Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sean Murphy

The uninhabited island just 18 miles from Edinburgh that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island

Just off the east coast of Scotland, less than 20 miles from the capital, lies a little island that inspired a legendary Scots author to write one of his most famous works.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel Treasure Island way back in 1881, and since then, it's gone on to become one of the most popular ever written.

But did you know that the idea for the swashbuckling adventure came from a little known Scottish island?

The tiny island of Fidra, in the Firth of Forth, fired up Robert's imagination after he accompanied his father and uncle on trips to scout the island and design the lighthouse there.

The writer was also a regular visitor to the beaches around the area - all of which have a wonderful view of this craggy little isle.

It's a little known fact that Robert's family are acclaimed engineers, who are responsible for a great many of Scotland's lighthouses.

His grandfather Thomas is considered to be the "father of Scottish lighthouses".

His visits to Fidra and the smell and noises of the sea must have played a part in his decision to write his seafaring adventure.

It is thought that he even used the map of the island as the inspiration for the layout for his own imagined Treasure Island – though many dispute this claim.

There are definite similarities between his illustration and the map of the island itself.

The claim is strengthened further by the fact the author even mentions Fidra in his novel Catriona.

Fidra Island

Uninhabited, the rocky little island lies northwest of North Berwick and is home to the aforementioned lighthouse (now automated) and a colony of seabirds including puffins and guillemots.

An RSPB Scotland nature reserve, it has also served as the inspiration for a gin.

Fidra Gin is the brainchild of East Lothian-based friends and entrepreneurs Jo Brydie and Emma Bouglet.

The nearby Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick has cameras on the island meaning you can watch the thriving seabird colony on the live stream here.

Don't miss the top culture and heritage stories from around Scotland. Sign up to our twice weekly Scotland Now newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.