Подкаст №9 - Canna | Текст песни

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• Canna

Caroline is eight. And like other eight year olds, she goes to school. But there are no other children at her school. Caroline is the only pupil.

Caroline and her parents live on an island called Canna, which lies off the west coast of Scotland, south-west of Skye. People have lived on Canna for thousands of years. The remains of some of the earliest Christian settlements in Scotland are on Canna. In the early 19th century, over 400 people lived there. Today there are only 15 inhabitants. Their nearest town with shops and other facilities, is Mallaig. It is between two and a half and four hours away by ferry. Tourists visit Canna in summer, particularly to enjoy the remoteness and quiet of the island, and to watch the birds. But in winter, life on Canna can be lonely and difficult.

Canna is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, a conservation charity which owns and manages many beautiful places and buildings in Scotland. The Trust have recently advertised for people to go and live on Canna. They warn that life on Canna can be hard, and that people who live there need to be tough, self-reliant and practical. Nonetheless, they have received hundreds of applications from all over the world.

And while the Trust wants to increase the number of people who live on Canna, it also wants to exterminate some of the other residents. Thousands of brown rats have seriously damaged colonies of breeding sea-birds, by eating their eggs. The Trust have employed specialist rat-catchers. They hope that the rats of Canna have now been wiped out. Let us hope so, and that the Trust can find suitable new families to live on the island, with children to go to school with Caroline. The islands of Scotland are exceptionally beautiful and interesting. But they are not just places for tourists; they need thriving communities as well.

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