A TINY uninhabited island has been stamped in the history books by the creation of its own currency.

Retired civil engineer Dave Hill, 63, bought Sgarabhaigh in the Western Isles in 2003 and began producing his own coin, named the Sgarabhaigh Sixpence.

The coin, minted in pure silver, features mottos of the Hill family, the MacKenzie family – previous owners of the island – and the Stuarts.

The sixpence is now included in the British Museum collection and is also on display at the National Museum of Scotland. One has even been gifted to the Queen.

Mr Hill, originally from Elford, Staffordshire, said yesterday: "To have the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland take an interest is beyond my wildest dreams.

"I'm very proud to have the opportunity to add something to the history of the Western Isles, Scotland and the United Kingdom."