By: Summer Chu
4 kilometers northwest of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland, is a small island that was the inspiration for the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The island, called Fidra, was visited by Stevenson when he was very young. Unbeknownst to him, another island, only a mile away, held the real treasure.
Lamb is an uninhabited island measuring approximately 100 by 50 meters, in between the islands of Fidra and Craigleith in the Firth of Forth, off the east coast of Scotland. It has attracted scant attention from kayakers, occasional birdwatchers, and wildlife volunteers over the years but 13 years ago, it was bought.
Uri Geller, the world's most famous spoon bender and legendary "psychic" known for his colorful and charismatic personality, bought the island over a decade ago and has now decided to elevate Lamb's status from a private Scottish island to that of a country, with a flag, constitution, and anthem.
"Lamb is a place like no other," says Geller, from his home in Old Jaffa, Israel, "and it deserves its own identity. This is a fitting way to do it."
Surprisingly, Lamb isn’t the first “micronation.” There have been dozens dating as far back as the 19th Century, some serious nations, others less so. Some over the years have made citizenships, stamps, their own currencies, and even more. Geller is also offering citizenship with all proceeds going to Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli charity that treats children with heart conditions from all over the world.
He says he wants Lamb to be an emblem of peace, the only criterion for membership, "a willingness to exist in harmony with fellow Lamb compatriots".
"I always wanted to own an island, be like James Bond," says Geller.