Things you didn't know about... the Isle of Canna

There is no crime on the Isle of Canna
The Isle of Canna has a zero crime rate and no police presence. An officer visits from the mainland from time to time.

The Isle of Canna is not exactly built up
There are about 20 buildings on the Isle of Canna. These include two churches, one former church that has been converted into a study centre, and a tea room. There is also a telephone box.

You don't have to buy a car tax disc on the Isle of Canna
The roads are all privately owned and cars on the Isle of Canna are not required to pay road tax.

It would be hard to get into debt on the Isle of Canna
There is a post office—converted from a garden shed—but no grocer. People buy their provisions from the mainland.

The population of the Isle of Canna in the last census was six
This was bumped up to 13 if you included the neighbouring island of Sanday. The Isles of Canna and Sanday are linked by a road bridge.

The Isle of Canna is famous for its birds
Golden eagles, sea eagles, merlin and peregrine falcons, Manx shearwaters and puffins can be spotted here.

The inhabitants of the Isle of Canna are traditionally Catholic
The Isle of Canna avoided the Scottish Reformation.

The Pied Piper came to visit the Isle of Canna
In 2005, the brown rat population became such a problem that there was a complete cull on the Isle of Canna, which is now rat-free. Some of the island's woodmice were removed before the cull, and reintroduced afterwards.

New arrivals are welcome on the Isle of Canna
In 2006, the National Trust of Scotland (NTS), which owns the Isle of Canna, advertised globally for two families to join the community on the Isle of Canna. There were 400 applicants. Two families were selected and have moved onto the island, more than doubling the population to 17.

There's no playground bullying on the Isle of Canna
There is a primary school on the Isle of Canna though at the time the NTS advertised for new families, the roll had dropped to just one pupil.

Sailors woz 'ere
The Isle of Canna's harbour cliffs are daubed with graffitti left by sailors over the decades, typically featuring the names of their ships.