A baby has been born on the remote Scottish island of North Ronaldsay for the first time in more than three decades.

Duncan Wilder Thorstein Traill Suarez Ford was born on September 15, marking the first birth on the island in 34 years, his mother Alice Traill Ford told CNN. North Ronaldsay is the northernmost island in Orkney and measures only about three miles long and two miles wide.

Traill Ford, her fiancé Jorge Suarez and their family divide their time between Costa Rica and North Ronaldsay. The original plan was for Duncan to be born in Costa Rica, but their plans changed after they arrived on the island.

The family had already booked return flights when they reached North Ronaldsay. However, Traill Ford said she quickly decided that the island was where she wanted to give birth.

“I knew instantly that it would be the most special, magical and supportive birth that I could give him,” she said.

Traill Ford said her family has a longstanding connection to North Ronaldsay and has owned the island since 1727. She said she has returned every year since she was a baby and considers the island an important part of her family history and sense of belonging.

She gave birth to Duncan at Holland House, a property built by her ancestors. She described the experience as particularly meaningful because of her connection to the island and its history.

North Ronaldsay had a population of 72 people according to Scottish government figures from 2024. Traill Ford said the island is now home to 51 people.

The birth has generated excitement among the small island community. Traill Ford said residents feel like an extended family, describing the island as a close-knit community where people are connected like distant relatives.

She celebrated Duncan’s arrival by giving residents small bottles of whisky decorated with four-leaf clovers and small shells known locally as groatie buckies, which are traditionally associated with good luck.

Traill Ford believes the long gap between births on North Ronaldsay may be connected to the island’s limited health care facilities. The island has no doctor or hospital and has only a resident nurse.

She said some expectant mothers may feel safer traveling to the mainland, where hospitals and emergency medical services are more readily available during childbirth.

North Ronaldsay is also relatively isolated from mainland Orkney. Traill Ford said the journey by boat to Kirkwall takes about two hours and 40 minutes.

In an emergency, a coast guard helicopter can be sent to the island, she said. Otherwise, people who are well enough to travel would need to make the journey to Kirkwall on the Orkney mainland.

SOURCE: CNN, Jack Guy, September 2026.