Fair Isle is the most isolated inhabited island in the UK, jutting out of the sea halfway between the Orkneys and Shetland. Only 1.5 miles wide by 3.5 miles long, the island is home to a handful of households, and the Bird Observatory, located here because of the vast colonies of sea-birds and rich assortment of migratory birds which drop in, and now contributing significantly to the economic life of the island.

Built in the late 1960s, the building has been refurbished once but is now in a poor condition. Locate were first asked in 2005 to assess the feasibility of refurbishing the existing 1960s building in advance of a potential major spend to secure the future of the Observatory on the Island.

Having decided to go for a complete new-build, the Trust are aiming for an environmentally sensitive building but cost effective and durable in the extreme marine climate. Locate are working with Shetland based Consultants Andrew Blackadder Associates and Stephen Johnstone, QS, to prepare a Feasibility study for the new building.

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