13th January. The small island of Foula marks New Year with a unique tradition
Foula is a small island in the Shetland Archipelago with just 35 residents. There are no pubs, shops, or Wi-Fi, and the locals live according to the Julian calendar. On January 13th, they celebrate the New Year. An island resident reveals to the BBC how the locals celebrate the arrival of 2025.
While most of the world has long moved past New Year's Eve, this tiny island, nearly 3,000 kilometres from New York, celebrates the New Year on January 13th. Foula is an island in northeastern Scotland, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the Shetland Archipelago.
It is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the UK, located 21 kilometres from the nearest Shetland island Mainland and 172 kilometres from the Scottish mainland. It has 36 residents who live according to the Julian calendar. They celebrate Christmas on the 6th of January and, a week later, the New Year.
Lack of access to the power grid, pubs, shops, or Wi-Fi means that life on the island proceeds in harmony with nature. As reported by The Sun, food and other necessities are delivered by sea or air.
Robert Smith, an island resident, tells the BBC that people do everything, with each person contributing to the development of their small community. When the New Year's Eve party arrives, they visit every household.
You go round houses with a drink, stay a while, and catch up. Then maybe home for dinner and then somewhere for a party into the small hours. In Foula it's family-focussed, it's more intimate, and we are always playing music together. It's something the island is known for. It's a good bonding thing. It is how we have always done it, adds the man.
The island of Foula celebrates New Year. Self-catering during visits
Foula is accessible by ferry or plane from the main Shetland Island. The ferry runs three times a week and takes over two hours. Self-catering accommodations are available on the island, but guests must bring all necessary supplies, according to "The Sun." The residents of Foula mainly farm sheep and pony.
The island is considered one of the best places in the world to observe the Northern Lights. It is home to many birds, including the Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, and Black-legged Kittiwake, as well as seals, grey seals, killer whales, and porpoises. The name Foula comes from Old Norse and means bird island.
