Students Revive Scottish Island Deserted for 50 Years

Gordonstoun pupils restored infrastructure and explored heritage on Swona during a week-long off-grid expedition.

Twelve Year-12 students and staff from Gordonstoun School spent over a week on Swona island, which has been uninhabited since 1974.
The group worked with descendants of the island's last residents to restore paths, stone walls, a pier, and a croft cottage.
Swona, rich in history and biodiversity, features Viking farms, Neolithic tombs, and is a breeding site for puffins and other seabirds.
Students learned survival skills, including fishing, baking over an open fire, and using a 1,000-year-old well for water.
The project aimed to preserve Swona's heritage and provide students with hands-on challenges to develop resilience and life skills.