Fidra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fidra

Fidra is an uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, off eastern Scotland. Its name is believed to be Old Norse in origin, referring to the large number of bird feathers found there as (like the nearby Bass Rock) it has a substantial avian population. It is now an RSPB reserve. The town of North Berwick lies to the south-east, Gullane is to the south-west and the nature reserve of Yellowcraigs and village of Dirleton are to the south.

Fidra can be landed on via a primitive jetty on the west of the island. There is an automated lighthouse and also remotely operated cameras which send live pictures to the watching visitors at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

1 Cultural references
2 Geography
3 Lighthouse
4 External links

[edit] Cultural references

It is said that Robert Louis Stevenson based his map of Treasure Island on the shape of Fidra. He often visited the beaches at the area known today as Yellowcraigs.

Fidra Books is a publishing house, named after the island, and which uses it as part of its logo [1][2]

Marillion also briefly mention Fidra in the song, Warm Wet Circles, where it says "She nervously undressed in the dancing beams of the Fidra Lighthouse" [3], because apparently the coast nearby is a courting spot.

[edit] Geography

Fidra from Yellowcraigs

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 stack at the other end.