By: Chenwei Ren
It is believed that Robert Louis Stevenson drew inspiration for the exhilarating literary classic Treasure Island from childhood trips to the island of Fidra, one of a string of three rocky cliffs in the Firth of Forth off the coast of Scotland's North Berwick.
The myths, legends, and mysteries purportedly harbored by a small island, located just over a mile (1.9 km) to the east, were unknown to the young Stevenson. It is known as Lamb, and it has received little notice aside from kayakers, sporadic birdwatchers, and volunteers who work with wildlife. However, it might turn out to be a legitimate treasure island by itself.
Uri Geller, the most well-known spoon-bender and storied "psychic," is its vibrant, charismatic, and controversial owner, and he suggests that might be the case. 13 years after first purchasing Lamb, Geller, a master of the grand gesture, has now chosen to elevate Lamb's status from that of a private Scottish island to that of a country, complete with a flag, constitution, and anthem.
The emergence of the football field-sized "Republic of Lamb" means Scotland's relatively enormous neighbor has just, in theory, gotten a little bit smaller while it is busy debating its own possible path to independence.
"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."
Since the 19th century, numerous "micronations'' have been established, some with serious intentions and many others not. Though, one of these is not Lamb Island. Some people have produced their own stamps, currencies, and nationalities. Geller is also selling 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.
If Lamb is to be a symbol of peace, he claims that the only prerequisite for membership is "a willingness to exist in unity with fellow Lamb companions." On the island itself, settlement is not permitted.