Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Around two hundred and forty people live at Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on the northern shore of Tristan da Cunha, the only settlement on an island whose nearest inhabited neighbour is St Helena, some two and a half thousand kilometres away, and it is routinely described as the most remote permanently inhabited place on earth. Everyone shares one of seven surnames. Land is held communally and outside ownership is not permitted.

History

Sergeant William Glass of Kelso founded the settlement in 1816, and it was named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited in 1867. A volcanic eruption in 1961 forced the whole population to leave for Calshot in England, most islanders came back in 1963, and the harbour was named Calshot Harbour after the town (Wikipedia, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas).

What to look for

• The settlement - around two hundred and forty people below the volcano.
• The isolation - the nearest inhabited land some two and a half thousand kilometres away.
• The seven surnames - the families the whole community descends from.
• The communal land - a system that keeps all land in island hands.

When to go

October to March is the southern summer with the calmest crossings. Ships run only a handful of times a year. Landing depends entirely on the swell.

Practical notes

There is no airstrip: reaching Tristan means a six to seven day voyage from Cape Town on one of a few sailings a year, and landing is often prevented by swell. Permission from the island council is required in advance. Visitors can be stranded for weeks.

Nearby

Queen Mary's Peak is above the settlement, and the Potato Patches are west.

Key facts