Papa Stour

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Papa Stour is one of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, with a population of around thirty people, some of whom have immigrated since an appeal for residents in the 1970s. The main settlement on the island is Biggings, from which ferries sail to West Burrafirth on the Shetland Mainland. An airstrip also lies nearby.

Attractions on the island include remains of Duke Hakon's thirteenth century house and the dramatic coastline, with sea stacks, arches, blowholes and sea caves such as Christie's Hole.


History
The name derives from Papey Stóra meaning "Big island of the Papar" (Gaelic monks), in distinction to Papa Little

Papa Stour is the subject of a 1299 manuscript written in Old Norse, which is the oldest surviving document from Shetland. It deals with a dramatic incident in the house of Duke Hakon Magnusson, who was later to become King Hakon V of Norway.

As of 2005, the population has fallen to 20 after serious discord between islanders led to several court cases and subsequently, a number of people left the island and the school closed