Scottish island registers its first crime in 50 years
Edinburgh
The Scottish island of Canna with a population of just 19 adults and four children, reported its first robbery after goods worth £200 were stolen from the island’s only shop.
Six bobble hats, biscuits, batteries and toiletries were taken overnight from the shop owned by the National Trust for Scotland making it the island’s first burglary in 50 years.
The shop is often left open for visitors to purchase goods any time, noting down their purchase and leaving the payment in an honesty box.
Islanders said there had been no thefts since the 1960s. Bill Clark, the island’s councillor, blamed the theft on tourists.
Julie McCabe, who runs the shop, said she was “absolutely floored” by the robbery, which could force the shop to close.
“We are thinking about putting CCTV in, but we don’t want to do that because it goes against the whole honesty idea,” she said. “When you live on a small island like this you have to trust your neighbour and everybody round about.”
The island was given to the National Trust by its then owner, John Lorne Campbell, a collector of Gaelic literature, in 1981.
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