Secondary school teacher to Fair Isle crofter - life on the UK's most remote island

Katy Phenix's new life as a crofter on the UK's most remote inhabited island is a far cry from her previous life as a history teacher in a secondary school.

The 33-year-old relocated to Fair Isle from Redcar, North Yorkshire, with her partner Josh Moore, 35, and their children Teddy, 11, and Hetty, six, in July.

They had never visited the island before moving there but were seeking more family time and a better quality of life.

Four months on, they say they have settled in to their "completely different" island life and feel "really lucky".

Fair Isle lies half-way between Orkney and Shetland and has a population of about 60 people.

It is three-miles (5km) long and owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

Since moving to the island, Katy has begun working as a part-time crofter - a crofter is a person who shares pasture land to raise livestock.

She said the family mainly moved to Fair Isle for more time together.

"We weren't living the lives we wanted," she said. "We were snatching time together over weekends and holidays.

"You get a mortgage, you get a car and you have to work to keep that up. Moving to Fair Isle has cut all of that out."

Fair Isle has a primary school and nursery, a local shop, post office and a community hall.

Katy has also taken up a post in early years education.

Her children are two of only five pupils at the local primary school.

Josh is in high demand as a self-employed electrician because Fair Isle is off-grid with its own energy system.

The island's homes are powered by a combination of wind and solar power.

A diesel generator provides a back-up supply.

Josh is working on a large battery replacement project.

"We're switching to new lithium ones," he said. "I'm also fixing people's lights and sockets."

He said friends and family had been supportive of the family's move.

The couple have been engaged for several years and are planning a wedding on the island in 2027.

"The church is literally next door", Katy said.

The pair said they hoped another family with children would move to Fair Isle early next year.

The National Trust for Scotland has advertised a further opportunity, with a five-bedroom house and 12-acre (5ha) croft available to rent.

The trust said it was encouraging applicants with crofting and land management experience, trade skills such as plumbing or anyone looking to develop a craft business on the island.

Angus Murray, NTS operations manager for Fair Isle, said: "We're inviting applications from hard-working and enthusiastic people who will bring skills, creativity and care to this special place."

The deadline for applications is Sunday 8 November.

Eileen Thomson, who chairs the Fair Isle committee, said everyone had a role to play.

"You'll see people working in the fire service, the shop and the school," she said.

Eileen said the new tenants should be multi-skilled.

"A lot of the really big jobs need every single person to turn up and help, whether it's gathering all the common grazing sheep or doing the hay bales in summer," she added.

She said creative people could also support the famous Fair Isle knitwear - a textile developed on the island in the early 19th Century.

Eleven-year-old Teddy hopes more children will move to the island so he can start a football team.

"We do a lot of outdoor activity," he said.

His six-year-old sister Hetty added that their seven pets from North Yorkshire were "loving" island life.

'We moved to a remote island we'd never visited'