It is a sanctuary
When bestselling author Ann Cleeves spread her wings after dropping out of university, she would land on Fair Isle with no real idea of where she was or what she would do.
The Vera novelist took up a position at the island’s famous bird observatory, with her own journey mirroring that of the many birds to have found sanctuary on the island over the centuries.
Her time there proved to be life-changing. She met her husband, Tim, on that first visit in 1975, as well as a number of lifelong friends. It also provided the inspiration for her series of Shetland books, with the publication of Raven Black, the first in the series, allowing her to become a full-time writer.
It’s that sense of connection that has led to Ann taking on the role of patron of Fair Isle Bird Observatory, with a fundraising drive aiming to rebuild it after being destroyed by
fire two years ago. Described as the hub of the island, the loss of the observatory has been devastating to both the islanders and to twitchers, as visitors from around the world would converge on the island annually to look out for the 388 different bird species to have been recorded there since the first observatory opened in 1948.
“It was a beautiful new observatory and it was a horrible thing to happen, but thankfully no one was hurt,” said Ann. “People have been bird-watching on Fair Isle since the mid-19th Century. It’s a special place for people interested in natural history – a rock stuck in the middle of nowhere. If a bird gets lost, that’s where it settles, because it’s like a sanctuary, and I think it’s a sanctuary for a lot of people, too. It’s a very special place.
“A lot of what we know about bird migration comes from work done at the observatory. There have been a number of rare birds spotted there, probably more per square mile than anywhere else in the UK. It attracts many visitors to Fair Isle.”
Ann was one of those 46 years ago. She first visited on a whim, after hearing about the availability of summer work.
She explained: “I’d dropped out of uni and was working in London, but I’m not a city girl and I didn’t enjoy it. By chance, I met someone in the pub who was going to work on Fair Isle and I said it sounded like an adventure and I wouldn’t mind going, despite having no clue where it was. I was told they were desperate for an assistant cook in
the observatory. Even though I had no experience, I was given the job.
“I travelled from my parents’ house in North Devon and my first thought upon reaching Fair Isle was relief at touching dry land. The Good Shepherd was a horrible boat and I was so seasick for the three hours I was on it. Having done the overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland, and then that next ferry, you realise you are a long way away, but it was dramatic, exciting and quite romantic to be out there miles from anywhere.
“I quickly fell in love with the