A shop in Orkney accidentally orders more Easter eggs than the population of the entire island and is now raffling them off.

A remote store in the Orkney Islands made a blatant mistake by accidentally ordering more Easter eggs than the population of the entire island.

Dan Dafydd, owner of Sinclair General Stores on Sanday Island, mistakenly ordered 720 Easter eggs – more than the population of 500 people.

He intended to buy 80 individual chocolate eggs, but made an embarrassing mistake by mistakenly purchasing 80 cases instead.

The store owner is now raffling off 100 eggs to one lucky winner in aid of the RNLI after his stock of Easter eggs became too much to manage.

Dan said: “It’s crazy how it started! I imagine everyone is having a good laugh, which is good! »

Dan explained how he had to pre-order Easter eggs six months before the annual holiday.

He said: “I wanted to order 80 Easter eggs – the deals weren’t great, so I wanted to get the bare minimum, and we could always add more when the time gets closer.”

“I didn’t think anything more about it – until the delivery truck arrived two weeks ago with a truck full of Easter eggs.

“You can imagine my surprise, shock and shame when I realized I had made a mistake and ordered 80 cases – not 80 singular Easter eggs!”

Dan said they decided to turn the human error into a fundraising initiative for RNLI – a charity close to the hearts of many in the community.

He added: “We are a small island surrounded by sea, many people have died here as a result of boat-related incidents, but the RNLI serves the community and we also have a colleague who works closely collaboration with them.

“So it made sense to use RNLI – and it coincided well as they also celebrate their 200th anniversary.”

The RNLI said it was grateful for the fundraising.

The rescue charity said in a statement: “We are extremely grateful to Dan from Sinclair General Stores in Sanday for this incredibly generous gesture following a rather unfortunate delivery of 720 chocolate eggs.”

They added on Twitter: “Have they pushed too hard, or are the people of Orkney in for a treat this Easter?!

“With 720 Easter eggs for 500 islanders, store owner Dan Dafydd is scrambling to make room! But they are turning the accident into kindness by raffling off 100 eggs for the RNLI. THANKS!’

The Orkney Islands lie off the northeast coast of Scotland. Sanday is the third largest island and is accessible by ferry or plane.

It is known for its beautiful white sand beaches and impressive sand dunes, and has been serviced by Sinclair General Stores since its opening in 2016.