Orkney and the Shetland Isles are actually some of the wealthiest regions of the UK, so it makes sense that they might be able to get something like this off the ground.
To clarify - it is wealth of the council, not average wealth of individual residents. Bear in mind also that the cost of living is very high, given most products have to be imported from the mainland. For example, the Shetland Islands has some of highest petrol prices in the UK despite being the site of the largest oil terminal in Europe (oil has to be exported for refining).