Old Foula - The Edge of the World, by Donald A. Browning

Old Foula - The Edge of the World, by Donald A. Browning
Published by Stenlake in 2020, 56 pages. Rectangular Paperback - 17cm by 24cm (N7478)

Brand New Book


Today considered as remote and on the edge of the world as the title has it, the island of Foula which is part of the Shetland Isles, has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic Age, perhaps reflecting that in times gone by it was not remote in the way it is now. This book, however, very much concentrates on island life in the 20th century. The photographs show a way of life that we might consider hard, but it was in the open air and there are a lot of smiles and happiness in the pictures. The author is from Westmorland originally, but came to know Foula through the Brathay Expeditions to the island, a combination of bird-ringing and helping the community. These expeditions took place between 1956 and 1981 and then from 1990 onwards. Many of the photos in the book come from Brathay sources as well as from locals and from the Shetland Museum. The author has been greatly assisted with the text by islanders Sheila and Jim Gear of Foula Heritage making the book a reflection of that strange but wonderful relationship between the island of Foula and Brathay.