Forewick Holm

Infobox Scottish island


latitude=60.20
longitude=-1.40
GridReference=HU186594
celtic name= Unknown
norse name= Forvik (modern coinage)
meaning of name=
area=convert|1|ha|acre|1
area rank=na
highest elevation=convert|10|m|ft|0
Population= Nil at 2001 census. 1 since 2008
population rank=94=
main settlement=
island group= Shetland
local authority=Shetland
references= [cite web|url=http://shetlandconversation.squarespace.com/forvik/|title=Keep asking "When did the Crown get ownership?"|publisher=shetlandconversation.squarespace.com|author=Shetland Action|accessdate=2008-06-22] cite web|url=http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=HU1656361004|title=Get-a-map|author=Ordnance Survey|publisher=getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk|accessdate=2008-06-22] [According to Shetlopedia Mr. Hill took up residence "shortly before" June 21st.]

Forewick Holm is a convert|1|ha|acre|adj=on island in the Sound of Papa in the Shetland islands, Scotland.cite book|last=Haswell-Smith|first=Hamish|date=2004|title=The Scottish Islands|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Canongate|page=451] Located between Papa Stour and the Sandness peninsula the islet is owned by Stuart Hill (aka "Captain Calamity"), a retired yachtsman from England, who arrived in Shetland in 2001.

The name Forvik Island was coined by Hill and he claims it means "island of the bay of sheep". [cite web|url=http://shetlopedia.com/Forvik_Island|title=Forvik Island|publisher=shetlopedia.com|accessdate=2008-06-22] "Wick" is an anglicisation of "vik", a Norse word for "bay". "Holm" is a common name in the Orkney and Shetland islands for a small, rounded island.

Location

About convert|200|m|ft|0 south of Forewick Ness headland on Papa Stour and convert|1.5|km|mi|1 north of Melby on the Sandness peninsula.

A small islet called Scarf's Head is accessible from Forewick Holm at low tide.

History

There are no records of the island being permanently inhabited at any time in the past prior to the arrival of Stuart Hill. Its small size (just under a hectare/2 acres) renders it unable to support any significant population. However, there is some evidence of a circular construction on its SSE tip, which could represent anything from a sheep pen, to a Pictish era building. [cite web|url=http://shetlopedia.com/Forvik_Island|title= 'Forvik Island" (Shetlopedia article)|accessdate=2008-06-29]

The SS Highcliffe was wrecked on the islet on 6th February 1940. The ship and cargo were destroyed but there was no loss of life. [ [http://shetlopedia.com/Highcliffe "Highcliffe"] Shetlopedia. Retrieved 12 August 2008.]

Hill claims to have acquired udal title (allodial title) to Forewick Holm from Papa Stour resident Mark King in 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2008/06/20/captain-calamity/|title=“Captain Calamity’ goes it alone again, this time safe on dry land|publisher=shetlandtimes.co.uk|accessdate=2008-07-02|date=2008-06-20|last=Riddel|first=Neil] Mr King donated the island to Hill in order to support Hill's ongoing activism regarding Shetland's legal and constitutional position. [cite web|url=http://www.forvik.com/faqs/|title=Forvik FAQs|accessdate=2008-07-16]

Declaration of Dependence

On June 21 2008, Hill, the island's only resident, declared Forvik to be a British crown dependency named the Crown Dependency of Forvik and thus an independently administered jurisdiction - one of the British Islands - and so not a part of the United Kingdom or of the European Union. [cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2157245/Captain-Calamity-to-create-new-state-in-Shetland-islands.html|title=Captain Calamity to create new state in Shetland islands|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=2008-06-22|date=2008-06-19|last=Khan|first=Urmee]

Hill is accepting Forvik citizenship applications; "land-owning citizenship" (Shetland Islands residents only) which includes a one square metre plot of land, and "honorary citizenship" which doesn't but is open to non-Shetlanders. As well as an application fee, both types of citizen will pay an annual skat (tax) of one Forvik Gulde per year. [cite web|url=http://shetlopedia.com/Forvik_Island|title= "Forvik Island" (Shetlopedia article)|accessdate=2008-06-29]

On July 18 2008 Hill began inviting companies with a "proven track record" to bid for oil exploration rights in Forvik Island's territorial waters. [http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/news_07_2008/Hill%20lures%20oil%20prospectors%20to%20isle.htm] [http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/07/19/island-owner-welcomes-oil-bids-86908-20654195/]

References

External links

* [http://shetlopedia.com/Forvik_Island Forvik Island] Shetlopedia article with photograph.
* [http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/news_06_2008/Stuart%20Hill%20declares%20independence.htm Stuart Hill declares independence] "Shetland News" article
* [http://www.forvik.net Forvik - Truth & Light] Satirical site pretending to represent the island's "real owners"