Donations have flooded in from all over the world to a small island shop which suffered its first crime in decades.
The 27 residents on Canna were devastated when hundreds of pounds worth of goods, including biscuits, coffee, sweets and woolly hats, where stolen from the island’s two shops.
The community shop on Canna, operated on an honesty box system, was cleared out last month and Hebridean Beauty, which sells soaps and fragrances, was hit at the same time.
Both were left unlocked 24 hours a day, with visitors expected to leave money behind for their goods.
The crimes committed on such an untouched and trusting community shocked the world, creating a media storm.
People from across the globe have sent donations of money and goods to sell in the shop.
Colin Irvine, chairman of Isle of Canna Development Trust, which runs the community shop, and the owner of Hebridean Beauty, said: “I suppose out of something bad, quite a lot of good stuff has happened.”
The trust has been inundated with donations, totalling £2,000, including cash from a webpage set up by a man in America.
A Mrs Schmidt from England sent a load of knitted hats, the firm Dunlop also sent a set of hats, and Botham’s of Whitby sent a box of biscuits and a box of oatcakes. There have been several donations of sweets and biscuits.
Mr Irvine said: “It is so nice that so many people would do that. We would like to say thank you to everybody for all of their support.
“It has all settled down now. We are getting back to normal and we haven’t changed the system, we won’t change the way we do business. Hopefully it won’t happen again.”
All money raised in the shop is used to support community projects on Canna. The trust is currently fundraising to build a community hall. At present most of the gatherings on the island take place in the shop.
A feasibility study into the hall has been completed and islanders are now waiting to hear from Canna’s owners, the National Trust for Scotland, if they will gift or sell the land required.
On the night that the shops were raided, a fishing boat was at the pier and 17 visiting yachts were moored at Canna.
A police spokesman said: “We have spoken to lots of people. Inquiries are continuing.”