More than £200k awarded to help Fair Isle Bird Observatory reopen in May

The bird observatory was wind and watertight by the end of last year. Photo: David Parnaby.

The Fair Isle Bird Observatory (Fibo) is set to received more than £200,000 to complete its rebuild and reopen next May.

The latest recipients of the Scottish Government’s Island Programme Fund have been announced today (Monday).

The Fibo award, which totals £204,895, will help complete the rebuild following the devastating fire in 2019.

The funding will also go towards the purchase of a battery storage system to support the solar array being covered by other grants.

Today’s announcement follows recent news from the trustees that “substantial progress has been made” on the project, since they became its principal contractor.

In an update on Friday, they said:  “Working together with our project and site managers and the team of consultants and contractors we have assembled, has ensured that delays have been kept to a minimum and that we are keeping to our present timetable of being able to reopen at our usual time of late spring next year.

“We are therefore pleased to announce it is our intention to start taking bookings late winter/early spring next year.

“We will announce on our website and social media channels when exactly this will take place in due course.

” Members of Friends Of Fair Isle will receive advance notification of this and will have priority booking.”

Announcing the latest beneficiaries of the Island Programme Fund, First Minister John Swinney said: “Our island communities face unique challenges, but also have the potential – and ambition – to capitalise on the skills, innovation and natural assets they hold in abundance in order to secure a vibrant, prosperous future.

“The Scottish government has a clear role to play in working closely with our local authority and other key partners to support and build resilience, prosperity and the long-term sustainability of our island communities.”