Fair Isle Lodge and Bird Observatory
The Fair Isle Lodge and Bird Observatory is Shetland's most prominent and famous bird observation site. It sits on Shetland's southernmost island, Fair Isle, which lies between Orkney and Shetland.
History
The observatory was co-founded by George Waterston in 1948 and today provides guesthouse accommodation for visitors to the island.
Re-opening
A purpose built building was opened on October 17th 1969, which served for forty years until, nearing the end of its useful life, it was demolished in 2009. A replacement building on the same site, although not completely finished due to the collapse shortly before of the main contractor, A. Wilson. Orkney. was officially opened and welcomed its first guests on the weekend of 19th/20th June 2010.
The new building, costing £4 Million, was originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, but successive delays culminating the the main contractor going out of business meant the Warden's accommodation and sundry "finishing touches" were still to be completed when the new building opened. The collapse of the main contractor has also had a wider impact in Fair Isle as numerous residents who had provided sub-contract services in connection with the project, such as accommodation etc, still remain to be paid.
