Gaada Stack is a double arch on the northern end of the Scottish Island of Foula, sitting next to the 2nd highest cliffs in the United Kingdom. Seen from the sea Foula is located in the Shetland archipelago of Scotland and one of the United Kingdom's most remote permanently inhabited islands. Foula lies 28 kilometres west of Walls in Shetland. 38 people live on the island.

Foula is one of the most isolated islands in the UK (Picture: Getty)

As most of the UK is cleaning up wrapping paper and decorating for their New Year’s Eve celebrations, a small island won’t celebrate the holidays for a while longer.

Foula, an island in Shetland, is Britain’s most remote island. They celebrate Christmas and New Year according to the old Julian calendar.

That means residents won’t celebrate Christmas until January 6, and the New Year will be on January 12.

A community of roughly 30 islanders have a strong Norse tradition of folklore, music and special festivities. Its inhabitants were the last to speak Norn, a form of old Norse which died out around 1800.

Residents traditionally gather in one house to celebrate Christmas where they will exchange gifts and greetings.

One islander said: ‘It is not just part of our tradition – but the world’s. It is everybody else who changed – not us. We are not unique – other parts of the world, such as areas of Russia, still celebrate the old calendar.’

View over Foula and the monument towards Mainland Shetland. Foula is located in the Shetland archipelago of Scotland and one of the United Kingdom's most remote permanently inhabited islands. Foula lies 28 kilometres west of Walls in Shetland. 38 people live on the island.

Its a part of the Shetland Islands, north of mainland Scotland (Picture: Getty)

The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used civil calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in October 1582.

The rest of Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, but Foula stuck with the old Julian calendar.

Ukrainian Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time last year after traditionally having used the Julian calendar, which was used by Russia.

Foula lies 16 miles west of mainland Shetland and 100 miles north of Scotland.

It only got running water in 1982 and full electricity by 1984, supplied by a diesel generator. It currently has a renewable energy system – mainly photo voltaic – backed up by diesel.

The island is so remote and prone to bad weather that attempts by a previous visiting Church of Scotland minister, Rev. Tom Macintyre, to reach it for one Christmas service had to be abandoned after three attempts.

Foula – meaning ‘bird island’ in old Norse – was the location for the film The Edge of the World.

The RMS Oceanic also wrecked on the nearby Shaalds of Foula.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Arrow
MORE: Ian Huntley’s ex-girlfriend Maxine Carr enjoys Christmas at ‘taxpayers’ expense’

Arrow
MORE: B&M, Boots and Primark’s opening hours for Boxing Day 2024

Arrow
MORE: Full list of Boxing Day opening times for major UK shopping centres