North Ronaldsay

And in fact, the northernmost island in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.

It's an island called North Ronaldsay.

And long story short, I figured out that in the mid 1700s, a guy from Edinburgh, Scotland, who's a lawyer, moved up there, bought the island, owned the whole island.

And so my ancestors were renting their homes from this dude.

I mean, the sociable lapwing is a desirable bird any day, but I can imagine that would get, uh, outshone by a Sibe blue robin.

Um, and the next year one turned up on North Ronaldsay.

That's the only place that's had two, 'cause it had another one in 2017.

Yes.

Um, and the only other place, uh, and time that one's occurred or, or been found in Britain was 2011 on, on Foula in, in Shetland.

So, um, yeah, this is the first one in almost a decade since that last North Ronaldsay bird, and it got people moving from the mainland, but, uh, you, you had to be nearby at the time to stand any chance of it 'cause it just wasn't around for long.

Um, Hugh Harps written up a story about the find, which will be appearing in the November issue of Bird Watch in the next couple of weeks.

And when is the November-

You're so good.

Far from the bright lights of a maternity ward, baby Duncan entered the world with an outlook of green fields, cows, and the sea at North Ronaldsay's South Bay.

For mom, Alice Trailford, whose first two children were born in a hospital, the remote location just seemed like the right choice.

At that stage in my life, I felt safer being in the hospital with all of the machines strapped to me and being told what was happening.

So when the baby was born, we raised the flag, and then everybody opened their whiskey and shared a dram and celebratory drink together.

Oh, yes, I was born on the island here myself many years ago in a box bed.

That's Billy Muir, a friend of the family and fellow North Ronaldsay man.

In the old days, it was just a regular thing, and we would hear of stories when the birth became a bit difficult, they'd take a boat and go to Sandy for the doctor and get help.