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Posted by
2700 posts

What a fun and interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Wales is a wonderful place to visit, and I hope to return someday.

Posted by
1797 posts

I remember travelling to the valley must be nearly 40 years ago, having read an article about it and was disappointed it seemed so 'normal'...

Posted by
5370 posts

The island of Foula in the Shetland Isles also marks Auld Christmas and New Year. There are only about 2 dozen residents there.

That's a really difficult place to get to- a very tiny ferry across very exposed waters once or twice a week and a few flights a week on tiny Islander aircraft.

Posted by
1797 posts

We managed a day trip to Foula while on Shetland a few years ago. They used to offer very cheap day flights on the day to fill up the plane. The choice was either Fair Isle ( they could guarantee getting both of us there but not both back as it depended how much cargo there was to come back) or to Foula. We chose Foula. I sat next to the pilot on the outward journey and husband on the way back.

Sheep had to be shooed off the air strip before we could land. It was an amazing experience and you really did feel it was life on the edge.

Posted by
5370 posts

Foula and Fair Isle are very much on my wish list

Posted by
13802 posts

Thanks, that’s an interesting article. My favorite Brit-chick-lit author has several novels where small communities have a winter holiday celebration on the Solstice or 12th night but she’s not done one on celebrating Christmas or the New Year based on the Julian calendar.