Rosie and the last inhabitants, to restore the remaining infrastructure. This included building a toilet, slate paths and stone dykes, concreting the old pier and refurbishing the former croft cottage of Norhead.

William Annal said: “The Gordonstoun students put in a tremendous effort and were a huge benefit to the built and natural heritage of the island, reversing many years of decay.

“Their presence and personality breathed life and energy back into the island that hasn’t been seen in 100 years and it was tremendous to see. The work has progressed the goals of the Swona Heritage Group by many years.”