Fair Isle bird centre opens

A WORLD famous bird observatory on a remote Scottish island reopened yesterday after a £4 million renovation.

The Fair Isle Bird Observatory welcomed top ornithologists from across the UK to the event.

Fair Isle is Britain's most remote inhabited island with a population of around 70.

The observatory is run by a charitable trust, which decided to replace the 1960s building which was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

The new eco-friendly building, on the site of the old, was made possible by individual donations, money from charitable trusts as well as major funding from the Scottish Government, Shetland Islands Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The new warden at the observatory, David Parnaby, said: "As a birder, working on Fair Isle is just as amazing as I thought it was going to be. There are times when I have to remind myself that this really is what I am paid to do.

"We're in the middle of the breeding season and the island looks fantastic and full of life. The migrant birds have also been incredible, with an array of rarer species seen.

"We've had loads of positive comments about the new building and plenty of people are already planning their next visit."