Why I travelled to Scotland’s most northerly island just 380 miles from the Arctic Circle

Conservationist Pen Hadow has ventured to the uninhabited island of Out Stack in Shetland to draw attention to Scotland’s proximity to the northernmost reaches of the planet and how the impact of changes felt there to climate and biodiversity are, perhaps, much closer to home than generally considered.

Mr Hadow, the founder of the 90 North Foundation that aims to safeguard the eco-systems of the Arctic Ocean, travelled by train from London King’s Cross to Aberdeen before taking the overnight ferry to Lerwick and travelling up through the waters to Yell and then Unst and then to Out Stack, with the help of a knowledgeable Shetlander and his boat.

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Less distance separates Out Stack from the Arctic Circle - 380 miles - than does London and Edinburgh, Mr Hadow added.

He said: “Making the journey to Out Stack is about trying to reveal to as many people as possible the proximity of the Arctic Ocean to Scotland and to the wider UK.

“Our mission at the 90 North Foundation is to help people understand that what goes on in the Arctic Ocean absolutely impacts what goes on in Scottish and UK waters in terms of fish stocks, which is of course a major industry for Shetland and most of the north of Scotland.

“The other thing that helps set people’s geographical thinking off is that some of the islands in Shetland are further north than St Petersburg in Russia, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, southermost Greenland and are levelled with Anchorage in Alaska.

“Once you start seeing it in the context of these cities, Scotland is the next nearest state to the Arctic that is not within the Arctic Circle. We are the next one down, if you like.”

Out Stack sits around 600m to the north east of Muckle Flugga lighthouse, the most northerly lighthouse Scotland.

The island is around 60sqm and rises 30m above sea level and is home only to nesting seabirds - from puffins to auks and guillemots - in spring and summer whose food sources are now at risk from climate change and changing sea patterns.

Mr Hadow and his team ventured within metres of Out Stack but the crew were forced to abort their hopes of making landfall given the “huge swell” and “confused seas”, which dominate this part of the world, which sits at a crossroads of the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Arctic Ocean.

Mr Hadow also made the trip to urge the UK government to pass into law the UN High Seas Treaty. This agreement “could have a significant impact” on protecting the vulnerable biodiversity in our oceans that sit outside any country’s territory, but cover nearly half the planet, he said.

Mr Hadow added: “It has now passed the one year mark since the UK signed the Treaty, but it has not yet passed into law here. If the UK ratifies, it can show leadership on ocean conservation on a global stage.”