Living well in North Yell – the story of a connected, creative island life where a community-owned wind farm generates income for reinvesting locally.
When Kate Lonsdale first moved from Hampshire to North Yell eight years ago, the pace of life shifted. But not in the way some might expect.
“I’ve never been busier than since we lived here,” she says. “When we first moved to Shetland, people asked, ‘What are you going to do up there?’ But there’s always something. An event, a project, a chance to get involved.”
As Development Officer for the North Yell Development Council (NYDC), Kate has a front-row seat to the energy and commitment that runs through this island community. Alongside Development Manager Alice Mathieson, Kate helps lead a range of social initiatives, many born out of a post-Covid project called Get North Yell Going Again, funded by the National Lottery.
Over the course of that project, they ran an astonishing 132 social events. Everything from coronation celebrations to holiday clubs. But the real centrepiece has been the weekly Community Lunches, held every Tuesday at Cullivoe Hall.
“It’s a two-course hot lunch, completely free, and we average around 65 people each week,” says Kate. “That includes pre-schoolers, adults popping in on their lunch break, older folk. It’s a complete mix. We’ve had the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Living Well Hub attend too, because they know there’ll be a crowd. It’s really become a hub for the whole community.”
Another much-loved programme is Wicked Wednesdays, a youth group that runs weekly from October to Easter and brings together children from P1 to S4. “They all just hang out together at the school. It’s lovely,” says Kate.
What’s notable is the intergenerational nature of these activities. “We never said who the community lunches were for,” she explains. “We assumed it might be mostly older folk, but when I look at the data, it’s about 45% older adults, 45% working-age adults, and 10% kids. If we’d limited it, we would’ve missed half the people.”
That openness is characteristic of North Yell as a whole. “Supportive, creative, and dedicated,” is how Kate describes the community. “There are so many people here quietly doing incredible voluntary work. On committees, coming up with solutions to the challenges of rural life.”
One of those challenges was particularly frustrating in recent years. A hold-up on all local planning applications due to proposed changes to the Cullivoe Road. “You couldn’t even put up a shed,” says Kate. “No houses, no business development. It stalled everything, and of course, that meant people couldn’t stay or move here.” To get around this, the community organised the delivery of materials to Cullivoe by boat. A practical solution to an intractable problem.
Now, that same drive is behind larger projects like the Cullivoe Marina. With 28 berths, it serves visiting yachts and supports five local charter fishing businesses. “It’s not just for pleasure boats,” says Kate. “It’s vital infrastructure for working people.”
There are so many people here quietly doing incredible voluntary work. On committees, coming up with solutions to the challenges of rural life.
The community is also benefiting directly from renewable energy.
North Yell’s five-turbine wind farm, run for community benefit, generates income that is reinvested locally. “It’s been transformative,” says Kate. “Everything goes back into the community.”
The impact is tangible. NYDC now offers £500 grants to help young people cover the cost of driving lessons, provides free swimming lessons for all primary pupils, and has delivered a £400 winter energy grant to every household in North Yell, paid directly to their energy supplier.
All this in an area where, Kate notes, every household qualifies as being in fuel poverty by national standards.
Looking ahead, NYDC is working to develop a new community hub in Sellafirth. The site will include office space, a co-working area, a digital oral history archive, a training suite for distance learners, a recording studio and craft studios for local makers.
“It’s a place for everything. Business, creativity, education, heritage,” says Kate. “And we’re already using part of it for studio space and offices while we apply for further funding.”
For new residents, she says the welcome is genuine. “If you show up at an event and you’re new, someone will speak to you. It’s especially easy if you have kids. The school is fantastic, and the parent community is incredibly welcoming.”
Kate now plays a key role in helping newcomers settle in, providing welcome packs, job connections and links to local services. “If someone says their partner’s an electrician, I’ll say, ‘Perfect. Here’s who you need to speak to.’ It’s like a ready-made network.”
And what does a thriving future look like for North Yell?
“Housing and fixed links,” she says firmly. “We have the school, we have the jobs. We just need places for people to live. And fixed links, tunnels, would change everything. It’s not just about North Yell. It’s about Shetland’s future.”
Kate is optimistic, pointing to growing support across the isles. “The feeling now is, if we want these places to survive, fixed links are the way forward.”
For now, North Yell continues to thrive in its own way, with creativity, collaboration, and a supportive community that’s actively involved . “North Yell is a brilliant place to live,” Kate says.
“To keep it that way, everything needs to work together. Housing, jobs, services. And here, we’re making that happen.”