AN 11-year-old girl went back to school yesterday as its only pupil.

Mary MacEwen goes to a new #250,000 school on Muck. Until the end of

last term, Mary, whose father, Mr Lawrence MacEwen, owns the island

(population: 27), shared the school with another pupil.

This term, Marcus Walters, 12, has gone to secondary school on the

mainland, leaving Mary to be taught by the only teacher, Mrs Barbara

Graves.

Mary said yesterday: ''I've only been in here on my own for a few

hours but it doesn't seem that different. I knew it was going to happen.

Marcus and I used to do a lot of work on our own anyway but it'll

probably be a bit harder being on my own.''

Mr MacEwen, who has two other children, Colin, 14, and Sara, 22, said:

''It's not ideal. I would like to see about another half a dozen pupils

in there with Mary.

''I think her education might suffer a little, especially sport. But,

then again, if she was at a school on the mainland she might have to

share her class with 33 young hooligans.''

Mrs Graves, who is 31, said: ''Mary is very lucky, most parents would

love to have their children taught by their own personal teacher.''

However, it will not

be too long before Mary has company. Four-year-old twins who recently

moved to the island start school at Christmas.