 Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative | sitemap | log in
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Thank you very much for visiting our website. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed and we hope that you will return again soon. When signing the Guestbook or registering your support, please can you also state -
Many thanks!
fair isle Fair Isle should be protected as it is a place of importance and beauty. Posted by ross thomson on 10 December 2009  Good Website just like to say, this is an excellent website, clear concise, easy to navigate. Well done. Posted by David Denoon on 13 May 2008 Hi I am from Uruguay. Liked the site but its a bit thin. My interest is Fair Isle in about 1380 AD. There is an aprochraphal legend a bout a Venetian ship captained by one Zeno being wrecked on Fair Isle and the crew being rescued by Prince Henry Sinclair Jarl of Orkney. True or not it would make a rattling good tale. Question is how would folk be dressed then, what language would they speak and what were thier boats built of? Was there any wood on the Isle at that time? Anyone able to shed any light on this? Posted by William Sinclair Hays on 17 January 2009 Hi, William, Unfortunately, research through the Fair Isle, Orkney, Shetland and Edinburgh archives show no records of this particular wreck at the time you have queried, the only other wreck recorded around Fair Isle at that period being a Scottish cog carrying a cargo of wool. The language spoken on Fair Isle during the 14th century would have been Norn, whilst local clothing was most likely to have been home-spun and hand-woven trousers and smocks. There are no trees growing on Fair Isle so, for much of the island's history, the only wood available for the construction of boats here would have been washed ashore from shipwrecks around the island's treacherous coastline. Nowadays, the island's resident boat-builder imports wood needed for his work. (Information provided by Stewart Thomson, Jr (FIMETI working group) Posted by Elizabeth Riddiford, FIMETI on 19 February 2009 Although one writer has claimed that Zeno's 'Frisland' is Fair Isle, that is a fairly unlikely interpretation of the story. Faroe is generally considered the more likely candidate, although it is equally probable that Frisland is entirely fictional. Posted by Malachy Tallack on 22 February 2009 Thank you Stewart and Malachy for your comments. As you know there is a fierce debate on among historians about Henry Sinclair on both sides of the Atlantic some of whom call the whole tale pseudo history. I dont propose to enter that arena!I still think there is a basis for an interesting novel on the subject. But one has to get the period details as far as possibly correct hence the enquiry. I hope to be able to visit Fair Isle in May to assimilate some of the atmosphere of the place. Many thanks again for your comments. Bill Hays Posted by William hays on 23 February 2009 |
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