Mystery package posted to island where only feral cows live

Swona is home to a small number of feral cattle which are descendants of animals once farmed on the island

A tiny Scottish island where the only inhabitants are feral cattle has been sent a pair of trainers in the post.

Swona's last islanders left in 1974, but a herd of cows descended from the livestock once farmed on the isle in Orkney still survive.

Alexander Annal, whose family owns the island and lives on nearby South Ronaldsay, was alerted by local postal staff that a parcel had arrived for Swona. Inside, he found a pair of size five women's Adidas trainers.

Mr Annal said he had no idea who the person named on the address was, and has been left wondering if it was just a mix-up or even an elaborate scam.

Swona's owner Alexander Annal said he could not understand why the trainers had been posted to the uninhabited island

Swona is about a mile long and half a mile wide, and lies in the Pentland Firth, a stretch of famously difficult sea between Orkney and the north coast of the Scottish mainland.

The island is visited by a special charter boat in the summer, which generates some income to help care for the animals and abandoned houses there.

The trainers were packaged in a cardboard box.

Mr Annal said he was left scratching his head wondering why anyone would send post to the island, which can be difficult to reach by boat due to strong tides and swell from the North Sea.

He told BBC Radio Orkney: "One of the posties said that there was a parcel coming for Swona.

"I thought 'who on earth is going to send a parcel to Swona?' I was thinking, och, maybe it was some artist who has done a painting of it.

"To open the box to find a pair of flipping trainers was just bewildering to me."

He added, laughing: "They are no use for a start - I've size 11 feet."

The cattle mostly graze around the island's ruined houses

Mr Annal said Swona had no internet connection meaning even if someone was on the island, ordering anything online would be impossible.

He said the parcel could be a genuine mix-up around the address, or an attempted scam.

In 2020, consumer watchdog Which? warned of a scam involving parcels called "brushing" and aimed at gaining positive reviews for online selling sites.

Gary Foubister, of Orkney Islands Council trading standards, said people could contact his office if they were concerned about unexpected deliveries.

He said: "With received unsolicited goods you are not obliged to return them."

Mr Foubister added that his office had contacts at all UK delivery companies and they could assist if it was felt necessary a parcel or mail had to be returned.

Swona's cattle originated from a cross between Aberdeen Angus and Shorthorn stock.

They mostly graze on grass around the ruined houses, and also forage for seaweed.