The Afghans building a new life in the Hebrides

Frishta and her son Kia are settling into life in Stornoway

A family that fled the violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power is building a new life in the Outer Hebrides.

A cold trip to Valtos beach in the west of Lewis could not be further away from Frishta Matin's terrifying journey from Kabul.

But Frishta says the rainy weather and the remote beach were a distraction for her family when they arrived in the Western Isles in late October.

Frishta, her husband Murtaza and their baby son Kia along with her sister Farzana and brother Zaker are Hazara.

It is an ethnic community at risk of persecution by the Taliban, who swiftly returned to power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of a US-led military coalition in August.

When they arrived in the UK, the family were first given accommodation in Valtos, a small crofting township on Lewis, before being given a home by the local authority in Stornoway, the island's largest town.

Frishta says coming from where they lived in a crowded city in Afghanistan to a small community in Lewis took some adjusting.

She said: "In Valtos the only person we saw was the postman."

But the move offered new experiences to take their thoughts away from reliving their escape from Afghanistan.

Frishta says: "There were new things to distract you, to take your mind from what happened back in Afghanistan. There was the bad weather - the windy weather and the rain.

"We would go to beach and then the rain would come and we would run back home."

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Frishta says there were times her family feared they would die trying to leave Afghanistan.

The family was bussed to Kabul Airport the day after 13 American troops and at least 169 civilians had been killed in a suicide bombing on 26 August.

There were fears of further attacks and as the bus got closer to the airport there was the near constant sound of gunfire.

Frishta would cover her baby's ears to protect him from the deafening sound of gunfire.

Brother and sister Zaker and Farzana

The family narrowly missed the last coalition flight from Kabul and were forced to find an alternative route out.

After days hiding from Taliban soldiers just north of Kabul they were eventually able to get on a flight to Qatar organised by US charity the Uplift Afghanistan Fund.

Members of the Taliban came inside the plane to check passengers' documents.

It was only when the plane finally took off did the family dare to think it was their moment of escape.

From Qatar they flew to the UK and arrived into Edinburgh on 15 October. Following routine quarantine in line with Covid regulations, they went to Lewis.

Frishta with her husband Murtaza and their son Kia

Farzana says the family are now settling into life in the town of Stornoway.

She says: "It is very beautiful. I love walking around the (Lews) castle grounds. It is a calm and peaceful environment.

"Also, the people are very kind and very supportive. Because I am new in town I get lost, but I can ask someone and they very kindly try to get me to the way that I want."

A family of Syrian refugees already living in Stornoway have also been helping them to adjust to their new life.

Farzana says: "They have been through the same thing. They have told us: 'Don't worry, don't be distressed.'"

The rescued family with John and Lorna Norgrove, who run a charity helping Afghan women and girls

The sisters worked for the Scottish charity, the Linda Norgrove Foundation, in Afghanistan. The charity contacted the UK government about getting the family to safety.

Linda Norgrove was an aid worker from the Western Isles involved in projects helping women and girls in Afghanistan.

She was kidnapped by the Taliban in September 2010 and died during an attempt to rescue her.

Her parents, John and Lorna, set up the charity in her name.

The sisters continue to volunteer for the charity, but along with Murtaza and Zaker hope to be able to find work or resume their studies.