Duncan was born on North Ronaldsay Island, the first recorded birth there in 34 years

Duncan Wilder Thorstein Traill Suarez Ford was born on 15 September on North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island in Scotland’s Orkney archipelago. The birth is the first recorded on the island in 34 years and was confirmed by the child’s mother, Alice Traill Ford.

The family lives between Costa Rica and North Ronaldsay, and the initial plan was for the birth to take place in Costa Rica. However, after arriving on the island, Alice Traill Ford decided to give birth at Holland House, the home of her ancestors. Her family bought the island in 1727.

North Ronaldsay is approximately five kilometres long and three kilometres wide. According to Scottish government data, the island’s population was 72 in 2024, although the child’s mother says 51 people currently live there. Locals welcomed the news enthusiastically, and the family gave them small bottles of whisky and scallops considered to bring good luck.

The birth is all the more unusual because the island has neither a doctor nor a hospital, only a resident nurse. The nearest boat journey to the mainland takes approximately two hours and 40 minutes, while a Coast Guard helicopter can be requested in an emergency.