revised nomination of kilda - st kilda, · pdf fileagus beachd shaoghalta dhan àite....

StKildaRevised Nomination of

for inclusion in the World Heritage Site ListCULTURAL HERITAGE EXTRACT

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The Village with a snow-clad Mullach Sgar

From the Office of the First MinisterFew who have been to St Kilda and stood in the Village surrounded by the cries of a million seabirds can fail to have been moved by the placeand its story. This tiny Hebridean archipelago is aplace of drama, a place apart. Its inaccessibilityamplifies its remoteness creating a perception of being ‘at the edge of the world’.

While the steep cliffs and pounding seas aroundthe archipelago give a sense of the overwhelmingpower of nature, the very visible remains of humanhabitation can only fill the visitor with a sense ofawe and respect for past generations ofinhabitants.

St Kilda stands for isolated societies the worldover. The extraordinary spirit of the place comesfrom the imprint left after the ultimate failure,largely through external pressures, of a way of life.The twin aspects – a people’s resilience in ahostile environment, and the contrasting fragility oftraditional ways of life in the face of overwhelmingsocial and economic change – give the place itsemotional power and universal applicability.

It is because of these reasons that I commend thisrevised nomination for the inscription of St Kilda onthe World Heritage List to ensure it is cared forand preserved for future generations.

Chan eil mòran a tha air cuairt a ghabhail a Hiort,agus air seasamh ’s a bhaile a-measg glaodhmillean eun-mara, nach robh air an gluasad leis anàite agus a sgeul. Tha am buidheann beag eileananseo an Innse Gall mar àite gu turr eadar-dheallaichte, mar àite air leth. Tha ìomhaigh aigmòran mu na h-eileanan gu bheil iad ‘aig oir an t-saoghail’ bhon a tha iad cho iomallach agus choduilich faighinn thuca.

Fhads a tha na creagan cas agus a’ mhuirfhiadhaich mu na h-eileanan a toirt beachd aircumhachd nàdair, chan ùrrainn do luchd tadhailach urram agus meas fhaireachdainn airson gachginealach de mhuinntir Hiort a dh’fhalbh, nuair achìth iad na tha air fhagail de an cuid togalaichean.

Tha Hiort na eisimpleir do chomainn iomallach airfeagh an t-saoghal. Tha spiorad miorbhaileach anàite a tighinn bhon chomharradh a chaidh fhagailnuair a thàinig dòigh beatha na Hiortaich gu crìochmu dheireadh, ’s a mhòr chuid air sàilleibhcuideaman bhon taobh a-muigh. Còmhla tha an dàphuing – misneachd nan daoine ann an tìr guntruas, agus dòighean beatha traidiseanta, lag anaghaidh atharraichean sòisealta aguseaconomaiceach – a toirt cumhachd sònraichteagus beachd shaoghalta dhan àite.

Airson na reusain seo tha mi a’ moladh an t-ainmeachadh seo, le ath-sgrùdadh, airson Hiort achuir ri Liosta Dualchas an t-Saoghail, airsondèanamh cinnteach gun teid a chùram a ghabhailagus gum bidh e air a dhìon airson nabliadhnaichean a tha romhainn.

Jack McConnell MSP

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for inclusion in the World Heritage Site List

Contents

1. Identification of Property 5a. Country

b. State, Province or Region

c. Name of Property

d. Exact location on map and location of geographical co-ordinates to the nearest second

e. Maps and/or plans showing boundary of area proposed for inscription and of any buffer zone

f. Area of site proposed for inscription (ha) and proposed buffer zone (ha) if any

2. Justification for inscription 9a. Statement of Significance

b. Comparative analysis

c. Authenticity/integrity

d. Criteria under which inscription is proposed (and justification for inscription under those criteria)

3. Description 25a. Description of property

b. History and development

c. Form and date of most recent records of site

d. Policies and programmes related to the presentation and promotion of the property

4. Management 49a. Ownership

b. Legal status

c. Protective measures and means of implementing

d. Agency/agencies with management authority

e. Level at which management is exercised and name and address of responsible person forcontact purposes

f. Agreed plans related to property

g. Sources and levels of finance

h. Sources of expertise and training in conservation and management techniques

i. Visitor facilities and statistics

j. Site Management Plan and statement of objectives

k. Staffing levels

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5. Factors affecting the site 61a. Development pressure

b. Environmental pressures

c. Natural disasters and preparedness

d. Visitor/tourism pressure

e. Number of inhabitants within site

6. Monitoring 67a. Key indicators for measuring state of conservation

b. Administrative arrangements for monitoring property

c. Results of previous reporting exercises

7. Documentation 71a. Photographs, slides and, where available, film/video

b. Copies of site management plans and extracts from other plans relevant to the site

c. Selected bibliography

d. Address where inventory, records and archives are held

8. Signed on behalf of State Party 98Acknowledgements

Image acknowledgements



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1. Soay lambs2. Stac Biorach3. Grey seal4. Meadow and Main Street5. Boreray6. Kelp 7. Atlantic puffin

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1Identification of Property

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Whatever he studies, the future observer of St Kildawill be haunted the rest of his life by the place andtantalised by the impossibility of describing it, tothose who have not seen it.James Fisher 1947

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1

Tunnel

Tunnel

Tunnel

0

1 mile0

1 km

Hirta

Dun Levenish

Boreray

Stac Lee

Stac an Armin

Soay Bradastac

StacSoay

Am Plasdair

Sgarbhstac

SgeirMhor

An TorcGiasgeir

Uamh Cailleach Bheag Ruaival

Hamalan

Na Bodhan

Levenish lies 2.8 kms(1.75 miles) E.N.East

of Gob an Duin

Sgeir Culan Rubha

RubhaMhuirich

Laimhrignan Gall

Point of Coll or

Rubha Challa

Rubha an Uisge

Rubha GhillAm Broig

Stac a' Langa

Mol Ghiasgar

Sgeir Dhomhnaill

Sgeir nan Sgarbh

Min StacNa Cleitean

Gob na h-Airde

Leac Mhin StacMol Carn na Liana

Baghan

StacBiorach

StacDona

Mol Shoay

GeoChaim

bir

SgeirMhor

GobChath

aill

Rubha Bhriste

An t-Sail

Am Biran

Gearr-geo

Udraclete

Gob Phursan

Gob na h-Airde

Gob a' Ghaill

Creagan Cave

Rubha BhrengeadailCoinneag

Creagan Fharspeig

Creagan naRubhaig Bana

Mullach an Tuamail

Na SgarainGob an DuinGob na MuceGiumachsgor

The Boreray island group lies 6.1 kms(3.8 miles) N. East of Leac Mhin Stac

Village Bayor

LochHirta

Loch a'Ghlinne

or Glen Bay

Poll Adinet

Tobarnam

Buaidh

Well

Tobar na Gille

Geo GharranBuidhe

Geo Leibli

Seilig Geo

Geo na Ruideig

Geo Ghiasgeir

A' Chiasge

ir

Am

huinn

R uaival

Amhuin

nGles

hgil

Geo Rubha

Mhurich

Amhuinn

Mh or

Geo Brababy

Geo nan Sgarbh

Geo na Muir-bhuaile (Bream)

Geo na Lee

Geo

ant-S

amh

Geo na

h-Aird

e

Geo Osca

rGeo Sgeir Chàise

Beul na Geo

Geo na Stacan

Geo na Laisealaich

Geo Chaluim Mhic Mhuirich

Amhuinn

Ghli n ne Mhoir

Amhu

inn

Allt

ar

hcanaeriEnaoeG

diaprAnagaerCoeG

lliupaCanoeG

esialGaBanoeG

Geo Shunadail

Geo na Tarnanach

Geo na Leachan Moire

Geo an Araich

Geo Sgarbhstac

Gob Scapanish

Clesgor

Geo Phursan

Geo Rubha

Glamasgeo

Geo Chile Brianan

Geo an Fheachdaire

Geo a' Bhroige

Geo na Eaige

Geo na

n Plaidean

Geo nan Ron

Geo Chruadahain

Geo Bhradastac

BiodaMor176m

Altar

A' Bhi 113m

29m

26m

218m

39m22m

289m

282m

272m

355m

121m

355m430m72m

211m

163m

321m

236m

166m

135m

178m

Claigeann Mor

Carn Mor

Am Blaid

GlacanChonachair

Claigeann anTaigh Faire

Leathada' Ghlinne

94m

149m

379m

191m

339m

308m

373m

Pursan a' Chaim

Taigh Dugan

The AltarTobarRuadh

289m

124m.

56m

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

.

.

.

..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

144m179m

..

.

.

.

.

Mullach Sgar

Leathaid a'SgithoilChaoil

M u l l a c hG e a l

LagBho'nTuath

TheCambir

Sunadal

Mul

lach

an E

ilein

Cnoc Glas

Taigh Stallar

Bothy

Bothy

Bothies

MullachBi Oiseval

ConachairMullach

Mor

Gleann

Mor

Ruaival

RadarStation

Pier

Lover'sStone

Amazon'sHouse

Mistress Stone

Clash naBearnaich

St. Brianan's Chapel

Kiln

Calum Mor's House

MedievalHouse

Saw Pit

The Gap

Cleitein McPhaidein

The Village

Surfaced roadVillage "street"BuildingCleiteinStone enclosureDykeWellContour (30 metres) /cliffRiver/streamSandy beach

St Kilda N

W E

' Wendy Price Cartographic Services, Inverness, 2002.Map based on the 1928 Ordnance Survey map with additions from aerial photography kindly supplied by Photoair through Scottish Natural Heritage. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the map is correct, it should not be used in a situation where a high degree of detail is required.

Hirta

Soay

Boreray

LevenishDun

0

0

2 miles

5 km

a. CountryUnited Kingdom

c. Name of PropertySt Kilda (Hirta)

b. State, Province or RegionWestern IslesScotland

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d. Exact location on map andlocation of geographical co-ordinates to the nearestsecond

The nominated property is the St Kilda archipelagoand the surrounding sea, lying 64 km west ofNorth Uist in the Outer Hebrides, the central pointis located at 57º 50’ N, 08º34’W (NGR –NA095995). The area proposed for inscription iscontained within the square with co-ordinates:57º54‘36”N, 08º42‘00”W;57º46‘00”N, 08º42‘00”W;57º46‘00”N, 08º25‘42”W;57º54‘36”N, 08º25‘42”W.

e. Maps and/or plans showingboundary of area proposedfor inscription and of anybuffer zone

f. Area of site proposed forinscription (ha) and proposedbuffer zone (ha) if any

The total area of the proposed site measures24,201.4ha, comprising a land area of the St Kildaarchipelago above Mean High Water Spring markof 854.6ha, and a sea area measured from MeanHigh Water Spring mark out to the boundary of thesite of 23,346.8ha.

Paragraph 17 of the Operational Guidelines for theImplementation of the World Heritage Conventionmakes provision for the identification of a bufferzone to protect World Heritage Sites from threatsbeyond their boundaries. An independentassessment of potential risks to the nominated siteidentified a number of possible threats fromoutside the site boundary. Careful considerationwas given by the UK authorities to whether theidentification of a buffer zone would be aneffective tool in managing such risks. The physical cultural heritage features of thenominated site are restricted to the terrestrialareas and therefore the marine areas of the siteconstitute, in effect, a buffer zone for these areas.Through the appropriate existing measures ofprotection any risks are minimised by themeasures outlined in the Management Plan, andby the statutory protection offered by the area'sdesignation as a National Nature Reserve andSpecial Protection Area and prospectivedesignations of Special Area of Conservation and(marine) Special Protection Area. The naturalheritage and landscape properties of the site arealso afforded strong protection through the UK'sstatutory planning system that directs statutorypolicies in relation to Scotland's coasts. This isfurther complemented by the powers and dutiesvested in Scottish Natural Heritage, theGovernment's statutory advisor on natureconservation and the UK Government'scommitment to carry out a Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment in advance of any developments(soon to be enshrined in statute). The wholenominated site also lies completely within sitesseparately identified for protection under EuropeanLaw (The ‘Birds Directive’ and ’Habitats Directive’)for their natural heritage value which affordsprotection against any action, within and outwiththe site, that may have an adverse effect on thefeatures of the site. This range of conservationdesignations ensures statutory protection for agreater area than any possible buffer zone outwiththe nominated site, and protects its settingadequately. The conclusion was that a buffer zonewould not add to the protection afforded by otherdesignations and existing regulatory regimes,reinforced by advocacy to respect the site. Furtherinformation on the range of protective designationsand actions is provided elsewhere in the nominationdocument and in the Management Plan.


for inclusion in the world Heritage Site List

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1. Kelp and dead man’s fingers2. Soay rams3. Cliffs4. Great skua5. Souterrain6. Stac Lee7. The ruins of Village Street

1 2 3

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For many, St Kilda is the epitome of an idylliccommunity, living in harmony with nature forhundreds, if not thousands, of years, but ultimatelyseduced by the comforts of modern life. ’

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a. Statement of SignificanceSt Kilda is an amazing place. Each of the threemain components – terrestrial and marinenatural heritage and cultural landscape – is ofoutstanding universal value in its own right,and the sequence of the following text doesnot reflect a hierarchy of significance.Although they were considered separately invarious parts of the original document, thenatural and cultural heritage of St Kilda areinextricably linked. This extract concentrateson the cultural heritage.

2Justification for inscription

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Cultural HeritageThe World Heritage Site inscription of St Kilda forits cultural heritage qualities was included in theoriginal Nomination Document, submitted in 1985.ICOMOS recommended the inscription undercultural criterion v of the Guidelines. However, theWorld Heritage Committee in December 1986approved only the natural heritage qualities forinscription, and deferred the case for inscriptionfor cultural heritage qualities. It was to be anothersix years before the Committee adopted the'cultural landscape' criteria.

A unique combination of special qualities worktogether to give St Kilda its universal cultural value.Most important of these qualities are:

• the completeness of fossilised 19th-centurysettlement and agricultural remains

• the spectacular landscape setting adapted bypeople through the millenia

• the perceived remoteness of the islands

• the vivid story of human endeavour – evidenceof millennia of sustainable use, largely based onthe use of bird resources, followed by decliningviability, principally due to external influences –on small islands in an extreme climate

• and the wealth of documentary evidence fromthe 16th century to the time of abandonment,which provides the means to appreciate andunderstand the other main qualities.

To have one or two of these qualities is special,but to have all is truly unique, resulting in theiconic status of St Kilda in the internationalconsciousness.

The almost tangible spirit of the place comes fromthe imprint left after the eventual demise, largelythe result of outside influences, of this way of lifeafter several thousand years. The twin aspects ofpeople’s resilience in inhospitable surroundings,and the contrasting precarious traditional ways oflife in the face of inexorable social and economicdevelopment give the place its emotive power. StKilda is unique, not only in that so much of thephysical evidence of its past culture has survived,embraced by the spectacular natural landscape,but that this is complemented by detaileddocumentary accounts stretching back fourhundred years and more.

St Kilda is at once stunningly dramatic and acutelyisolated. Its remoteness is accentuated because itis and always has been difficult to access. There isa romantic perception of its position as the islands‘at the edge of the world’, where the people livedin harmony with nature. The steep cliffs andpounding seas around the archipelago give asense of the overwhelming power of nature,against which the very visible remains of humanactivity fills visitors with awe and respect for pastinhabitants. But perceptions of St Kilda remainclouded by those of 19th-century travellers whowere seeking experiences of the sublime, andwhose writing tended to ignore those things thatcontradicted their expectations.

In their April 1986 report, ICOMOS set out thefollowing justification for inclusion undercultural criterion v:

‘The tiny St Kilda archipelago in the HebridesIsland is not only one of the biggestsanctuaries of wildlife and marine life in theNorth Atlantic, but also bears testimony to acoherent ecosystem which has remainedvirtually unchanged over 2,000 years ofhuman occupation.

From the Bronze Age to the evacuation of thearchipelago’s last inhabitants in 1930, theislands of Soay, Hirta, and Boreray, and theislets bordering their coasts have undergoneseveral periods of human occupation. Atseveral sites there is evidence of a Christianinfluence prior to the Viking invasion, asillustrated by numerous artefacts from the10th century. Difficult to date, the conservedstructures – cairns, circular stone formations,groups of monastic cells and even post-medieval villages – illustrate a remarkablepersistence of forms of primitive architecturein a country whose traditional modes ofconstruction have survived to thecontemporary period.

In the opinion of ICOMOS, the St Kildaarchipelago corresponds perfectly to thedefinition of a cultural and natural propertywhose value should be taken intoconsideration in an evaluationcomplementary to that of IUCN.'

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Cultural LandscapeThe cultural landscape of St Kilda has been shapedby the response of a remote island community tothe challenge of survival with access to a verylimited range of resources, particularly the relianceon birds.

Draped over the dramatic natural landscape is therelict cultural landscape: layered remains of humanoccupation by a population of less than 200 souls.The density of the visible structures in thelandscape is remarkable, as is the time-depth,from the remains of the Gleann Mor settlementdating back perhaps two or three thousand years,up to the late 19th-century cottages of the VillageBay settlement. Largely using the natural materialsavailable, primarily stone, turf and driftwood, the StKildans built their dwellings, cleitean (stonestorage huts) and field systems. Some structures,such as the ancient scree structures or the latercleitean, may be unique to St Kilda, probablyanswering a particular island need; others are ofmore recognisable vernacular building types. Takentogether the structures constitute an extremelywell-preserved group, and archaeological surveyand excavation over the past 20 years continues todemonstrate the significance and potential of thepre-19th-century archaeology. There are very fewplaces in the world where there is such a densityand time-depth of remains of what was a simplerural agricultural system, and St Kilda isexceptional in boasting this level of survival incombination with an astonishing wealth ofliterature about the lives of the inhabitants, theirstories and their folklore.

The heart of the cultural landscape of St Kilda sitswithin the stunning natural amphitheatre of VillageBay, Hirta. This relict cultural landscape of 1830sblackhouses and their field systems, and 1860simproved whitehouses marks the last main phaseof settlement. Dwarfed within the envelopingcrescent of near-vertical hills, the string of housesalong the Street and the segmented field divisionsare a uniquely intact and readily legible example ofa mid- 19th-century planned crofting settlement.

Cleitean on Mullach Bi

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In 1697 the archipelago was visited byMartin Martin, and his detailed account of

the lifeways of the inhabitants, thennumbering some 180-200, may well representthe most complete “anthropological” accountof any 17th-century European ruralcommunity.

Andrew Fleming, 2000, ‘St Kilda: Family,Community, and the Wider World’, J. Anthropol. Archaeol. 19, 351-2

The village is an outstanding example of a type ofbuilding ensemble or landscape that illustrates asignificant stage in the human history of Scotland:the establishment of crofting townships and landallotment, and the restructuring of communities byremote higher authorities. This led in many casesdirectly and indirectly to the mass emigration ofScots and the creation of the Highland Diasporathat remains so strong throughout the world.

Similarly, the village remains are the heart of analmost complete system of a traditional humansettlement and land-use that is representative of19th-century rural Highland Scottish culture. In1930 this way of life became the victim ofirreversible change.

For many who visit, it is a life-changing experience– the start of a lifelong fascination for the placeand its people. The physical remains become evenmore moving to those who know something of theevocative and often poignant stories that soenhance the spirit of the place, and which haveimportant lessons for everyone about thesustainable use of our resources. The constantinternational interest in St Kilda shows that itstrikes a chord in the lives of people from all overthe world.

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b. Comparative analysisCultural HeritageThe most important cultural qualities of St Kildaare: the comprehensive and integral nature of its19th-century settlement remains, the last period ofan occupation extending back thousands of years;the spectacular landscape setting; the perceivedremoteness of the islands which helps create avivid story of human endeavour; and the wealth ofdocumentary evidence from the 16th century tothe time of abandonment.

19th-century LandscapeThe 19th-century cultural landscape was created inthe 1830s and 1860s at a time when thereorganisation of rural settlements was prevalentin Scotland, and especially in the WesternHighlands and the Hebridean islands. This was akey time in the Highland Clearances, notorious inScottish history for the forced removal of familiesfrom their homelands and the destruction of theirhouses – events that helped create the HighlandDiaspora around the world. But the story on StKilda was not part of this often violent tradition.The village was re-ordered in the early 1830s in apaternalistic attempt to modernise the housing andagricultural practices of the St Kildans, and wascarried out with the islanders’ approval andsupport. The subsequent rationalisation in the early1860s, stimulated after damage during a severestorm, led to the provision of some of the mostmodern housing to be found in rural Highland

St Kilda (on the far horizon) from Rodel in the Sound of Harris

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Scotland at the time. Beyond the village are theremains of the wider parts of the subsistencesystem, with an abundance of cleitean on virtuallyevery island of the archipelago, coupled with manystructures and dykes associated with the seasonalgrazing tradition.

The Highland township of Auchindrain is themost intact and best-surviving 18th to 19th-century nucleated village in Scotland, and hasbeen an open-air museum since 1975. Thevillage is unusual in that it was bypassed bythe Highland Clearances, and subsequentlyremained almost unchanged in outwardappearance thereafter. Although sometimesheavily reconstructed, the conservation of thevillage has been carried out very sensitivelyand with special regard to authenticity, andenables visitors to appreciate how thesettlement worked and how people lived. Auchindrain has its roots in medieval times,and benefits from a good resource ofdocumentary and oral accounts of daily life.The township is situated in the valley of asmall Highland glen that remains animportant communication route. It thereforelacks the remote feel of St Kilda, and thepattern of buildings is dispersed, in contrastwith the cohesion of the village on Hirta, butboth places share a remarkable degree ofintactness. Auchindrain’s associatedhinterland of fields and other resources, isnowhere near so well preserved as that spreadover St Kilda.

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There are many surviving Scottish examples of thelinear crofting settlement patterns laid out ataround this time, although most have developed ordegraded, almost beyond recognition, since beingestablished. It is also not uncommon to findruinous townships of this time which, like St Kilda,proved not to be viable. But the St Kilda village iswithout doubt the most complete and least alteredsite of its type in Scotland, and in this respect is anexcellent example of settlement associated withwhat is now a rapidly declining crofting way of life– a rural tradition of great significance.

The village of Morefield in Ross-shire is agood example of a linear rural settlementcreated at the time of the Improvements ofrural Highland Scotland.

Internationally, there are countless examples ofsettlements that failed in the 19th or early 20th-century, but few, if any, survive as well as that onSt Kilda, particularly in association with their entirelandscape of resource exploitation. Those that dosurvive may now be entirely ruinous andneglected, or are more likely to have been heavilyaltered since their original abandonment.

Landscape SettingThe amazing landscape setting, the subject ofhundreds of published photographs, is one of theprincipal assets of the cultural landscape of VillageBay. The sheer scale of the hills within which thesettlement seems to fit perfectly is awe-inspiring.The lack of the bustle of modern life whenstanding in the village street, and the sense ofbeing enveloped by the hills, is something that isusually only found in the remotest corners ofmountain ranges. On St Kilda you are standing inthe middle of an almost intact settlement fromnearly two centuries ago, busy with structures fromearlier human activity. No relict historic landscapeof this period can rival St Kilda in this respect.

An awesome landscape

Such is the beautiful description ofDover Cliff, by Shakespeare; but what

would he have said, could he have lookeddown from this precipice in St Kilda, which isnearly three times higher, and so tremendous,that one who was accustomed to regard suchsights with indifference, dared notventure to the edge of it alone?

Edward Stanley, 1838, A familiar history ofbirds; their nature, habits and instincts(John W. Parker, London)

‘Their greatest treasure on earth…’

The village of Mastad on the Lofoten Islands ofNorway shares remarkable parallels with St Kilda.For the inhabitants of this remote community theseabirds that nested on the cliffs surrounding theirvillage were their greatest treasure. They harvestedthe eggs and adult birds and salted the meat tolast them through the winter. Puffin was thefavourite meat, which they hunted with theirunique six toed puffin dog, but razorbills andguillemots were also caught in nets. As on St Kildathe feathers provided a source of income fromwhich they could buy imported goods.

Like St Kilda, arable land was at a premium, andthe landscape forced a radial pattern of field systemswith strong similarities to the village on Hirta. Thelack of a proper harbour, and better opportunitieselsewhere, resulted in the population decliningfrom about 150 people until it was finallyabandoned by its last inhabitant in 1974.

Corran village linear crofting settlement

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At the Edge of the World

Part of the iconic status of St Kilda relates to itsprofound feeling of remoteness. In Europeanterms it is certainly unusually far from the nearestlandfall with a significant population, to the extentthat the medieval writer John of Fordun (c.1380)thought it was ‘… on the margine of the world …’.King James IV (1473-1513) thought St Kilda tooremote to include within his kingdom. However, inworld terms there are many more remote places,including Easter Island (Rapa Nui) – which is notonly arguably the most remote inhabited place inthe world, but had its own story of unsustainability.The remoteness of St Kilda is therefore relative,but no less real in terms of difficulty of access,even today. Before the 1860s, St Kilda wascertainly remote in terms of keeping abreast offashions and of changes in agricultural practicesand ways of life. To outsiders it was much moreegalitarian than elsewhere, where decisions weremade at community level rather than individually,or by being imposed by a landlord. The truth ismuch more complicated than that, especiallytowards the end of the islanders’ story. The StKildans were happy to perpetuate the impressionof simple people living simple lives far from therest of civilisation. They knew that this fascinatedthe tourists who, from as early as the 1840s,brought welcome new income to the islanders.Even today, in common with most places that takea good deal of effort to get to, St Kilda feelsremote and wild to most visitors, and remotenessis an essential ingredient in the island’s story.

Easter Island’s diminishing resources

The story we currently understand about EasterIsland has some parallels with St Kilda. EasterIslanders had a similarly meagre existence to theSt Kildans. They too relied for food on a veryrestricted diet – mainly on sweet potatoes andchicken. However, the much more extremeremoteness of Easter Island led to such adivergence of cultural traditions from the rest ofhumanity, that the sustainability of naturalresources became secondary to the pursuit ofincreasingly unsustainable religious practices –ultimately leading to the demise of thecommunity.

Tristan da Cunha

There are several similarities between St Kildaand this remote island group far out in thesouthern Atlantic. Populations on both reliedheavily on the seabird harvest, and usedadjacent islands for some of their grazinganimals. Both island groups suffered from a lackof communications, and have similar histories ofemigration and boating disasters. Both lack safeanchorage and their economies suffered in the20th century through a reduced demand forproduce. But Tristan da Cunha lacks the culturaltime-depth of St Kilda, and the preservation ofthe cultural landscape of St Kilda is in no waymirrored on its south Atlantic counterpart.

History of Sustainability

For many, St Kilda is the epitome of an idylliccommunity, living in harmony with nature forhundreds, if not thousands, of years, but ultimatelyseduced by the comforts of modern life. It is astory of long-term sustainability, relying onremarkably few natural resources, and leading tothe unusual reliance on birds for food and comfort(oil for lamps, feathers for bedding, and evenpuffins for snacks). The islands are littered withevidence of this way of life, including severalprehistoric and early historic remains ofexceptional preservation in a Western Europeancontext. This perception of simple sustainabilitywas a picture of St Kilda that was painted byvisitors from early times, but is so vividly capturedin the photographs of the island way of life, caughtfor posterity from the early days of photography tothe evacuation in 1930. Few other rural agriculturalcommunities of this period can have had morewritten about them, and we are particularlyfortunate that many traditions and superstitions ofthe St Kildans have been handed down to us inwriting, poetry and song.

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Soay sheep

Soay sheep are arguably the oldest and bestpreserved cultural artefact in Scotland. Theyare believed to be more or less unchangedsince the earliest sheep were domesticated byNeolithic farmers – perhaps some 7,000 yearsago. The wild ancestors of sheep (an entirelynatural creation) were taken into captivity andsubjected to selective breeding by the earlyfarmers to form domestic breeds of sheep. Inthe same way as any other object fashioned bythe human hand – a rock carving, a building,an item of clothing, a cultural landscape –they can be regarded as a cultural artefact.Any other artefact found in pristine condition,apparently exactly as used by Neolithicfarmers, would be accorded the highestsignificance and subject to rigorousconservation measures. Soay sheep deservethis degree of recognition.

1. Vaeroy Bay- Mastad 2. Dividing the northern fulmar catch

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The story of successful use followed by declineand abandonment is not unusual in islandcommunities on the western seaboard of Europe.Mingulay is another example of a Hebrideaneconomy with a heavy reliance on birds, whichultimately failed in 1911, while the very remoteisland of North Rona was abandoned as early as1844. Islands along Ireland’s west coast have hadsimilar fates, and are also considered to beremote. The monastic community on the WorldHeritage Site of Skellig Michael went out of use inmedieval times. Although perhaps not comparableto St Kilda in terms of economy or socialorganisation, it is, however, similarly rare in being atruly fossil landscape.

Mingulay – ‘The near St Kilda’The island of Mingulay, towards the southern tipof the Western Isles, is sometimes referred to as'the near St Kilda', and in several ways thiscomparison is justified. Like St Kilda, Mingulaywas evacuated in the first part of the 20th century(1911) when the few remaining islanders wereresettled. The island remains deserted apart fromoccasional visitors – including members of theBritish Royal family, for whom this is a favouritestopping-off point during their holidays. Thecomparison with St Kilda is in part due to therelative remoteness of Mingulay – not in terms ofdistances from other places, but because of theunreliability of the landing place; even today, likeSt Kilda, no matter what transport is being used,travellers will only be sure of getting there whentheir feet touch dry land.

The village on Mingulay survives extremely well,in part because many of the huddle ofblackhouse shells have been inundated with sand– often to wall-head height. While being buried insand is generally excellent in terms of the long-term conservation of the remains, it does make itmore difficult for visitors to imagine themselvesstanding in the middle of the village when it wasin use – one of the most moving experiences ofSt Kilda.

Recent archaeological survey has revealed anumber of significant remains of prehistoric andlater date. Also owned by The National Trust forScotland, Mingulay and the adjacent islands arecurrently the subject of more detailedarchaeological investigation.

Like St Kilda, fowling was a significant activity inthe lives and economy of the Mingulay islanders,and the cliffs continue to be home to largepopulations of seabirds. However, fishing formeda larger part of the Mingulay economy, as,although still dangerous, the waters aroundMingulay are less treacherous than those furtherinto the Atlantic Ocean.

Mingulay Village is nucleated, and was neverrestructured like Village Bay on Hirta. Nor doesthe island benefit from anything approaching thewealth of documentary information that has beenwritten about St Kilda. Nevertheless, Mingulay isa place where it is possible to step into the past,and to enjoy the idyllic peace and tranquillity ofthe Hebrides.

Similar in area to Hirta, Mingulay’s (640ha) cliffs areonly about half the height of St Kilda’s. They holdlarge colonies of seabirds – more than 8,000 pairsof northern fulmar, 3,000 black-legged kittiwakes,thousands of guillemots and razorbills, about 400shags and two-dozen great skuas. Mingulay has13 species of breeding seabirds (compared with17 species on St Kilda), lacking small petrels,shearwaters, Arctic skua and northern gannet (butit does have nesting Arctic terns), but supports 18species of landbird compared with only nine on

Fowling for common guillemots at foot of Conachair (1831)

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St Kilda. It also has its own distinctive form offieldmouse. Grey seals have recently come togather to moult on Mingulay’s deserted beaches,and a few have pupped around its shores sinceits inhabitants abandoned the island.

North Rona – ‘the Distant Isle’Although much smaller in scale (only 120ha inextent and 107m at the highest point), with muchless spectacular topography, the island of NorthRona bears some similarities to St Kilda. It isowned by Barvas Estate but managed since 1956by Scottish Natural Heritage as a National NatureReserve. Extremely remote, and with a heavyreliance on fowling, the small community onNorth Rona lived in a cluster of houses ofmedieval origin, adjacent to a chapel dating fromthe 7th or 8th century . The village was notaffected by the early 19th-century fashion forrestructuring, largely because the island has beendeserted since 1844. This makes the remains ofparticular interest in terms of Scottish medieval orlater rural settlement studies.

North Rona has 14 species of seabirds, against StKilda’s 17, lacking northern gannet and Manxshearwater and Arctic skua but having about adozen pairs of Arctic terns. There are some 3,500pairs of northern fulmars and the same numberof black-legged kittiwakes, several thousandcommon guillemots and Atlantic puffins, fewerrazorbills, gulls and storm-petrels (both Europeanand Leach’s), and about 150 pairs of Europeanshags. No more than 20 pairs of great skuabreed, hemmed in by a colony of almost 1,000

pairs of great black-backed gulls. With morespace the great skuas of St Kilda have increasedin the same time period to about 170 pairs.Despite its tiny size, North Rona has the samenumber of breeding landbirds as St Kilda. It hasno small mammals but, with a third of its areabeing a low-lying peninsula, some 1,100 grey sealpups are born every autumn – very many morethan on the cliff-bound coast of St Kilda.

Due to its small size North Rona has been wellsurveyed for plants and it is not surprisingperhaps that it is scant in species compared withSt Kilda. Amongst lower plants for instance, 87species of lichens have been recorded (comparedwith 194 for St Kilda); only eight liverworts and 14mosses (compared with 56 and 104 respectivelyfor St Kilda).

1. Township of Mingulay 2. Monastic cell, North Rona

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Irish Seaboard Islands Skellig MichaelThe best surviving example of an isolated earlymedieval monastic island settlement on the Celticfringe of Europe, Skellig Michael gives us cluesabout what parts of St Kilda might have lookedlike in these early times – from around the 6th to8th centuries AD. A spartan and very remoteexistence, the monks lived on birds, eggs andfish, along with produce from a shelteredmonastic garden.

The monks lived in cellular beehive structuresmade from local materials. Although much later indate, Calum Mor's house in Village Bay, Hirta,could represent an evolutionary development ofthis type of structure.There is, however, onlycircumstantial evidence for the presence of anEarly Christian monastic community on St Kilda.

Skellig Michael was inscribed on the WorldHeritage List in 1996.

InnishmurrayAlso with very well preserved monastic remains,but of more typical form, Innishmurray has a longhistory of occupation which ended in 1948 withthe evacuation of the last 46 inhabitants. Onlyfour miles offshore, the island was neverthelesscut off for weeks at a time during winter, and forseveral days each summer.

Like St Kilda, natural resources were relativelypoor and restricted, but on Innishmurray the foodsupply was based on fish rather than birds. In the19th century and up to the evacuation, however,the economy was mainly based on the sale ofillicit whiskey.

Great BlasketWith a population of up to 200 in the past, GreatBlasket was abandoned on 17 November 1953after a steady decline. In the early 20th century,scholars visited and encouraged the islanders todocument their folklore and traditions, and astrong Irish Gaelic culture was recorded forposterity – in music, poetry and prose.

Up to the early 19th century rod fishing waspractised, but a new type of boat opened out thepossibilities of fishing on open waters. Other thanin times of food shortages, birds and their eggs

were taken more as a delicacy than as part of thestaple diet.

Although the arrangement of the villages differs,the house type has similarities with those of StKilda's Village Bay. Originally thatched with reeds,felt was later used for roofing.

InnishmaanOne of the Aran Islands, the geology ofInnishmaan was suitable for creating dykesaround the small fields to protect the meagresoils from erosion. The resultant landscape hascreated an impressive pattern of conjoining fields,part of a continuing cultural landscape.

Tory Island

The distinctive arc of Village Bay on St Kilda is aresponse to the form of the available landscapeand the resources within it. A similar layoutsurvives, on Tory Island on the west coast ofIreland, where the arc of the village fits within asmall area of land suitable for agriculture, and afan of strip fields emanates from the house plots.

While many of the places cited above havefascinating stories to tell, St Kilda retains by farthe most evocative physical legacy of a tiny,remote island community, dwarfed by nature yetable to live in harmony with its environment untilthe values and influences of the wider worldmade the islanders’ way of life untenable. Today,visitors can still stand in the village street andeasily imagine the community in its heyday, and itis this experience that touches the heart ofeveryone who has made the pilgrimage to theisland ‘at the edge of the world’.

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Tory Island

19Skellig Michael

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Factor’s House – Interior plan retained, now usedto accommodate the St Kilda Warden and naturalheritage researchers;

Church and Schoolroom – Re-roofed, repaired,and restored internally. Services held occasionallyin the church; schoolroom interior restored andschoolroom furniture used for exhibition purposes;

Store – Ruin reconstructed to appearance beforedestruction in 1918 by German U-boat. Used tohouse researchers, and as a store;

Manse – The only historic building to have beensubstantially altered internally without regard to itshistorical layout. Provides accommodation for Basestaff, contractors and visitors.

Many other structures along the Street and in theVillage Bay area of Hirta have been carefullymaintained for over 40 years, and retain theirappearance from the time they came into the careof the NTS. Work Parties regularly undertake like-for-like repair of unroofed houses, cleitean (mainlywithin the Village Bay area) and drystane dykes(walls). Work Parties also undertake conservationpainting of the gun beside the Store – installed in1918 following a U-boat attack.

Ministry of Defence ConstructionsEven as early as 1957, the NTS was careful torestrict modern developments to areas least likelyto affect underlying archaeological deposits or tocompromise historic structures. The present Base,built in 1969, lies in glebe land (associated with thechurch) which is shown on 19th-century maps asbeing under cultivation, and no significantstructures are thought to have been removed inorder to accommodate the new buildings. Trialexcavations in 1987-88 showed that some areashad been badly disturbed during the construction,but also showed little evidence that earlierdeposits had been present in this arable area.

Apart from the main Base, several infrastructurefeatures have had an impact on the landscape, butall are removable – albeit at considerable effort insome cases:

Road – Single-track concrete road leading from theBase in Village Bay to the radar facilities on top ofMullach Sgar and Mullach Mor, likely to remain asa scar for several decades if removed;

2c. Authenticity/integrityCultural

The authenticity and integrity of the remains on theislands has been assured through the ownershipand stewardship of The National Trust for Scotland(NTS). Since 1958, NTS Work Parties have visitedthe islands to undertake the conservation of theprincipal buildings and ruins. Even from early days,this work was carried out according to the bestconservation practices of the time. Great regardwas paid to the authenticity of the appearance ofthe buildings and materials used in their construction– albeit with a small degree of compromise toallow for the availability of materials and moremodern health and safety requirements.

In 1957, just 27 years after the evacuation ofthe population, the significance of the remainsof the village was recognised. The Royal AirForce was at this time establishing their Baseon Hirta, and were planning to use the stonefrom the houses of the Street as roadbottoming. However, representatives of theNature Conservancy and the NTS foughtvigorously against this, and thereby securedthe future of the remains.

In order to make it possible for Work Parties andresearchers to be able to use the islands, a numberof buildings have been re-roofed and re-constructed– very largely in accordance with their originalappearance. They have been fitted out internallyfor modern needs but in a way that is reversible.The first six houses of the Street are used for thebenefit of short- and long-term visitors:

No. 1 – Kitchen, communal area, and Leader’saccommodation for Work Parties;

No. 2 – Female Work Party members’ dormitory;

No. 3 – Museum, including some original StKildan artefacts;

No. 4 – Male Work Party members’ dormitory;

No. 5 – Workshop;

No. 6 – Reconstructed house, with the internalroom layout as it would have been in theearly 20th century.

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Helicopter/landing craft landing place – Largeconcreted area near the beach;

Fuel tanks – Near the beach, part-concealed;

Water tank – The main freshwater reservoir for theisland, painted green to blend in; due to beremoved and relocated underground;

Radar masts and associated equipmentbuildings – Largely removable, but on barrenhilltops where vegetation would be very slow torecolonise bare areas;

Gabion baskets – Coastal defences whichthemselves promote erosion at the edges and maylead to major collapse if removed; subject tocurrent coastal erosion management study;

Ablutions block – Beside Factor’s House, used forshower, washing and toilet facilities for WorkParties and campers. One of the last remainingstructures from the early phase of the Base, it iseasily removable;

Quarry – Beside the road, half-way up the hill, ithas potential for land fill but would be very difficultto fully reinstate.

Measures are being put in place, where deemedappropriate, to allow for the removal of all or partof the installation at the end of the MoD lease.Prior to removal all such features will be carefullyrecorded at an appropriate level of detail. In themeantime, the MoD and NTS are working toremove redundant structures and minimise thevisual impact of those still required.

d. Criteria under whichinscription is proposed (andjustification for inscriptionunder those criteria)

Cultural Criteria

St Kilda also fits with three of the cultural criteriadefined by UNESCO (UNESCO World HeritageOperational Guidelines 1999, Para. 24):

24 (a) (iii) the islands bear an exceptional testimonyto a cultural tradition which has now disappeared,namely the reliance on bird products as the mainsource of sustenance and livelihood and of thecrofting way of life in Highland Scotland. St Kildaalso represents subsistence economieseverywhere – living in harmony with nature untilexternal pressures led to inevitable decline;

24 (a) (iv) the village is an outstanding example of atype of building ensemble or landscape, whichillustrates a significant stage in the human historyof Scotland; the establishment of croftingtownships and land allotment, and therestructuring of communities by remote higherauthorities which often led to the mass emigrationof Scots and establishment of Scottish enclavesaround the world;

24 (a) (v) similarly, the village and associatedremains are the most complete example of atraditional human settlement and land-use which isrepresentative of 19th-century rural HighlandScottish culture which, in 1930, became the victimof irreversible change.

Cultural Landscape

‘Cultural landscapes often reflect specifictechniques of sustainable land-use, consideringthe characteristics and limits of the naturalenvironment they are established in, and a specificspiritual relation to nature. Protection of culturallandscapes can contribute to modern techniquesof sustainable land-use and can maintain orenhance natural values in the landscape.’(UNESCO World Heritage Operational Guidelines1999, Para. 38).

There are two strands to the cultural landscape ofSt Kilda. The first falls under UNESCO CulturalLandscapes Category i: the planned settlementwhich now surrounds Village Bay is a clearly

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defined landscape designed and createdintentionally by man. Rather than consciouslybeing designed for aesthetic reasons, however, the village was created in the early 1830s as adeliberate attempt to ‘improve’ the social andeconomic use of the island’s agricultural resources,in line with similar initiatives elsewhere in theScottish Highlands.

However, the mid-19th-century pattern of the villageis the endpoint (and counterpoint) what was untilthen an organically evolved landscape (CulturalLandscapes Category ii). This landscape developedboth physically and spiritually, inextricably inresponse to its natural environment over 5,000 ormore years. The St Kilda archipelago is particularlywell described by sub-category ‘a’ of CulturalLandscape Category ii: a fossil landscape in whichan evolutionary process abruptly came to an end atsome time in the past: the actions of the 1830sfossilized the earlier settlement and boundarypatterns; whilst the evaucation of the 1930s andsubsequent history have resulted in the fossilizationof most of those of the mid-19th century. Many ofits significant evolutionary features are, however,still visible in material form, and the village andother features have been preserved since cominginto the ownership of the NTS.

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Fetching water

1. Soay lamb2. Cleitean3. Common starfish and Sagartia elegans4. Northern fulmar5. Sea pink6. Finlay and Christina MacQueen7. Cliffs



11 2 3

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3Description

‘

a. Description of Property

The description of St Kilda that does not containsuperlatives has not been written …

It is a place of high cliffs, moody weather and teemingbird life. All of those add to the qualities of St Kilda,but so much of what is special about the islandsis rooted in its human history. ’

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Soils

Professor Andy Meharg and a team fromAberdeen University have an on-goingprogramme studying samples of soil fromdifferent parts of Hirta, the main island of theSt Kilda archipelago. Samples were collectedfrom grazing lands, from fields, and frommidden pits where, in the past, waste wascollected for manuring. Analysis showed thatlevels of toxic chemicals from some of thefields and from the pits even now remain athigh levels – which may have affected thefertility of the land. The pollutants – includinglead, zinc, cadmium and arsenic – can beattributed mainly to the use of seabirdcarcasses in the manure that was spreadacross the village fields. Tens of thousands ofbirds were captured each year, so aconsiderable amount of waste was generated.Seabirds tend to have elevated levels of arange of potentially toxic metals in theirorgans. When traveller Martin Martin visitedin 1697 he commented on the island's fertility.A deterioration in the crops is recorded by themid-18th century. The suggestion is made inthis study that this pollution may have causedthe reduction in crop quality although therewas a general deterioration in climate (oftenreferred to as The Little Ice Age) throughoutBritain at this time, with many poor harvestsrecorded in the Hebrides during the 18thcentury. This recent work has also providedmore information on soil management. Soilwas deliberately moved from impoverishedareas to the main cultivation places, whereinstead of a few centimetres the soil has beenbuilt up over 1m in parts of the village fields.Landscape-scale movement of soil was notuncommon in the Scottish Highlands andIslands.

LandscapeAll the islands of the St Kilda group rise abruptlyfrom the ocean floor at a depth of about 70m. Thetwo major rock formations, the granite and thegabbro have eroded to give quite differenttopography. The granite hills, Conachair andOiseval, are smooth paps; the gabbro hills, Dun,Mullach Bi, the Cambir, Soay, Boreray and themajor stacks, are castellated, bastion-like masses.On Hirta, the flowing contours of Mullach Sgar,Mullach Mor, Conachair and Oiseval, together withthe horseshoe of Village Bay, combine to form asteep amphitheatre open to the sea on thesouth-east. Gleann Mor possesses the samesmooth outline and wide, U-shaped form, butopens to the north. The highest point on Hirta isthe beautiful cone of Conachair. Mullach Sgar isconnected to the hogback ridge of Mullach Gealand Mullach Mor by Am Blad, a broad col over320m high between these north and south bays.The views in either direction, but particularly overVillage Bay, are stunning and emphasise thevertical scale of the islands. Mullach Bi on therugged west coast is the second highest summit;it is joined by a narrow neck to the Cambir, themost northerly point of Hirta. The Amhuinn Mhorand the Amhuinn a'Ghlinne Mhoir are the onlystreams of any size. Freshwater springs occur atseveral localities on Hirta, with other springs onSoay and Boreray, but not on Dun. A cruise belowtheir towering walls amongst the screamingseabirds, is an unforgettable, humbling and awe-inspiring experience even without ever landing onthese satellite islands.

The official description of the St Kilda NationalScenic Area is disappointingly brief, highlightingthat one must visit the place to fully appreciate itssheer scale and stark beauty. ‘The description of StKilda that does not contain superlatives has notbeen written … the islands are of volcanic originand have been weathered by the ocean intoprofiles that never fail to impress all who set eyesupon them. The three larger islands … exhibitprecipices that plunge into the sea. Stark, black,precipitous cliffs contrast with steep grassy greenslopes and every element seems vertical. Cavesand stacks are a feature of every coast except thesmooth amphitheatre of Village Bay on Hirta, andthe cliffs are thronged with sea-birds, gannet andfulmar being more prolific here than anywhere elsein Britain.’ Sir Julian Huxley called Stac Lee ‘... the most majestic sea rock in existence’ and

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Geikie has described Conachair as follows:‘Nowhere among the Inner Hebrides, not even onthe south-western side of Rum, is there any suchdisplay of the capacity of the youngest granite toassume the most rugged and picturesque forms. Itis hardly possible to exaggerate the variety ofoutline assumed by the rock. To one who boatsunderneath these cliffs the scene of ceaselessdestruction which they present is vividly impressive.Boreray and Soay are no less impressive with theircliff-girt green turf pasture, and Dun has a highlycrenellated profile.’ This curt paragraph hardly doesjustice to St Kilda but the photographs and imagesincluded in this World Heritage submission willspeak more eloquently to those who have yet toexperience the islands in person.

Cultural Heritage The importance of the cultural heritage of St Kildacentres on the extraordinary post-medieval remainscoupled with exceptional supportive documentaryevidence. For the most part the archaeologicalrecord relies on the remains still visible on theground. A few relatively small-scale excavationshave also taken place, shedding light on the natureof the sometimes-rich buried deposits.

Documentary EvidenceThe way of life on St Kilda has been remarkablywell documented in the writings of early visitors toSt Kilda, such as Monro in 1549 and Martin Martinin 1697. Other key works include Macaulay’sHistory of St Kilda (1764) and the writings of theRev. Neil Mackenzie from 1829-1843. Illustrativematerial by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland (1812) andSharbau’s plans of 1860 are immensely useful inclarifying the texts, and Captain Thomas’s sketchof Blackhouse K in the 1860s is also revealing. Tothese records must be added the remarkablephotographic archive for St Kilda, whichdocuments the life and times of the inhabitantsfrom about 1860 to the evacuation and beyond.These documents and illustrations have allowedthe flesh to be put on the bones of thearchaeological evidence, and have been drawnupon extensively to support the interpretations inthe following descriptions. These accounts do,however, have to be read with caution: they werealmost all written by outsiders, most of whom hadtheir own hidden agendas which are reflected intheir writings.

Village Bay

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An island paradise?

Virtually all the historical accounts have beenwritten by visitors to St Kilda, and recentresearch has begun to question the accuracyof the information that they have passeddown to us. The published reports of MartinMartin, the first major chronicler of theislands, are very positive about the islanders,but associated papers and correspondencehint that he was generally reporting what hissponsors wanted to hear. Their honesty andcheery disposition might not have been thewhole story.

Similarly, convincing arguments are emergingto suggest that 19th-century visitors had avery clear impression of what they wanted tosee and experience during their St Kildanvisit. These expectations arose out of theSublime movement, with roots in the ScottishEnlightenment of the 18th century. Theiraccounts therefore focus on the remoteness,the noble savagery, the spectacle of thelandscape, etc. Even today, the available travelliterature perpetuates the qualities of theSublime, influencing modern visitors’perceptions of the past and present of theislands.

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2. Sea anemones and sponges 3. Ross coral1. Kelp

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Iron AgeThe Iron Age in the Hebrides could be argued toextend into the 18th century, but here will beconsidered to stop in the wake of Viking influence.Some of the structures at Gleann Mor, includingthe Amazon’s House (seen by Martin Martin in1697), could represent the earliest survivingdomestic buildings on St Kilda. If they are of IronAge date, then they are of very considerablesignificance because of the extent of their survival.The horn-shaped protuberances on some of theGleann Mor structures have been termed‘gathering folds’ and may date from more recentshieling activities.

The presence of a souterrain – an undergroundstructure – is also suggestive of Iron Age activity.The structure known as Tigh an t-Sithiche (Houseof the Fairies) at Village Bay has been excavated noless than four times, with some success in termsof producing dating evidence. Over 30cm of peatash and soot covered a paved floor with a drainbeneath, and finds included: coarse pottery, someof Iron Age type; hammer stones; stone loomweights or net sinkers; stone ard tips; querns;stone lamps; shells; animal bones; and a Vikingiron spearhead. Pottery excavated in the late 1980shas been dated (by thermoluminescence) to AD190±360, confirming activity on the islands at thistime.

From 1998 onwards, excavations on the screesbelow Mullach Sgar have located the remains ofstructures containing Iron Age pottery; one suchstructure, previously entirely hidden in the scree,survives to almost 1.5m high in places.

Stone tools are found in abundance on Hirta. Theywould have been used in agriculture as diggingpoints, and are often very skilfully worked. Thedistribution of their findspots is focused aroundthe areas that once were fields. The tools wereoften discarded in Village Bay and subsequentlyreused as pinning stones in cleitean and otherstructures. Such tools were found whenexcavating the souterrain, and are similar to thosefrom the Northern Isles where they are dated tothe Late Neolithic/Bronze Age period. Excavationsin 2000 in a structure dated to the Iron Agerevealed probable debitage from working suchtools, which would give the earliest evidence todate for their manufacture on St Kilda. Work in thelate 1990s showed that several areas above thescrees of Mullach Sgar were used for quarrying

‘’

Rather than relying on these tales asethnographic accounts, we must recognisethat they say a good deal more about themoral, economic and aesthetic judgements ofthe nineteenth-century bourgeoisie than aboutthe everyday life of theSt Kildans.

Fraser MacDonald, 2001, ‘St Kilda and thesublime’, Ecumene 8 (2), 151-174

Recent research has asked the simple questionwhy, in such an apparently egalitarian utopia, therewas a widespread need for the famous woodentumbler locks, of which several examples stillsurvive. What were the islanders trying to keepunder lock and key? And was it outsiders theyfeared, or the attentions of their fellow islanders?

Careful scrutiny of the archaeological,ethnographic and historical records is revealingmore and more evidence that contradicts thereceived wisdom about life on St Kilda. Butalthough life may turn out not to have been all thatdifferent from that on similar Hebridean islands,even this knowledge is unlikely to unduly diminishthe powerful experience of the place that mostvisitors still take away with them.

Early PrehistoricIn 1764 Macaulay reported the existence of astone circle at Tigh Stalar, Boreray, describing atypical Late Neolithic example, but in 1876 Sandscould find no trace of this structure. If it did indeedexist this would represent the earliest knownhuman occupation on St Kilda; recently discoveredNeolithic pottery certainly confirms activity at thistime. The Rev. MacKenzie wrote of grassymounds, the ‘abode of fairies’, which overlay stonecists sometimes containing bones and mostlycontaining coarse pots. These burial mounds,which were cleared away in the 19th century,might be of Bronze Age date; one survivor may bethe underground cell in the lower meadow ofVillage Bay. ‘Cairns’ on Mullach Sgar are nowregarded as more likely being later features. Evenafter three excavations there is still insufficientevidence to know whether the ‘boat-shaped’settings at An Lag above Village Bay mightrepresent burial or ritual structures of prehistoricdate.

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and a surprising amount of quarrying had takenplace on the high ground between Mullach Sgarand the slopes of Conachair. Indeed, some of theapparently ‘glacial moraine’ deposits in this areamay turn out to have been substantially altered byhuman action – spoil heaps from centuries ofstone quarrying.

Iron Age/Viking/Early MedievalSeveral finds of Viking date and Norse influencehave been found on Hirta. These include twoViking brooches of the 9th or 10th century, theViking spearhead found in a souterrain, and a

Viking sword. Recently excavated finds of steatitewere probably brought from Norse Shetland, whilepottery has been dated to AD1135±170. EarlyChristian grooved crosses built into House 16 andCleit 74 are thought to show some Norse influence,but the presence of various Scandinavian-typeplace-names is an even better measure of thisstrong influence on the islands, which probablyextended to the end of the 13th century.

The ‘boat shaped’ appearance of the twenty or sosettings at An Lag might have been expected to beof Norse origin, but the form of these stonesettings is often not convincingly boat-shapedoverall, and their dating remains unknown.

MedievalThe medieval (taken here to mean pre-1830s) coreof settlement seems to have centred on a nowbarren area at and just above the present headdyke, and is featured on a sketch of 1812 by SirThomas Dyke Acland.A recently-discovered sketchof the Village in 1831 shows that blackhousesactually stretched down towards the shore, andplatforms thought to be associated with thesestructures have now been noted beneath andaround the Consumption Dykes.

Martin Martin records that the well named TobarChilda was in Village Bay, and Macaulay describesthe layout of the settlement in his time. The‘tolerable causeway’ between the houses is nolonger visible within the grassy terraces, but thepatchwork of small, irregular enclosures in thisarea may have been contemporary with themedieval settlement.

All but one of the pre-improvement houses aresaid to have been removed when the village wasreplanned in the 1830s, but a few other traces mayalso survive within cleitean. Calum Mor’s House –

1. Wooden tumbler lock

3. Early Christian carved crosses2. Village and bay from the south

(Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 1812) 4. Calum Mor’s House

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a ‘beehive’ type structure but with external turfinsulation giving a mound-like appearance – maywell be the sole intact survivor. Further reasons forthe poor survival of medieval structures could bethe re-use of stones for dyke and cleit building, butalso, as MacKenzie (in the mid-19th century)records, when new houses were built, old oneswere usually removed. Outlying areas of cultivationand enclosure of this period can be found atRuaival and An Lag, while some structures atGleann Mor may have been re-used and new onesbuilt as shielings.

Three chapels are said by Martin Martin to haveexisted on Hirta in 1697: Christ’s Church, probablywhere the current burial ground stands; St Brianan’sat Ruaival; and St Columba’s at the western fringeof the village area. A further chapel or ‘teampull’ issaid once to have stood on Boreray but by 1862was represented only by a single inscribed stone.The oval graveyard, which was used until the 20thcentury, is likely to be of medieval origin,associated with Christ’s Church, but the scatter ofsmall headstones leaves few clues as to who wasburied there and when. Martin Martin describesseasonal shelters or bothies used during theseafowl harvesting on Stac Lee. However, themost common type of small structure is the cleit,of which about 1,260 examples have beenrecorded on Hirta, and more than 170 others onthe outlying islands and stacks: even in Martin’stime he guessed that there were around 500 ofthese unusual structures. Cleitean are smalldrystone structures of round-ended rectilinearform, with drystone walls and a roof of slabscovered with earth and turf. Within this basic planare numerous variations of door position, andsome examples (which may have been convertedfrom earlier dwellings) even include integraladjoining cells. Although perhaps influenced by theNorse tradition of storehouse building, the cleiteanmay equally have been derived from the basicdesign of earlier St Kildan buildings such as theAmazon’s House and Calum Mor’s House.

Cleitean were usually used as stores, and theirgenerally loose wall construction was designed toallow a through-flow of air. They were used to storeand dry birds, eggs and feathers, harvested crops,and peat and turf that were both used as fuel.

Blackhouses and Early 19th-centuryBuildings

Monastic cells?

Although undated, and constructeddifferently from other known Early Christianstructures, the two cellular structuresinvestigated near the site of St Brianan’schapel could conceivably represent theremains of a monastic foundation – perhapsthe ‘monkish cells’ referred to in a historicaldocument. The presence of three chapels onso small an island as Hirta in the late 17thcentury begs explanation, and the islands arecertainly remote enough to satisfy therequirements of Early Christian hermits. Thededication of one chapel to St Columba mightsupport this hypothesis.

Hidey Holes

Always hidden, and often forgotten, traces ofat least 16 structures have been found in thescrees below Mullach Sgar. Stories tell of theiruse as hiding places in times of strife, whenpirates or other unfriendly visitors made anappearance. The islanders are said to havehidden in the screes in 1746, when soldierscame in search of Bonnie Prince Charlie who they thought might have taken refuge on St Kilda.

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The first main deviations from the relativelyprimitive St Kildan structures were the building ofthe Store (or ‘Featherstore’) before 1818, and theChurch and Manse to plans of 1826. The Store is atwo-storey gabled structure that was used to storecommodities gathered as payment in kind for rent.The Church is a relatively plain two-bay oblongstructure built to plans of 1826, a schoolroombeing added on the north-west side in 1898. TheManse was built at the same time as the Church.

In an effort to provide more up-to-dateaccommodation, the Rev. Neil MacKenzieinstigated a move from the old village core to alaid out string of blackhouses, mostly end-on towhat is now known as The Street. Thesestructures, 24 of which survive fairly intact, weremainly built in the 1830s, but one example(Blackhouse E) possibly dates from as late as the1870s. The blackhouses were of the usualHebridean plan, being rectangular, with thickdouble-skinned walls and with rounded externalcorners. The roofs were thatched with barleystraw, some later gabled, and the windows wereglazed. There was a single entrance, used by bothanimals and humans, and the lower end wasnormally used as a byre. A plan published byThomas in 1870 showed how the living quarterswere laid out. Some examples include a crub orwall-bed, a feature carried on from the medievalbuilding tradition. Several variations on the generalplan can be seen, including the recently excavatedkiln-barn (Blackhouse W), and the conjoinedBlackhouses M and N.

The fertile plain of Village Bay was divided intonumerous radial plots, most of which are stillevident through dykes, cultivation lynchets or linesof stones. The plots were now related to individualblackhouses whereas previously plots of land wereallocated to families on a rotational system basedon run-rig. The head dyke, into which pre-existingcleitean and other structures were integrated, wasprobably built in the 1830s, as was the high seawardwall. To the rear of the blackhouses are enclosureswhich may define small gardens, and MacKenzierefers to adjacent manure pits which are no longerobvious. Small circular gateless enclosures withinthe head dyke form ‘planticrues’, used to sheltergrowing crops of kail or cabbages. The An Lagenclosures, the date of which is unknown, mightalso have been exclosures where vegetableswould have grown in this relatively shelteredlocation without being eaten by the livestock.

Later 19th-century HousesAfter a damaging hurricane in October 1860, theopportunity was taken to further improve the livingaccommodation in the village. Construction of therow of 16 new whitehouses strung along The Streetstarted in 1861.

The 16 houses erected were lime-mortared, gabledand chimneyed. Of a standard Scottish Highlandthree-roomed design, these buildings are quitedifferent from their predecessors; they faceseaward, not end-on to the Bay, and have a hardrectangular outline of mortared stone with cement-rendered walls, and chimneyed gables. Their roofswere covered with zinc plates nailed down tosarking boards as a security against the wind, butsome plates were too short to cover the wholeroof and all were apparently prone tocondensation. The zinc was subsequently replacedby tarred felt held down by spikes and stays. In1898 the houses were provided with new floorswhich were partly of concrete, and partly timber.Set into the slope, most of these houses have arevetted drainage ditch at the rear, a commonmainland technique.

The construction of these houses causedmodifications to the building pattern on the streetfrontage, but most new structures appear to havebeen fitted into the gaps between theblackhouses. While most of the blackhouses werereused as byres or stores, one or two, such asBlackhouse X, were still used as dwellings afterthe construction of the new houses. A good deal isknown, from documentary and photographicevidence, about the layout and functions within thehouses, and this has been supplemented by theexcavation of Houses 6 and 8 in the late 1980s.

The present Factor’s House was probably also builtin the 1860s. This building was used by the Factorduring his annual visits to collect the rent. It standstowards the lower end of the street, close to theChurch and Manse. Built on common ground, it isof a conventional mainland type with one-and-a-half storeys and a projecting front porch. Markedon Sharbau’s plan is a structure described as a‘mill erected in 1861’ although it is not knownwhether this was a grain mill which ever had aworking existence.

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Early 20th Century to the EvacuationThe addition of the schoolroom to the Churchoccurred between 1897 and 1900, and fragmentsof writing slates found in recent excavations maydate from around that time. The concrete slipwayand jetty were built in 1901, and the naval gun(brought from a First World War naval gunboat)and ammunition store were added in 1918 inresponse to a German U-boat attack which left theStore in ruins and other buildings severelydamaged. Excavated finds show that the islanders’tastes became more developed as tourism broughtin a little extra income and contact with theoutside world; for a while their life remainedcomfortable but basic.

Post-evacuationFollowing the evacuation in 1930, the buildings ofSt Kilda began to deteriorate fairly rapidly, andwithin 10 years most were roofless. In 1957 the AirMinistry re-occupied the Manse and Factor’sHouse, repaired the Church, and built a block ofNissen huts. At about this time the road to the topof Mullach Mor was built, using material quarriedfrom the side of the hill. The present MoDbuildings were occupied in 1969, and the radarfacilities on Mullach Mor and Mullach Sgar havegradually developed over the last 35 years.

The remains of several aircraft are to be found onSt Kilda. A Sunderland flying boat and her crew –six New Zealanders, an Australian and threeBritons – crashed in Gleann Mor in June 1944while on a night operational flight from Oban.All crew members died in the crash and thewreckage was later dismantled and buried by theRAF in the summer of 1944. A Beaufighter, basedat Port Ellen on Islay, crashed on Conachair on3 June 1943, also during a night flight. Most of thewrecked fuselage plunged over the cliffs and nobodies were ever found. A Wellington Bombercrashed on Soay at some point during the SecondWorld War, almost certainly LA995 flying out ofStornoway on 23 February 1943, carrying six of a crew.

All of these aircraft are treated as archaeologicalremains in the same way as the various wrecksaround the islands, ranging from a supposedgalleon site in Geo Chaimbir, to a trawler in GeoChruadalain. Most recently, the Golden Chancewas lost in Village Bay in 1981.

Scheduled Ancient MonumentsExtensive areas of Hirta have been scheduled asnationally important ancient monuments. Thelargest is a tract of the Village Bay medieval andlater settlement, but excluding the structuresassociated with the MoD Base. It stretches fromthe enclosures at An Lag to the activity area andthe supposed site of St Brianan’s Church atRuaival. The cluster of structures and dykes at GeoChrubaidh, and the cleitean and possible structureat Claigeann an Tigh Faire, between Mullach Bi andClaigeann Mor are also scheduled. In addition, alarge swathe of Gleann Mor has been scheduled,including the Amazon’s House and associated‘horned’ structures.

LandscapeFor most visitors, the fascination of St Kilda lies inthe combination of spectacular natural phenomenalinked to the almost tangible atmosphere of theremains of human settlement. The remains ofthese buildings, cleitean and walls erected by thenow absent St Kildans, are a very influential featureof the landscape, providing as they do a physicallink to the existence of the people. They providethe imagination with an idea of how the St Kildansmight have lived, reliant on the natural resourcesof the islands and challenged at every turn by theisolation and climate of the place.

Juxtaposed against these poignant remains are theArmy camp buildings in Village Bay, the masts andradomes of the radar sites on Mullach Mor andMullach Sgar, and the remains of the quarryopened to extract road building materials. Theseprovide a startling reminder of the presence andinfluence of modern humans on St Kilda and mayappear to some as intrusive and undesirable forthis reason as for their physical appearance.

The most common way of reaching St Kilda is byboat and the views of the archipelago from avessel moving between the stacs or around thecliffs, will reinforce the dramatic impacts of itsislands. The sheer scale of the islands arousesmany of the emotions which are associated withtheir landscape and which give St Kilda its special‘spirit of place’.

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b. History and DevelopmentIn her classic book An Isle called Hirte, Mary Harman(1997) summarises accounts of fowling by the StKildans. The gathering of eggs, young and adultbirds naturally depended on the life cycle of thebirds themselves. Adult birds were collected as soonas they returned to the island in spring – commonguillemots from February to April, adult shearwatersand northern gannets in March. Adults and eggs ofnorthern fulmars and Atlantic puffins, and the eggsof common guillemots, were then harvested, as thebirds were laying in May. Common guillemots couldbe harvested twice, with a gap of 18 days, andsometimes even a third time, as they would usuallylay a replacement egg. Adult Atlantic puffins werestill taken in May, June and July, after which thefledglings then became available, together with theyoung of northern gannets (gugas), shearwaters andnorthern fulmars. The northern gannet harvestnecessitated visiting Boreray and its stacks, Stac Leewas the most difficult to land on and the mensometimes over-nighted in stone bothies there. Themen often worked in small groups, descending thehighest cliffs in stages using long ropes of hemp orhorsehair. The women and children often helpeddeal with the catch at the cliff-top. The lower sectionsof cliff were scaled from a boat. Snares made ofhorsehair were employed to catch auks, one womancatching 127 Atlantic puffins in three hours andanother 280 in a day! Nooses attached to long polesextended the reach of the fowlers, while Atlanticpuffin eggs could be scooped out of burrows easierwith a spoon on the end of a stick. Dogs were also

useful in catching adult Atlantic puffins andshearwaters, a good one catching 60 or 70 in onenight. Harvests were divided up amongst thecommunity, the birds being plucked and dried forthe winter; feathers and oil contributed to the rent.Latterly, some St Kildans sold eggs and stuffed birdsas souvenirs to tourists, Leach’s petrels and St Kildawrens being the most valuable, necessitating a lawbeing passed by the Westminster Parliament in 1904to protect them.

Figures on just how many seabirds were harvestedare scant and probably unreliable. Martin Martin,for instance, gives an annual northern gannetharvest of 22,600 that is unlikely to have beensustainable over a long period. Similarly estimatesof numbers of Atlantic puffin eggs collected,calculated from the number of creels removed fromDun, would have necessitated robbing the burrowsof well over half the current population of Atlanticpuffins. The 19th-century figures are perhaps themost reliable, but represent the harvests of adeclining human population. During the 1830s, thenorthern gannet (including gugas) harvest neverexceeded 4,000, along with 12,000 to 20,000northern fulmars. In one exceptional day onBoreray in the 1880s, however, 1,000 northerngannets were harvested and the incredible figure of89,600 adult Atlantic puffins has been calculatedfor 1876. By the early 1900s the annual averageharvest was of 7,500 northern fulmars and about5,000-6,000 common guillemot eggs.

Finlay MacQueen demonstrates climbing

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History of St Kilda Prior to NTS Acquisition

In 1703 Martin Martin wrote how ‘descriptions ofcountries without the natural history of them, arenow justly reckoned to be defective’. He was thefirst of many visitors to describe in detail the islandand its inhabitants. It was only by the beginning ofthe 20th century that the first scientific studiesbegan. The first geological survey of St Kilda tookplace in 1927-28 (forming the basis for allsubsequent geological work) and, soon afterwards,the Oxford/Cambridge expedition provided an earlydescription of the vegetation; they were the last torecord the habits of the house mouse just prior toits demise. Soay sheep were then introduced toHirta in 1932 to become a significant factor in thesubsequent development of plant communitiesthere, as studied by later botanists.

Since the lives of the islanders were so dependentupon the seabirds most early visitors, since MartinMartin’s time, had something to offer on theavifauna. So it is not surprising that the seabirdshave been so well documented and thencensussed on a regular basis. A detailed checklistof the all birds was updated in the year 2000. Thepresence of a nature reserve warden for sixmonths every year since 1957 has helped collatethe natural history records, while the staff at theMoD Base and scientists involved in the long-termstudy of the sheep have provided many valuable,additional observations. Annual reports are lodgedwith Scottish Natural Heritage and The NationalTrust for Scotland, while many papers have beengenerated by the scientific studies, to add to theprodigious published accounts and books writtenby visiting naturalists over the last century or two.

A Landscape of Tradition and LegendThe landscape of St Kilda is littered withfeatures and places linked with folklore andlegend. These stories are all closely tied tothose of the rest of the Outer Hebrides andAtlantic seaboard, but some have been adaptedto suit the special circumstances ofSt Kilda. Without the plethora of documentsassociated with this landscape, these placenames and traditions would have been lost,and the meanings of the landscape to theinhabitants would, as in many other places,have been forgotten forever.

The Mistress StoneThe Mistress Stone was a place where youngmen would establish their climbing prowessbefore their wedding.

‘In the Face of the Rock, South of the Town, isthe famous Stone, known by the Name of theMistress-Stone; it resembles a Door exactly, andis in the very Front of this Rock, which istwenty or thirty Fathom perpendicular inheight, the Figure of it being discernible aboutthe Distance of a Mile: Upon the Lintel of thisDoor, every Bachelor-Wooer is, by an ancientCustom, obliged in Honour to give a Specimenof his Affection for the Love of his Mistress,and it is thus: He is to stand on his left Foot,having the one Half of it over the Rock, he thendraws the right Foot towards the left, and inthis Posture bowing, puts both his Fists furtherout to the right Foot; after he has performedthis, he has acquired no small Reputation,being ever after accounted worthy of the finestWoman in the World…’

Martin Martin, 1753, A voyage to St Kilda: Theremotest of all the Hebrides or Western Isles ofScotland (4th ed.; London) p. 61.

Calum Mor’s HouseProbably the last surviving dwelling from themedieval village, the house is said to have beenbuilt in a day by the strong-man Calum Mor inorder for him to prove his manliness.

The Amazon’s HouseThe ‘House of the Female Warrior’ who oncelived in Gleann Mor. The ‘Amazon’ is said tohave hunted with her hounds at a time whenthere was a land bridge between St Kilda andthe Western Isles. The structure may behundreds or even thousands of years old.

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St Kilda ParliamentThe Parliament was convened almost everymorning, when the menfolk would decidewhat, if anything, should be done that day.The Parliament was part of a communalsystem of sharing tasks and resources – one ofthe few aspects of life in which St Kildaappears to have differed significantly fromother parts of the Western Isles.

St Kilda has a very special genius loci – or ‘spirit ofplace’ – which casts a spell on all those who visitit. It is a place of natural superlatives – of highcliffs, moody weather and teeming bird life. All ofthese add to the qualities of St Kilda, but so muchof what is special about the islands is rooted in itshuman history. Its built heritage is a testament to asociety that existed in relative isolation forcenturies, and yet was unable to survive in the20th century. This human history of St Kilda hasbeen so important in giving the islands thequalities, both tangible and intangible, which they possess today.

The following account is necessarily brief: moredetailed accounts of the history of St Kilda can befound in the many publications about the islands(see Bibliography).

The origins of the name St Kilda are uncertain asthere has never been a saint called Kilda. Skildar isthe Old Icelandic word for ‘shield’ that woulddescribe the shape of the islands as they appear torest on the surface of the water. The formS. Kildar appeared in a book of charts in 1592 andprobably led to the later adoption of the nameSt Kilda. An alternative suggestion was related byMartin Martin, a visitor to the islands in 1697, whothought that the islands may have been namedafter a well (Tobar Childa) near the village on Hirta.Another and possibly the most likely explanationcomes from a knowledge of the way the St Kildansthemselves pronounced Hirta in their native tongue.

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2. St Kilda parliament 3. Amazon’s House

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1. The Mistress Stone

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St Kilda’s Language and CultureIt is perhaps not surprising that so many of the StKildan evacuees of 1930 spent their exile cravingreturn to their homeland and indeed somecontinued to return each summer throughout the1930s until the outbreak of war. The Earl ofDumfries regarded the islands as a nature reserveand Neil Gillies, a St Kildan, was employed as asummer warden. Those evacuees, retained the ‘StKildan lisp’, mentioned by Martin Martin as earlyas 1697. In effect, this was a mispronunciation ofconsonants. L (before a broad vowel) and V bothbecame W. Similarly R became L. The word(razorbill) for example – pronounced elsewhere inthe Hebrides as ‘laavy’, became ‘waawy’. Theislanders pronounced the word Hiort (Hirta) as‘hilt’. As Norman Heathcote mentioned in hisbook published in 1900, it is probably that thename ‘St Kilda’ is a corruption of the alreadycorrupted ‘hilt’.

Although almost all the placenames of thearchipelago have a Norse derivation, for at least400 years Gaelic was the language of Hirta. Thefollowing words, unique to the St Kildanvocabulary, are redolent of the islander'sextraordinary lifestyle: lon – a climbing rope madeof strips of plaited rawhide and regarded as aprecious heirloom; mogais – an anchor,consisting of heavy stones placed in a seal-skinsack; sraonadh – slipping off a rock; crathadh –the usual method of despatching a bird, i.e.dislocating its neck; faire – literally ‘nightwatch’(wearing dark clothes but with a white clothtucked under the throat, the hunter trickedrazorbills into coming in to roost). Many suchwords pertaining to sea-fowling were peculiar toSt Kilda with its seabird economy.

Throughout the islands recorded history,superstition was widespread. As in other parts ofthe Highlands and Islands, it was believed thatsithichean (little people) lived in grassy hillocks,close to human habitation. The Gruagach, thebenign female spirit that was believed to lookafter the cattle, resided within a monolith locatedclose to the Village. In the remote Gleann Mor,invalids offered gifts to the spirit residing in Tobairnam Buadh (the well of virtues) before drinkingwhat was supposedly the well’s healing waters.

Some 300 years ago, Martin Martin reported thatcomposing songs and bardachd (poetry), andmaking up humorous rhymes were favouritepastimes of both the men and women of St Kilda.Early in the 19th century, visitors collected songsthat must have been composed at times whenthe community felt buoyant and self-confident.The best known of these are the Bhanais Hiortach(St Kilda wedding) and Cleite Gadaig (GadagRock), both of which were composed in an agewhen mouth-music and dancing were acceptableexpressions of well-being and happiness.Dancing to music ‘scratched out of a bad fiddle’was popular at all times of the year. In summerpony races and shinty matches were held on thebeach of Village Bay.

After the famous evangelist Dr John Macdonald ofFerintosh (known as ‘The Apostle of the North’)visited the island, albeit briefly, in 1822 and 1823,he reported the people steeped in a mixture of‘pagan belief and Popish superstition’.Charismatic and persuasive, Macdonald’sinfluence over the minds of the islanders wasprofound. Following a century without a residentminister, in 1829 the islanders welcomed intotheir midst the Rev. Neil MacKenzie. Under thesePresbyterian influences many of the olderislanders became introspective and conscience-stricken, and began to spend more time in prayerand theological debate than in earning a living. Itis undeniable that MacKenzie worked hard toimprove the material as well as the spiritual plightof his parishioners, and his account of island lifehas become a classic in St Kildan literature.MacKenzie also left to posterity a collection oflaments and poems popular during his time onthe island – all of them inspired by feelings ofintense grief or piety, or both.

Without a resident spiritual leader, the oldermembers of the community began to fret andendlessly debated their future. This sense ofuncertainty and unhappiness persuaded many ofthe young to escape their isolation. In 1852 forinstance, 36 of the island’s youngest and ablestemigrated to Australia. On the voyage to Melbourne,18 of them perished. When the news of the tragedyreached St Kilda the people ‘shut themselves upin their houses and wept for a week’.

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On a visit to St Kilda in 1865, the folkloristAlexander Carmichael was determined to meetOighrig NicCruimein (Effie MacCrimmon), an 84year old famed as a tradition-bearer. The Rev.Mackay, at that time the incumbent minister, didall he could to discourage the meeting. ‘Youshould be aware’, he declared, ‘that the people ofSt Kilda have now discarded songs, music anddancing and the stories of their foolish past!’

Thankfully, Carmichael persisted and, during hisbrief hours in her company, discovered that Oighrigcould recall many of the island’s ancient songs,stories and traditions.Included in her treasury was An Comhradh (TheConversation) which Oighrig’s parents hadcomposed together during their courtship days inthe late 18th century. The tune of An Comhradh isrobust and inventive although the translation failsto express the full vigour and vitality of the lyric.The young man looked forward to the challengeof hunting gannets on Boreray

Away with spade and tools of the soil!Away with the basin and away with the lamb!Up with my climbing rope and down my snares!For I hear the gannet speak in the ocean.

The song is noteworthy, not least in that itencapsulates the genius and tragedy of the StKildans. Sadly, days before Oighrig was born, herfather and grandfather, tied together by theirclimbing rope, plunged to their death whilstfowling on the cliffs at the back of Oiseval.

1. Oighrig Nic Cruimein- traditional story teller 2. The St Kilda wedding song

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Archaeological evidence suggests that Hirta hasbeen occupied, almost continuously, for well over2,000 years and that the first human activity begana further 3,000 or more years beforehand. It iscertain that the Vikings had an influence on theislands and that Hirta was also occupied by earlyChristians. The place names on the islands reflectboth the Norse and Gaelic influence.

The first comprehensive account of life on St Kildawas provided by Martin Martin (1697), tutor to theMacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. At this time,St Kilda was owned by the MacLeods of Harris andDunvegan, and would remain with a branch of thefamily until the year after the evacuation in 1930.At the time of Martin’s visit there wereapproximately 180 people on Hirta, living in a mainsettlement in Village Bay. They kept sheep andcattle and grew crops – but the most importantcomponent of their diet came from seabirds.The seabird harvest included the northern gannetsthat were so abundant on Boreray and the Stacsand, in later times, came to depend on thenorthern fulmars and Atlantic puffins that nestedon the cliffs of Hirta and Dun. The St Kildans wereconsummate and fearless climbers and caught thebirds by either scaling the cliffs from the bottom,or more usually by lowering themselves down tothe cliff ledges where the birds nested. The birdlife also provided them with oil, feathers and eggs,which they collected and used as payment in-kindfor their rent.

Ropes and fowling rods were usually the propertyof all of the islanders, as were the areas of pastureand other items such as boats and the numerouscleitean (drying chambers) which can still be founddensely dotted around the islands. Ropes could,however, also be owned by individuals and, atsome stage in the history of the islands, they oftenformed part of a dowry. At the time of Martin’svisit, the people of St Kilda led a simple life. Theywere guided by basic though at times idiosyncraticChristian principles with their lifestyle ‘in tune’ withnature and adapted to the pressures of survival insuch a difficult environment. In later times theirlifestyle was to become strongly influenced by theChurch, through the strenuous efforts of the manyclergy who spent time on the islands.

In 1822, St Kilda was visited by the renownedevangelical preacher, Rev. John Macdonald, the so-called ‘Apostle of the North’. Macdonald set aboutconstructing the foundations of a highly organisedand puritanical religion on St Kilda. These werebuilt upon by the Rev. Neil MacKenzie who arrivedon the islands in 1830. He also decided to try toimprove the standard of living of the St Kildans andunder his guidance the traditional ‘run-rig’ systemof agriculture was replaced by a permanentallocation of land to each family. The old villagewas demolished and replaced around 1834 by acurving line of blackhouses around the curve ofVillage Bay. In 1861, MacLeod, the landlord, paidfor a new set of cottages for the St Kildans thatwere built by his masons from Dunvegan. Thesewere erected alongside the 1830’s blackhouses,many of which were retained as byres. In 1865 theRev. John Mackay was sent to St Kilda and setabout imposing a particularly strict religious ruleover the islanders: the St Kildans embraced histeaching and ignored their own traditions.

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Rev. John Mackay- Minister on St Kilda 1866-1889

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Another factor in the history of the St Kildans wasthe influence of disease on the islanders. Theislands were devastated by a smallpox epidemic in1724, from which only four adults and 26 childrensurvived. (A further three men and eight boysescaped exposure to the disease as a result ofbeing stranded for several months on Boreraywhile on a fowling expedition.) Although some newfamilies were introduced from Harris and Skye, thepopulation never again exceeded 110. A furtherfactor in the decline was infant tetanus, which,until it was finally eradicated in 1891, exacted a tollof two out of every three live births. The emigrationof 36 islanders to Australia in 1852 reduced thepopulation to approximately 70, from which itnever recovered.

By this time, the islanders’ traditional economy hadalso begun to falter, with the oil and feathers theyexported losing value on the mainland – thoughstill accepted by the Factor as part payment of therent. From the 1870s, however, steamers werecalling regularly at Village Bay, full of well-meaning,curious visitors – tourists. They came ashore tosee the inhabitants, whom they regarded asquaint, and to buy souvenirs made by them.Money was introduced for the first time and the StKildans came to rely on these tourists to providethem with a source of income. But by thebeginning of the 20th century this fickle anduncertain source of income began to decline asSt Kilda began to go out of vogue. What followedwere years of hardship when illness, bad weather,poor harvests and lack of food seriously affectedthe quality of life and the expectations of theSt Kildans. They had few sources of income,although the sale of cattle and tweed to Skye andthe mainland continued through the estate Factoruntil after the First World War. Communication withthe mainland was also difficult, with the efficiencyof their post office, which opened in 1899, oftenaffected by weather conditions.

During the First World War, the islandersexperienced a short reprieve when a Naval unitstationed on the island brought them a measure ofprosperity as well as radio communication, regularmail, employment and supplies. However, in 1919the Navy pulled out and the islanders’ situationwas once again desperate. By 1928 the populationhad fallen to 37 and in 1930 the remainingislanders, guided by Nurse Williamina Barclay,decided that they had no future on St Kilda. Theysigned a petition requesting evacuation, which was

sent to the Secretary of State for Scotland in May1930. Eventually, their request was granted and on29 August 1930 the 36 remaining St Kildans leftthe islands. They were taken by HMS Harebell tothe mainland where the majority was to settle inMorvern, Argyll, to work for the Forestry Commission– most having never before seen a tree!

The MacLeods sold the island in 1931 to the Earlof Dumfries, later to become the 5th Marquess ofBute. He retained the island, unoccupied andmanaged as a bird sanctuary, until his death in1956, following which the islands came into thecare of The National Trust for Scotland, when italso became a National Nature Reserve under thesupervision of The Nature Conservancy (now SNH).

Detail from Sharbau’s map of 1860

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‘Operation Hardrock’, established the need for StKilda as an early warning radar outpost during theCold War. An MoD Base was established in 1957,initially by the RAF, and this has gradually evolvedinto the MoD Base for the South Uist RocketRange. This establishment continues to providethe island with its most permanent occupants aswell as electricity, running water, medical support,and lines of supply. In order to cause minimaldisturbance to the Village, the Base wasestablished on the ‘Glebe Land’ – agricultural landin the control of the church. Initial plans todemolish the Village and use the stone for roadbuilding were successfully opposed in 1957 byrepresentatives of The Nature Conservancy and theNTS; the Village was spared and the quarry aboveVillage Bay was established instead. Various radarfacilities have come and gone on the hilltops, butthe most sustained activity of this type is confinedto the area of the Base, now run by thecommercial company QinetiQ.

From 1958 onwards, volunteer ‘Work Parties’ ofThe National Trust for Scotland have visitedannually, restoring a number of the historicbuildings for use by visitors, volunteers, andresearchers, as well as maintaining the ruinedstructures and assisting with archaeologicalexcavations.

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Operation Hardrock 1957

Archaeological InvestigationsArchaeological observations on St Kilda began asearly as the 1830s. During his agricultural andhousing improvements, Rev. Neil MacKenzie notedthe presence of:

‘very numerous .... green mounds called ‘gnocansithichean’, which were looked upon as abodes offairies. These were all removed in the course ofagricultural improvements. They were composedof stones mixed with a little earth to a depth oftwo or three feet. At some distance below thislayer were stone coffins formed in two differentways…. In a few of them bones were found, andin nearly all of them pieces of earthen vessels.’

The very first NTS Work Party, in August 1958,decided to investigate the remains at Gleann Morand elsewhere on the islands:

‘Set off with sandwiches up the road to theCol and down into Gleann Mor with Prof.O’Dell to examine the bee-hive dwellings.We took spades and crow-bar with us.Started work on digging out the floors of thebuildings. The Amazon House is the best-preserved of the buildings-described in detailin the Scottish Field, by Ken Williamson.We dug down carefully in several houses butcame on nothing of interest.’

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This and other early Work Parties occasionally feltthe urge to undertake small-scale excavations, butdetailed records of these events, if they everexisted, are now lost. Work over the past 30 years,has, however, been undertaken within the modernrigours of scientific archaeology.

The results of several years of intensive fieldsurvey coupled with documentary research werepublished in 1988 by Geoffrey Stell and MaryHarman in Buildings of St Kilda, and this surveyinformation continues to provide the base-lineinformation from which all new work stems.

Partly for logistical reasons, very few archaeologicalexcavations have so far taken place on St Kilda.Early efforts related to the souterrain, whereunfortunately the contemporary techniques ofexcavation succeeded in destroying some extremelyimportant information. Houses 15 and 16 wereinvestigated in the 1970s. More recently, theexcavation of the floor deposits of House 6 inadvance of reconstruction has produced usefulresults, as has the examination of House 8,Blackhouse W, and a rubbish pit behind House 7and Blackhouse G. The results of theseexcavations of 1986-90 were published in 1996 asthe first in a series of monographs on thearchaeology and ethnography of St Kilda.

In 1993 and 1994 Glasgow University undertookresearch excavations at Ruaival, on two circularareas and at An Lag where the ‘boat-shaped’settings were investigated following an earlierexcavation in 1973. Several areas identified asbeing at risk from cliff erosion have beeninvestigated, especially a ‘boat-shaped’ setting atThe Gap (excavated in 1995) and some fieldboundaries at Ruaival.

Since 1995, small-scale excavations have focusedon the screes below Mullach Sgar, in the south-west part of Village Bay. Numerous screestructures have been rediscovered and recorded,while, on the terrace below, a ‘horned structure’,similar to those found across in Gleann Mor, hasbeen examined and may have prehistoric origins,as well as activity into the 1st millennium AD.Nearby, investigations are in progress (2002) ofpart of a small but surprisingly complete Iron Agebuilding, surviving in places almost to roof height.

For the years 1996-2001, the St Kilda ArchaeologicalManagement and Research Plan was implemented.As part of the work contained in this plan, anarchaeologist has been employed on the islandsduring the summer months to carry out conditionsurveys and extensive monitoring of the builtstructures on the islands. This information is beingused to direct building maintenance work byhelping to determine priorities for repair ormaintenance.

The condition of the grave markers in the graveyardhas slowly been deteriorating and the area has beenthe subject of a detailed drawn and photographicrecord, to add to the already extensive records ofthe islands which have been maintained by theTrust since its acquisition of St Kilda.

Palaeoenvironmental research by DurhamUniversity has examined pollen and other remainsfrom a transect through Village Bay, as well aslooking at the evidence for plants grown in theplanticrues, where the use of medicinal plants hasbeen revealed. Work on the soils at An Lag hasshown that large volumes of soil were importedinto the enclosures to enhance fertility and providea good growing medium.

The Universities of Lampeter and Sheffield have along-term programme of research into the stonetool industry which flourished on St Kilda, probablyfrom the early prehistoric period and through to atleast the Iron Age, or perhaps even to relativelyrecent times. Excavations of quarry material haveshown that the landscape above and to the southof the village has been substantially modified byhuman activity.

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c. Form and date of most recentrecords of site

St Kilda benefits from having a number ofparticularly detailed records of its historic buildingsand archaeological sites. The base-line record wasproduced by the Royal Commission on the Ancientand Historical Monuments of Scotland, consistingof detailed survey of the Village Bay area, GleannMor, and other principal sites, plus ground andsome elevational/cross-sectional illustrations ofstanding buildings and other selected structures.

The RCAHMS survey has more recently beensupplemented by more detailed pieces of work,including a comprehensive survey of the 1,430 orso cleitean on the islands by Dr Mary Harman, andby condition surveys of houses, blackhouses, otherbuildings, walls and selected cleitean by LornaJohnstone, NTS St Kilda Archaeologist1996-2000. Most of this information is now in thepublic domain, being held in the NationalMonuments Record of Scotland.

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Two recent books on St Kilda

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As noted above, more detailed archaeological andpalaeoenvironmental investigations have also takeplace recently, the results of an on-going researchpartnership between The National Trust forScotland and the Universities of Glasgow andDurham, and also by the Universities of Sheffieldand Wales Aberystwyth and by the University ofAberdeen. This and other archaeological, historicaland scientific research into the cultural heritage ofSt Kilda is promoted and guided by the St KildaArchaeological Research Committee; a panel ofinvited individuals and representatives from bodieswith an interest in the islands’ heritage.

Present State of Conservation Almost uniquely on a landscape scale in Scotland,the continuing conservation aim for St Kilda islargely to arrest deterioration of historic fabric, andto ‘fossilise’ the landscape as closely as possibleto its appearance when it first came into the careof The National Trust for Scotland. Most large-scale deviations from this philosophy relate to theearly infrastructural works associated with thecreation of the MoD Base in the late 1950s and1960s, or to the careful and very sympatheticrestoration works of selected structures foroperational or interpretative reasons.

The current policy for standing fabric is firmly tomaintain the status quo, in an attempt to preservethe spirit of the place as much as possible. To thatend, the NTS continues to send out annualconservation Work Parties of volunteers of mixedskills, who attend to most of the routine repairsand also to some fairly substantial ones. Since1996, in partnership with Historic Scotland, theNTS has employed a seasonal St KildaArchaeologist, part of whose task has been toensure that adequate records are made of WorkParty repairs, and to guide this work according tobest conservation practice.

The St Kilda Archaeologist has also compileddetailed written and photographic informationregarding the condition of archaeological sites andhistoric buildings, and has produced anArchaeological Action Plan (working draft) whichincludes proposals for a prioritised programme ofmonitoring and further recording as well astargeted conservation actions. This working draft isa key reference document, informing the formal 5-year Management Agreement between the NTSand Historic Scotland, regarding permitted worksaffecting the designated parts of St Kilda (see 4cbelow). However, prioritisation of resources hashad to focus on the main settlement in Village Bayand surrounding areas; outwith this, selectedcleitean have been identified for monitoring andconservation. The possibly prehistoric structures inGleann Mor, are currently being assessed forappropriate conservation actions.

d. Policies and programmesrelated to the presentationand promotion of theproperty

The National Trust for Scotland has a policy ofopen access to all its countryside properties, andthis applies to St Kilda – subject to certainrestrictions within the St Kilda bylaws. However, St Kilda is the most remote inhabited island inGreat Britain and Ireland, and remains surprisinglydifficult to get to due to the ferocity andunpredictability of the Atlantic Ocean and itsweather systems, and of the microclimate of the islands themselves. Presentation andpromotion focuses as much on ‘remote access’ as on direct interpretation for those few visitors(around 1,750 annually) who are lucky enough toset foot on the islands.

3. Visitors on a guided tour2. The Black Prince anchors in Village Bay1. NNR sign

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Presentation on the IslandsAs the only island on which people are likely to setfoot, presentation is focused on Hirta. SNH’s NNRsign is positioned near the top of the pier toprovide visitors with basic information, maps andto direct them to the Warden’s office at theFactor’s House. The preservation of the Village isin itself a presentational effort, but the remains areallowed to speak for themselves, and there is noopen-air interpretation, other than the NNR sign.House No. 3, however, has been restored to housea small museum in which a few authentic St Kildaneveryday artefacts are on show, and whichcontains a great deal of information, presented oninformation panels, about all aspects of theislands’ natural and cultural heritage. (The museumdisplays and interpretative resources are in theprocess of being updated and improved.) Inaddition, House No. 6 has been restored to theoriginal room plan and external fittings andappearance, based on old photographs, oralhistory and documentary records.

A large proportion of visitors arrive at Hirta bycruise ship and therefore have only a few hours tospend on the island. For their use there is anarchaeological broadsheet for St Kilda, whichincludes a map of the main areas and briefdescriptions of the principal features of interest.This can be supplemented by the numeroushistorical and contemporary accounts of theislands (available in the small shop run on avoluntary basis on behalf of the St Kilda Club), andin particular, for the casual visitor, the colour NNRleaflet and the illustrated popular guidebook byDavid Quine (Quine, 2000). In addition, from thelate spring to early autumn months, both the StKilda Warden (Natural Heritage) and the St KildaArchaeologists take visitors on guided tours of theVillage area and beyond. SNH has produced aCode of Conduct for visitors which is available toall cruise ships and boat charters, asking them tobehave responsibly, and advising them of facilitiesavailable on the island. The warden is always onhand to answer queries and guide visitors aroundthe important features of the Village. The wardenalso accompanies vessels on cruises aroundBoreray and the stacks if required.

‘Remote Access’Because St Kilda is so inaccessible to the majorityof people who have an interest in it and would liketo experience going there, The National Trust for

Scotland, with funding from Historic Scotland,Scottish Natural Heritage and others, hasestablished a substantial and very well-receivedwebsite: www.kilda.org.uk. There are links to theseagencies and to the sheep study for instance,providing a wide range of information about thesite and the researches. The site has been widelyadvertised and has become highly visible to websearch engines, and thereby makes an enormousamount of information about St Kilda available to aglobal audience. Statistics from the site,established in January 2001, show that hundredsof people from all over the world visit every week.

The site is designed to give visitors a flavour of allaspects of the islands – natural history, builtheritage, ethnology, and St Kilda today and itsfuture. Different levels of information are available,and there are many links to other sites withcontent on St Kilda. A Guestbook records thereactions of visitors from every continent, andshows that people are being moved by the siteand are being caught up with the fascination forthe place. The website is under continuousdevelopment, and promises to bring more sightsand sounds to its international audience. Majorfuture developments include the provision of aGaelic language version (the language of theSt Kildans), and the production of a children’ssection in conjunction with the nearest local school– some 80km (50 miles) away.

St Kilda ExploredThe enormous interest in St Kilda wasdemonstrated in 1995-1996 when over 700,000people were recorded to have visited the‘St Kilda Explored’ exhibition in theKelvingrove Museum, Glasgow. Research forthe exhibition was used as the basis of thecurrent St Kilda website.

Promotion of the SiteThe results of SNH’s underwater surveys werebrought together into an attractive exhibition thathas toured many parts of Scotland and the OuterHebrides. SNH has produced a video for sale thatincludes all the highlights of these recent surveys;versions are available with Gaelic or Englishcommentaries, together with a series of six freeposters that highlight the marine environment ofthe archipelago. More recently a further two freeposters and postcards have been produced that

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celebrate all aspects of the St Kilda WHSexperience. SNH also distributes to local TouristInformation Offices throughout the Outer Hebridesits colour, bilingual leaflet about the NationalNature Reserve, and is currently producing a glossybooklet on the wildlife of St Kilda. They alsorecently subsidised the Scottish Ornithologists’Club to publish the revised Birds of St Kilda byStuart Murray, available to members and non-members alike. Local SNH staff provide illustratedlectures to local schools, visitors and communitygroups in the Western Isles and providebackground information to a variety of studentsundertaking projects about the islands; every fewyears SNH-sponsored environmental competitionsto local schools are themed on National NatureReserves or St Kilda in particular.

The National Trust for Scotland is acutely aware of the difficulties people experience in getting toSt Kilda, and helps facilitate access through itsown cruises, and also by providing opportunitiesfor people from 18 to 75 years old to participate inactive conservation on the islands through thelong-established St Kilda Work Parties. The Trustalso facilitates the St Kilda Club (which exists topromote the conservation of the islands), andworks in association with cruise ships and withlocal boat operators. All access opportunities arepromoted through the Trust’s St Kilda website, butall means of visiting are inevitably expensive.

St Kilda Work Parties are heavily subsidised by theNTS, with support from Historic Scotland, butnevertheless cost participants in the region of£500 (around 750 euros) for the 16-day trip – whichincludes food and accommodation but excludesthe cost of travel to and from Oban, the point ofdeparture from the mainland.

‘St Kilda Explored’ exhibit - Kelvingrove Museum, 1995

World Heritage Site

ST KILDA

Images: John Baxter, David Donnan, Alistair Davidson, Rohan Holt.

World Heritage Site

ST KILDA

Images: David Connor, Kate Northen, Rohan Holt, Sue Scott, SeaMap. Designed by Mode

1. Killer whale2. Sheep and cottages3. Scentless mayweed4. Village Bay5. Soay ram 6. Watching northern gannets7. Soay cliffs



1 2 3

7

4Management

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4 5

6

‘ ’

a. OwnershipSt Kilda is wholly owned on behalf of theScottish nation by the independent Scottishconservation charity, The National Trust forScotland. The Trust has ‘barony title’ to theforeshore – the area between mean high andlow water marks.

St Kilda will be managed as a model of integratedconservation management, where natural andhistoric interests are balanced together.

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b. Legal StatusCultural HeritageLarge areas of Hirta are included on the Scheduleof Ancient Monuments (SAM Map), and areprotected under Section 28 of the AncientMonuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.Under this Act, anyone found guilty of destroyingor damaging such protected places without lawfulexcuse can be liable to a fine or imprisonment orboth. Historic Scotland acts for Scottish Ministerson the management of the monuments, andconsiders and decides upon any proposals thatmight affect their preservation or setting.

The cultural landscape of Hirta makes a significantcontribution to the scenic qualities of the area.

c. Protective measures andmeans of implementing

Cultural HeritageUnder the Ancient Monuments and ArchaeologicalAreas Act 1979, it is a criminal offence to alter,damage or destroy a scheduled ancient monumentwithout the written consent of Scottish Ministers.The use of metal detectors also requirespermission. Provision is made for the giving ofgrants for the maintenance and management ofancient monuments within the Act under twoschemes administered by Historic Scotland:Ancient Monuments Grants, and ManagementAgreements.

The day-to-day management of the scheduledareas is controlled through a 5-year ManagementAgreement between Historic Scotland and TheNational Trust for Scotland in which conservationand management activities are agreed and methodstatements are appended. Historic Scotland alsomonitors the management through regular visits byInspectors of Ancient Monuments, Architects andother professional staff. The HS/NTS ManagementAgreement includes the provision of a seasonal StKilda Archaeologist, who is based on the islandsduring the summer months and who monitors andadvises on all works within and outwith thescheduled areas. Activities not covered by theManagement Agreement are subject to individualapplications for Scheduled Monument Consent,and, if consent is granted, works are monitored byHistoric Scotland.

The National Planning Policy Guideline Archaeologyand Planning (NPPG 5) and its associated PlanningAdvice Note Archaeology – the Planning Processand Scheduled Monument Procedures (PAN 42)were issued by the Scottish Office (now theScottish Executive) in 1994. They provide advice toplanning authorities on how to deal with ancientmonuments under the development plan anddevelopment control systems. Local authoritiesshould have ready access to a professionallymaintained Sites and Monuments Record, andshould take account of the cultural heritage inStructure Plans, Local Plans and DevelopmentControl. Many monuments that are not scheduledare deemed to be of national or regionalimportance, and are protected through theplanning legislation and individual Council policy.

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Figure 4.1: Map of Hirta showing areasprotected under Section 28 of the AncientMonuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979

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The impact of development proposals on thesetting of scheduled monuments is not addressedin the Ancient Monuments and ArchaeologicalAreas Act 1979 and no additional controls resultfrom World Heritage Site designation, but both area material consideration in the planning system.Section 15(1) (j) of the Town and Country Planning(General Development Procedure) Scotland Order1992, as amended by Section (5) of the Town andCountry Planning (General DevelopmentProcedure) (Scotland) (Amendment (No2) Order1994 requires planning authorities to consultScottish Ministers where a development mayaffect the site of a scheduled monument or itssetting. With regard to the marine environment,methodologies for Environmental ImpactAssessment and Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment would require impact on the WorldHeritage Site, including visual impact, to be fullyaddressed and mitigated.

The islands are covered by UK and Scottishplanning laws under which Comhairle nan EileanSiar has various powers and duties. The StructurePlan prepared by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar,approved by the Secretary of State for Scotland in1988, is the principal strategic planning document.This includes a variety of relevant policies,including PD4 relating to the protection,maintenance and enhancement of the natural andbuilt environment of the Western Isles, whereparticular note will be taken of Scheduled AncientMonuments, archaeological sites and ListedBuildings. A revised Structure Plan was open forconsultation until May 2002; this also seeks toprotect the cultural heritage (Policy SC8) and hasspecific policies for Listed Buildings (RM16) andArchaeological sites (RM18). Policy ED5 relates totourism developments, and makes a commitmenttowards sustainable tourism. The Council employsan archaeologist to advise on these matters.

The Finalised Harris Local Plan (2000) contains anumber of specific references to St Kilda. PolicyEN5 indicates that ‘the Comhairle will not permitdevelopment that would have an adverse affect onany of the international or national environmentaldesignations afforded to St Kilda. An EnvironmentalImpact Assessment will be required for anyproposals that may adversely affect St Kilda’.In addition, Policy EN20 provides for the protectionnot only of Scheduled Ancient Monuments, but ofother nationally important remains and theirsettings, while policies EN14-18 relate to the

protection of the character and setting of ListedBuildings and other buildings of significance.

Very little is known about the condition or existenceof historic wrecks around St Kilda, although thereis historical and first-hand evidence that somewrecks do – or did – exist. Although not commonlyused, such remains could be protected under theProtection of Wrecks Act 1973 that would affordthem statutory protection. Similarly, wrecks – bothships and aeroplanes – can be designated underthe Protection of Military Remains Act 1986,especially if they are formally considered to be war graves.

The ownership by The National Trust for Scotlandoffers other protection to the heritage assets ofthe islands. The purposes of the Trust have beendefined in various Acts of Parliament, but theprincipal purposes can be summarised in modernterms as conservation and access. The Trust’sConservation Principles declare that ‘Conservationprocesses should seek to resolve conflicts, butwhere irreconcilable differences betweenconservation aims and other aims arise, conservationwill prevail’. (Principle 7). In addition, St Kilda isheld inalienably, which provides a major obstacleto compulsory purchase and to uncontrolledactivities by third parties. The National Trust for Scotland has also created formal Bylaws for St Kilda, which protect the natural and cultural heritage from a variety of sources ofdetrimental activity.

LandscapeThe whole St Kilda archipelago has been designatedas a National Scenic Area by Scottish Ministersand is subject to additional planning control toconserve its outstanding scenic significance.Where appropriate, applications covered underNSA legislation are monitored by the LocalAuthority and by Scottish Natural Heritage – theadvisors to Scottish Ministers on landscapematters in Scotland.

However, NSA designation does not currently offeran effective means of protecting the culturallandscape.

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d. Agency/agencies withmanagement authority

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) maintain ultimateresponsibility for the National Nature Reserve, butfrom May 2003 largely devolved this function tothe owners, The National Trust for Scotland (NTS)as an Approved Body. SNH will approve the NTSManagement Plan for the NNR and continue tomonitor the NNR, retaining its statutory roleregarding the SSSI, SPA, NSA, SAC and otherdesignations. Historic Scotland and the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency (SEPA) are alsoinvolved in the consents procedures under theSSSI/European Regulations and, together withComhairle nan Eilean Siar, in planning consentsunder the NSA, etc. A sub-lease from SNH to theMoD ensured consultation and co-operation with,in the past the Royal Artillery, and then DERA whoran the Range, and now the various contractors(currently the independent company QinetiQ). Inreturn the staff at the Base fulfil an informalmonitoring presence on the island during thewinter on behalf of SNH and NTS.

i. The National Trust for Scotland, WemyssHouse, 28 Charlotte Square, EdinburghEH2 4ET, Scotland, United KingdomThe National Trust for Scotland is anindependent charity, established in 1931, theaims of which were defined in The NationalTrust for Scotland Order Confirmation Acts ofParliament in 1935 and subsequently, including‘…promoting the permanent preservation forthe benefit of the nation of lands and buildingsin Scotland of historic or national interest ornatural beauty…’

ii. Historic Scotland, Longmore House,Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SHScotland, United KingdomHistoric Scotland is the executive agencywithin The Scottish Executive responsible for administering the laws concerning theprotection and management of the historicenvironment, including ancient monuments(buildings, ruins and archaeological sites). The legislation concerned for St Kilda is the Ancient Monuments and ArchaeologicalAreas Act 1979.

iii. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar,Sandwick Road, Stornoway,Western Isles HS1 2BW, Scotland,United KingdomAmongst its many other duties, Comhairle nanEilean is responsible for Structure and Localplanning, and for development control in theWestern Isles. It also has powers under theAncient Monuments and Archaeological AreasAct 1979.

iv. Scottish Natural Heritage,12 Hope Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 2AS,Scotland, United Kingdom Scottish Natural Heritage is an agency withresponsibility for administration of the Wildlifeand Countryside Act 1981. It is a statutoryconsultee with respect to developments withinNational Scenic Areas. It is the competentauthority with respect to Special Areas ofConservation as explained in Scottish OfficeCircular No. 6/1995.

e. Level at which managementis exercised (e.g. on site,regionally) and name andaddress of responsible personfor contact purposes

Overall responsibility for the management of theislands of St Kilda lies with the NTS RegionalDirector for the Highlands and Islands, based inthe Trust’s Inverness Office. Policy management isthe responsibility of the Strategic ManagementGroup, which includes NTS, SNH, HS, MoD andComhairle nan Eilean Siar and is chaired by theNTS’ Regional Conservation Manager for theHighlands and Islands Region. Operationalmanagement is the function of the OperationalManagement Group, chaired by NTS’ AreaManager for the Western Isles. Day-to-daymanagement is the responsibility of theNTS Western Isles Area Manager, Scotland,email: [email protected].

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The principal point of contact on St Kilda is theNTS Warden (Seasonal). The Warden is responsiblefor visitor management and has other dutiesconcerned with nature conservation. The NTSSt Kilda Archaeologist (Seasonal) helps ensure thatthe historic environment is monitored and thatproposed changes conform to best conservationpractice and to appropriate legislation.

Also Scottish Natural Heritage, Stilligarry,Isle of South Uist HS8 5RS. (Phone 01870 620238;Fax 01870 620350). As the Goverment’s advisorson conservation, this office continues to monitor,implement and advise upon natural heritage/conservation/ landscape matters through statutoryprocedures and European regulations. It alsosupervises NTS management of the NationalNature Reserve.

The imposing cliffs of Boreray

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f. Agreed plans related toproperty (e.g. regional, localplan, conservation plan,tourism development plan)

As indicated above, the Western Isles StructurePlan, both in current and revised draft form, makesprovision for the protection of archaeological sitesand historic buildings of significance. Theseprovisions are reinforced by the Finalised HarrisLocal Plan, showing the commitment of the localauthority to the conservation of the specialqualities of places like St Kilda.

The Corporate Plan 1999-2004 of The NationalTrust for Scotland reinforces the statutorypurposes of the Trust, all of which are relevant tothe Trust’s care of St Kilda:

• to ensure the conservation, through ownershipor other means, of nationally important land,buildings and contents;

• to enable people to visit and enjoy the Trust’sproperties, to see and experience them in wayswhich are consistent with their conservation;

• to influence and persuade others by example toshare and support the Trust’s aims and work.

The NTS Conservation Principles now apply to allof the Trust’s properties, and aspire towards bestpractice for the conservation of the natural andcultural heritage. Amongst other things, thePrinciples suggest that: conservation decisionsshould be based on a systematic approach toevaluation of significance based on thoroughknowledge and understanding; and thatconservation should take into consideration allaspects of significance, both tangible andintangible.

The St Kilda Management Plan, a joint documentproduced by the NTS on behalf of those bodieswith a direct responsibility for the management ofSt Kilda and which SNH approves as a workingdocument for the National Nature Reserve, isdescribed in 4j.

The marine SAC management scheme is a jointdocument that will be produced by a group ofrelevant and competent authorities to ensure themaintenance of favourable conservation status ofthe marine features of the marine SAC.

g. Sources and levels of financeFunding for the NTS management operations on StKilda comes from a variety of sources. The corefunding is from an NTS St Kilda Fund, whichrecently has been topped-up from the Trust’sIslands Fund. This covers the funding shortfall forthe Trust’s operations. The shortfall is reducedthrough various grants and donations.

Funding for the Warden’s post comes from SNH,while 50% of the cost of the St Kilda Archaeologistis funded by Historic Scotland under a 5-yearManagement Agreement, which also covers 50%of the deficit of running the St Kilda Work Parties(building conservation). SNH has contributedconsiderable funding to scientific survey to dateand will continue to do so as appropriate. Inaddition, together with NTS, SNH also sponsor andencourage the Soay sheep research. Both SNHand Historic Scotland have also contributedtowards the cost of creating and maintaining theSt Kilda website, and to a variety of other activitieson St Kilda.

The St Kilda Club primarily exists to raise funds onbehalf of the NTS for the benefit of St Kilda. TheClub regularly makes substantial annual donations.Other charities also contribute towards the Trust’swork on St Kilda, such as Scottish Heritage USA,the Garfield Weston Foundation, the PeterStormonth Darling Charitable Trust, the SevenPillars of Wisdom Charitable Trust, and individualdonors. Such donations are often given towardsspecific projects, such as the website, theupgrading of the museum, and particularly thearchaeological excavations that have occurredalmost every year since the mid-1980s.

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h. Sources of expertise andtraining in conservation andmanagement techniques

Cultural HeritageThe St Kilda Archaeologist is a qualified andexperienced archaeologist, with proven skills inarchaeological fieldwork and abilities in interpretingthe historic environment. Training is given in firstaid and usually also boat handling, and furthertraining in drystone dyking techniques, and in theuse of lime mortar in building repairs is alsousually given. Professional guidance is given by theNTS Highlands and Islands Region Archaeologist, aqualified and experienced archaeologist with wide-ranging expertise. An agreed programme ofcontinuing professional development is provided.Advice may also be given by the Trust’s SeniorArchaeologist, based at Head Office in Edinburgh.As the head of a conservation discipline, thisperson will be a highly experienced archaeologistof national standing.

The St Kilda Archaeologist also benefits from theinput of the NTS Highlands and Islands RegionBuilding Surveyor, who is a qualified surveyor withextensive experience in the conservation of historicstructures. The Regional Building Surveyor isresponsible for managing the maintenance andrepair of the historic buildings of St Kilda, and maycall upon the advice of the Trust’s Senior BuildingsAdvisor based in Edinburgh.

Archaeological and historic buildings conservationadvice and guidance is also available from theHistoric Scotland Inspector of Ancient Monumentsand District Architect for the area. Further advice isavailable from Historic Scotland’s regionalMonument Conservation Unit, and from theTechnical Conservation, Research and EducationDivision of Historic Scotland based in Edinburgh.

The St Kilda Archaeologist also benefits from theadvice of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’sArchaeologist, and of the Historic Scotland FieldMonuments Warden for the area. Further advice isavailable from the NTS Regional CountrysideManager and Regional Conservation Manager.

i. Visitor facilities and statisticsThere are two main categories of visitor: thosestaying overnight on the islands and casual visitorsfrom charter boats, yachts and cruise ships. Themain difference is that those staying overnight onthe islands – NTS Work Party members, campers,researchers, workers (generally employed by orcontracted to MoD/QinetiQ) on the MoD Base –are permitted to use various accommodationfacilities and in particular may use the ‘ablutionsblock’ which houses toilets and showers. Campingfor up to six people is permitted by The NationalTrust for Scotland by prior arrangement. Therestriction in numbers is because of limited watersupply in dry summers and the restricted washingand toilet facilities available.

Other visitor facilities on the island consist of: theMuseum (House No. 3) that has displays about thenatural heritage of the islands; the reconstructedhouse (House 6); a shop run by the St Kilda Clubselling souvenirs, books, postcards, etc., and the‘Puff Inn’ bar run by MoD/QinetiQ staff. In addition,there is a small orientation point at the pier with anNNR sign that explains a little about the island, andthe two members of conservation staff are oftenable to give guided walks to visitors. Visitors fromcruise ships and small boats often have their ownguide – generally taking advantage of the St KildaArchaeological Broadsheet and other publications.A colour bilingual (English and Gaelic) NationalNature Reserve leaflet has been produced by SNHand is available free to all visitors. SNH have alsoproduced various posters, postcards and videosabout St Kilda, especially its marine interest.

The Street, Hirta

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Every year a seasonal warden is resident on Hirtafrom April to September inclusive. All visitors areasked to report to the warden on arrival. A guidedtour of the Village area is offered to all visitors andif walkers wish to wander beyond that they arerequested, for health and safety reasons, not to doso alone. Visitors are requested to consult thewarden before landing on any of the other islands.The warden will often accompany vessels on acruise around Boreray and the stacks, which offersan awe-inspiring experience around the toweringsea stacks and impressive seabird colonies. Thereis no tourist accommodation on Hirta other thanthe small campsite; so most visitors stay on boardtheir vessel anchored in Village Bay overnight.

Visitor statistics have been collected by the St KildaWarden for over 15 years:

Virtually all visitors arrive between April andSeptember. An analysis of visitors was made forthe period 1986-1997 with 74% being ‘generalvisitors’, 11% being divers, 6% NTS/SNH workparties and staff, 5% the crew of MoD vessels,and 3% school groups. The doubling in visitornumbers between 1986 and 1997 is due almostentirely to a slight increase in cruise vessels(normally carrying around 100 passengers) and themore erratic visits by one large cruise ship inparticular with up to 350 passengers. Thesevisitors are only landed for a day trip ashore andare supervised by the warden.

The NTS maintain a popular and comprehensivewebsite about St Kilda with links to the NTS, SNH,JNCC, the Soay Sheep Research Project, etc.Although it is probably too early to provideaccurate figures, the average number of discretevisits to the St Kilda website numbers severalhundred per week – some visitors remaining in thesite for an hour or more.

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2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

St

Kild

a V

isit

or

Num

ber

s 19

86-2

001

1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Figue 4.2: St Kilda: Visitor Trends

Year

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j. Site Management Plan andstatement of objectives

St Kilda is already a World Heritage Site onaccount of its terrestrial natural heritage, and inaddition is a National Nature Reserve: both ofthese designations include a commitment toproduce and maintain a Site Management Plan,and both Scottish Natural Heritage and TheNational Trust for Scotland have had and continueto have an active Site Management Plan for StKilda. The 1996-2001 St Kilda Management Planrecently expired, and is being replaced by a 2002-2007 Plan (Annexed to formal Revised NominationDocument submitted to the World HeritageCommittee, and available for comment from:The National Trust for Scotland, Wemyss House,28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4ET, Scotland,United Kingdom. It is hoped to make theManagement Plan available electronically throughthe Trust’s St Kilda website www.kilda.org.uk.

The most relevant guiding principles of managementare as follows:

1. St Kilda will be managed as a model ofintegrated conservation management, wherenatural and cultural interests are consideredtogether.

2. The principal land-use of the islands will beconservation.

3. For natural heritage interests, natural processeswill normally be allowed to continue withoutintervention.

4. For cultural heritage interests, conservationaction will proceed on the basis of minimumintervention required to retain the significanceof the site.

5. The sheep on St Kilda will continue to betreated as wild and unmanaged animals.

6. For the marine natural heritage, the same levelof protection as that on land will be sought.

7. New developments will only proceed if judgedto have minimal detrimental effect on the site.

8. Scientific research that improves theunderstanding of the property in order to guideits management will be encouraged.

9. Education and interpretation programmes willinstil a long-lasting appreciation for the qualitiesof this unique site and for the importance ofsustainable conservation on St Kilda andacross the globe.

10. Access for visitors, whether in person orthrough interpretative materials will continue tobe provided.

A cruise around the cliffs

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Objectives and prescriptions will addressimmediate management priorities to deliver:

1. Extension of World Heritage Site status toinclude the marine environment and culturallandscape.

2. A framework to involve partner organisations insupporting the integrated conservationmanagement of the property.

3. Enhanced staffing and financial resources tomeet the operational needs and vision for theproperty.

In addition, there will be a focus on continuousimprovement of conservation management aswell as the provision of access and benefit, toachieve the following outcomes:

4. Continued conservation of historic and naturalfeatures to maintain them in favourablecondition, ensuring no loss or damage tosignificant features.

5. Acting to mitigate threats to key features.

6. Enhanced knowledge and understanding of theislands and their cultural and natural features,and greater promulgation of the researchresults to share knowledge and understanding.

7. Continued provision of informed, responsible,virtual and enjoyable access.

8. Establishment of education and interpretationprogrammes that promote a greaterunderstanding both of St Kilda and ofsustainable conservation managementamongst visitors and non-visitors, particularlythe establishment of interpretation facilities onthe Western Isles.

9. Regular liaison with the local Western Islescommunity to understand each other’saspirations for St Kilda.

10. Assessment of options for increasing theproperty endowment.

k. Staffing levels (professional,technical, maintenance)

Two members of staff are currently based onSt Kilda during the summer months. The St KildaWarden spends around six months per annum onHirta, involved in visitor management and somenature conservation duties. The St KildaArchaeologist spends over four months a year onthe islands, with duties ranging from monitoringmonument condition, supervising archaeologicalfieldwork, monitoring conservation work of WorkParties, and informing visitors about the culturalheritage of the islands. These staff are managedby the NTS Western Isles Area Manager based on Benbecula.

St Kilda Work Parties are administered through thewell-proven NTS Thistle Camp mechanism, withsignificant input from the NTS Western Isles AreaManager. An Inverness-based Regional BuildingSurveyor ensures that the buildings of St Kilda aremaintained in favourable condition. Similarly, theInverness-based NTS Regional Archaeologist hasan over-arching responsibility for devisingmanagement and maintenance systems, andensuring quality control appropriate to the level ofsignificance of the remains. Backup from NTSHead Office staff and from Historic Scotland staffis described in 4h above.

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1. Boreray2. Roseroot and sea pink3. Diver4. Sea anemone5. Fieldmouse6. Headstones7. Black-legged kittiwake



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5Factors Affecting the Site

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a. Development Pressure(e.g. encroachment, adaptation,agriculture, mining)

St Kilda is not deemed under any developmentthreat. The MoD Base was already underwaywhen the property was acquired by NTS andthe NNR declared by the Nature Conservancy(the government grant-in-aid body that is nowScottish Natural Heritage). Since then thedevelopment of the Base and its facilities has

been subject to rigorous scrutiny and controlin keeping with the international status of theproperty. Co-operation between MoD, NTSand SNH has been excellent, manifested in aregular tri-partite annual meeting to discussmanagement. An Annual Operational Plan willbe agreed between NTS, SNH, HS andMoD/QinetiQ which will be discussed andagreed annually to be implemented withregular liaison at a local level. Local SNH staffand NTS staff from the mainland liaise withthe Range staff on a routine basis.

Other than frequent and often ferocious storms,large-scale natural disasters are unlikely onSt Kilda. ’

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Developments on St Kilda are carefully controlledby The National Trust for Scotland and by thestatutory agencies. Almost all development relatesto the use of the MoD Base (which largely liesoutwith the scheduled area). Apart from a long-term strategy of providing protective cladding tothe ageing buildings on the Base, no newdevelopments of any significance are beingproposed. Beyond the Base, the restorationprogramme for historic structures has now beencompleted, and the only additional building whichmay be considered for reconstruction in the nearfuture would be a blackhouse adjacent to House 6,which would become part of the interpretativereconstruction of an early 20th-century domesticunit. There are no foreseeable changes to thecurrent land-use beyond the base: no agriculturalor other organised activity occurs on any of theislands other than that associated with the artillery-tracking facility.

Archaeological deposits on the islands are arguablyunder pressure from the work of archaeologicalresearchers. This work is, however, very closelymonitored, and invasive research is only permittedfollowing scrutiny by the St Kilda ArchaeologicalResearch Committee, and with the appropriateconsents from Historic Scotland, Scottish NaturalHeritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agencyand The National Trust for Scotland.

b. Environmental pressures (e.g.pollution, climate change)

Natural HeritageThe main potential threat is the accidentalreintroduction of alien species, both plants andanimals. Fortunately the number of human visitorsper year is small so the opportunities for otherinvading plants and animals to arrive is minimal.Landing by visitors on the islands and stacks otherthan Hirta is strictly controlled (for reasons of bothaccidental introduction of new plant seeds or smallanimals and for Health and Safety reasons). Thewarden on Hirta monitors arrivals during the visitorseason in summer. No vessel is allowed to tie upalongside the small pier (which is barely suitableanyway) and all visitors by boat decant into smalltenders to come ashore at the steps on the pier.Landings are rarely possible anywhere else.Supplies for the base arrive either by helicopter, orby landing craft. The vessels are screened for ratsand other undesirable species and the warden isequipped with cage traps, etc. in the event of anymammals getting ashore. There is a very low riskof non-native marine species being introduced,either through ship ballast or as fouling organismsfalling off the hull of visiting vessels. No dogs areallowed on the island to minimise disturbance tonesting birds and sheep, and to prevent theaccidental introduction of sheep parasites.

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Cleitean above the head dyke

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Cultural HeritageMost of the standing structures and archaeologicalsites are under no particular threat fromenvironmental conditions, other than their everydayexposure to the sometimes ferocious elements onSt Kilda. A very small number of sites are underthreat from coastal erosion, which is likely tobecome worse if there is an increase in storminesslinked to global climate change. Of particular note,and under regular monitoring, is the landfall atVillage Bay, where archaeological deposits from asearly as the Neolithic period (perhaps 5,000+ yearsago) are eroding from the cliff face, while the Storeis just over a metre from the start of the beach.The site of a ‘boat-shaped setting’ at The Gap wasrecently excavated in advance of further cliff-fallsin the area, and the remaining structural elementsare expected to succumb to cliff-fall at some timein the next few decades.

Because there are no rabbits, moles or otherburrowing mammals on St Kilda, and of theburrowing birds the Atlantic puffins do notcolonise known archaeological sites, although thepetrels do, animal-related threats are minimal,although some conservation work does gethampered by the presence of nesting birds –especially northern fulmars. The lack of trees onthe islands also eliminates a common threat toarchaeology, but bracken rhizomes in the Villageare thought to be damaging – causing‘bioturbation’ of stratified archaeological deposits.Recent research has suggested the expansion ofbracken in this area, and action is programmed toassess the damage being done.

c. Natural disasters andpreparedness (earthquakes,floods, fires, etc.)

Other than frequent and often ferocious storms,large-scale natural disasters are unlikely on St Kilda.Coastal erosion through storms has recentlyincreased, and the Store is now under threat ofbeing undermined. Research is currently underwayto consider whether the Store can be savedwithout compromising the other heritage values of Village Bay.

Storms have regularly caused damage to the roofsof the historic structures in Village Bay, but theirrepair is seen as being part of a regular process of maintenance, rather than a response to a natural disaster.

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d. Visitor/tourism pressureThe remoteness, expense of transport, lack oflanding facilities, limited accommodation and toiletfacilities, water shortages in summer and the totalunpredictability of the weather all conspire toimpose a limit on visitor numbers. Less than twothousand visit annually, mostly from yachts, chartervessels and a few larger cruise ships. Helicopters,which might offer highly disruptive and dangerouslanding opportunities on the other islands andstacks of the archipelago, are prohibited. There is ahelipad on Hirta for the regular re-supplyhelicopters and for emergencies but the onlypermissible flight path is directly into Village Bayfrom the sea and out again. Low-flying aircraft overthe island are discouraged and minimal and,because of the high possibility of bird-strike, notwithout considerable risk.

Most visitors come for the St Kilda experience, toenjoy its dramatic scenery, its extraordinary history,and its wonderful wildlife. Divers charter vessels toexperience the exciting undersea world around StKilda’s shores but other recreational activities, suchas rock climbing, are discouraged. Disturbance tonesting seabirds and damage to the geology andvegetation of the sea cliffs could result, not tomention the extreme difficulties of executing anycliff rescue. The warden, armed with the bylaws, isan effective ‘policing’ presence and visitor accessis difficult and minimal in the winter months.

The ambience and fragility of the grass-coveredstreet in the Village could be spoilt by excessivevisitor numbers, but the inaccessibility of the placeprevents large number of people from being ableto visit and acts as a regulator to visitor pressure.There is no runway on the islands, and helicopteraccess is almost entirely restricted to officialflights; even these can be hampered for days oreven weeks at a time by weather conditions –especially high winds, and mist formed by theisland's microclimate. The vast majority of visitorsmust therefore gain access by the sea – either oncruise ships, day-trip boats, yachts, or sea-goingcanoes. All access by sea is subject to suitableweather conditions, and the tiny pier is not capableof taking vessels much larger than inflatabledinghies. Even if boats manage to get to VillageBay, the often rough conditions may well preventtheir passengers from landing. It is therefore notanticipated that visitor numbers will increasesignificantly over the next few years, in which casethe current level of pressure is not considered tobe particularly damaging to significant features ofthe cultural heritage.

e. Number of inhabitants withinsite

The Army Base has the capacity to accommodateup to 30 personnel. Currently the Base ismaintained by a minimum of 12 civilian staff who work a rota of time on and off the island, but can reach full complement for short periodswith visiting contractors, official visitors, etc. Thereare no permanent full-time inhabitants of any ofthe island. Up to 15 sheep researchers can be onthe island during the height of their season, andduring summer there is a seasonal Warden and the St Kilda Archaeologist.

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The cleit at ‘the end of the world’

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1. Thistles2. Sea stacs3. Sunrise4. Great skua5. Starfish6. Soay lamb7. Jewel anemone



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6MonitoringA census of all seabirds on the archipelagotakes place every 15 years (every 10 years fornorthern gannets) and the warden monitorsbreeding success of certain species such asblack-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars andskuas each summer. In addition, the JNCCmonitored northern fulmar, common guillemotand razorbill numbers in selected plots in1990, 1993, 1996 and 1999. Scottish NaturalHeritage has annually monitored breedingproductivity of northern fulmars (since 1989)and of black-legged kittiwakes (since 1986)while CEH analyse northern gannet eggs atregular intervals, for the presence ofpesticides and other chemical pollutants.

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a. Key indicators for measuringstate of conservation

The warden monitors visitors and activitieswhile collating natural history records.He/she undertakes periodic counts of birdsand sheep while the universities co-operatingon the sheep study undertake an annualcensus of the sheep on Hirta. Whenever theopportunity arises the warden will attemptsheep counts on Soay and Boreray, althoughnumbers fluctuate from year to year nosignificant trend has yet been detected.

Because of the way the site is managed, the stateof conservation is very closely monitored.

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Within the St Kilda candidiate marine Special Areaof Conservation, monitoring/surveillance of specificmarine features will be carried out over a rollingsix-year programme. The features for which themarine SAC has been identified are characteristicrocky reef habitats associated with vertical rockwalls, overhangs, ledges and surge gullies. Alsoincluded are the numerous submerged andpartially submerged sea caves. The broad scalesurveys carried out by SNH in 1997 and 2000provide a comprehensive and extensive baselineshowing seabed topography and character and willguide more detailed monitoring efforts in thefuture. This will include the use of videodocumentation obtained from remotely operatedvehicles or drop down equipment deployed at deepwater sites and scuba diver observation where it isconsidered appropriate to do so. At the same timewhen monitoring the marine SAC features otherhabitats, not included within the SAC designation(due to their omission from the Habitats DirectiveAnnex 1), such as the deep sublittoral sedimentareas will be monitored also.

Because of the way the site is managed, theconservation is very closely monitored. The firstjob each season is to examine the features in andaround Village Bay and report any collapses of builthistoric structures – including drystone walls andenclosures, as well as damage to mortaredbuildings. This ensures that immediateconservation work can be agreed with HistoricScotland. In addition, the working draft of theArchaeological Action Plan details the monitoringwork that is required on a cyclical basis, forexample the Gleann Mor structures. The very largenumber of historic features on Hirta, and theinaccessability of the other islands of thearchipelago, has necessitated a prioritisedmonitoring regime, based on the significance ofeach feature or group of features. For example,around 300 of the 1270+ cleitean on Hirta havebeen selected for regular monitoring.

Monitoring information is recorded on a databaseand photographically. Depending on availableresources, appropriate actions are prescribed toprevent the deterioration of built structures and torepair those which have suffered damage since thelast monitoring period. Details of monitoring actions,and of conservation actions, are added to TheNational Trust for Scotland Sites and MonumentsRecord database where they form a permanent,easily accessed record.

All actions on the islands which have the potentialto disturb archaeological levels or historic buildingsare carried out under archaeological supervision,having first selected a strategy of works designedto cause least damage. Cables, for instance, arenormally laid on the surface rather than being dug into the ground. Summaries of all works that have required the attention of an archaeologistare contained in the St Kilda Archaeologist’sAnnual Report.

The Work Party Leader reports on thoseconservation activities carried out by voluntaryWork Parties shortly after returning from St Kilda.Leaders’ reports are summarised by NTS staff, anda report is published in the annual St Kilda Mail(the publication of the St Kilda Club), and a verbalreport is given to the Annual General Meeting ofthe St Kilda Club. The report is also submitted toHistoric Scotland for scrutiny, and the works arediscussed at the annual ‘Tripartite’ meetingbetween the NTS, Scottish Natural Heritage, theMinistry of Defence, and Historic Scotland.

Details of all archaeological excavations or of otherpieces of research that affect the physical remainsare summarised within a few months of fieldwork,and summary reports are disseminated toappropriate archaeological resource managers andto local and national archives. A short summary ofthe year’s fieldwork activities is published annuallyin the archaeological journal Discovery andExcavation in Scotland.

The Historic Scotland Field Monument Wardenaims to visit St Kilda every three-five years in orderto report on the state of upstanding and buriedarchaeological features within the areasdesignated as scheduled ancient monuments;it is planned to devolve some of this recording tothe St Kilda Archaeologist. The Field MonumentWarden contributes towards a database ofinformation relating to the state of preservation ofthe Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

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b. Administrative arrangementsfor monitoring property

The St Kilda Archaeologist produces an AnnualReport of activities, including all activitiesassociated with the historic fabric of the islands.This report is submitted to Historic Scotland forscrutiny in accordance with the Trust’s obligationsunder the Management Agreement with HistoricScotland related to conservation works onscheduled areas. The St Kilda Archaeologist alsoproduces more specific reports relating tomonitoring and recording projects.

Representatives of Historic Scotland visit St Kildaat least once a year to examine work carried outthe previous year and to discuss the programme ofconservation and other works being proposed forthe coming season. That meeting is attended byNTS Regional conservation staff, who areresponsible for fulfilling the Trust’s obligationsunder the Historic Scotland ManagementAgreement, but who also have a responsibility forthe whole historic landscape – large tracts ofwhich are not covered by the scheduling.

The St Kilda warden/ranger submits monthlyreports to NTS and SNH and an annual report tothe Tri-partite Committee. SNH logs all Natura/SSSI/NSA casework.

c. Results of previous reportingexercises

National Trust for Scotland Work Parties have beeninvolved in the active conservation of the builtstructures and archaeology of St Kilda since 1958,and from 1963 have produced sporadic reportsoutlining the nature of the work done by theParties. Recording became more formalisedtowards the end of the 1980s, and in the pastdecade the summaries have been completedwithout fail. A new initiative has been thecompilation of conservation records relating toindividual buildings or features, as opposed tochronologically-ordered exercises. These reportsare now being compiled and kept up to date,enabling an at-a-glance appraisal of the degree ofreconstruction or restoration undertaken on eachfeature over many years. The very severe weatherconditions on St Kilda have taken their toll on moststanding structures, and much rebuilding of fallendrystone walling, and repointing of mortaredstructures has occurred. Nevertheless, this workhas taken place under the guidance of the bestconservation practice of the time, which hasmeant that rather than now being a series of highlyruinous shells and piles of stones, the essentialcharacter and integrity of the structures has beenretained as far as possible.

Dun Gap - Village Bay

1. Northern fulmar2. Winter3. Cleitean4. Sea anemone5. Minke whale6. Boreray- north coast7. Levenish at sunset



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7Documentation

... they are kind and hospitable in the highestdegree; observe the most scrupulous regard fortruth; and are obliging and attentive to strangersto a most pleasing extent. They are celebrated forthe goodness of their singing and their cheeses...from: Expeditions to the Hebrides by George Clayton Atkinson, 1831

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a. Photographs, slides and,where available, film/video

Extensive documentary, photographic records andvideos, together with collections of archaeologicalfinds and other artefacts are available from anumber of sources (see 4d below).

A representative selection of photographic slidesand video are included with this submission.

b. Copies of site managementplans and extracts from otherplans relevant to the site

The 2002-2007 St Kilda NNR Management Plan isin a separate document, submitted with thisrevised nomination.

A rare picture inside the schoolroom

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c. Selected BibliographyAbraham, D.A. and Ritchie, J.D. 1991 ‘The Darwincomplex, a Tertiary igneous centre in the NorthernRockall Trough’ Scottish Journal of Geology, 27,113–125

Acland, A. 1981 A Devon Family: The Story of theAclands, Phillimore & Co, Chichester

Admiralty 1865 Chart 2474 Hebrides or WesternIsles from Barra Head to Scarpa Island, andsubsequent editions

Admiralty 1911 Chart 1144 Plans in the Hebridesand subsequent editions

Admiralty 1934 West Coast of Scotland PilotLondon (8th edition.)

Allen, J. 1880 ‘Notes on wooden tumbler locks’Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries ofScotland, 14, (1879–80), 149–162

Ancrum, M. 1985 Nomination of St Kilda forinclusion in the World Heritage List, Edinburgh

Anderson, A. 1957 ‘A census of Fulmars on Hirta,July, 1956’ Scottish Naturalist, 69, 113–116

Anderson, A. 1962 ‘A count of fulmars on Hirta,St Kilda, in July 1961’ Scottish Naturalist, 70, 120–125

Anderson, I.F. 1937 Across Hebridean Seas London

Anderson, J. 1875 ‘Notes on the relics of theViking period of the Northmen in Scotland,illustrated by specimens in the Museum’Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries ofScotland, 10 (1872–4), 536–594

Anderson, P.J. 1917 A concise bibliography of theprinted and ms. Material on the history, topographyand institutions of the burgh, parish and shire ofInverness (10. Other Parishes: Harris, St Kilda,172–176) Aberdeen

Andrew, K.M. 1970 ‘Kingdom of the Birds’ ScotsMagazine, August, 414–423

Anon. c.1594 ‘A short Description of the WesternIsles of Scotland, lying in the Deucalidon Sea,being above 300. Also the Isles of Orknay andShetland or Hethland’ printed as part of CertainMatters concerning the Realme of Scotlandcomposed together London.

Anon. 1595 ‘The Description of the Isles ofScotland’ (probably 1577–95) printed as appendixto Skene, W.F. Celtic Scotland, 1880-3, 428–440

Anon. 1732 Description at St Kilda The mostwestern Isle of Scotland, giving an account of itssituation, extent, soil, product, bay, and adjacentisland of rocks Register of the Great Seal ofScotland Ms. 914.117, Edinburgh

Anon. 1751 A Voyage to Scotland, the Orkneys andthe Western Isles of Scotland, C. Corbet, London

Anon. 1822 ‘Gaelic School Reports’ Annual Reportsof the Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools, 11,1822





Anon. 1846 ‘The story of Lady Grange’ ChambersEdinburgh Journal, 114, March 7, 45–148

Anon. 1898 ‘St Kilda, a rock in the British Atlantic’Eclectic Magazine, 131, New York, 87

Anon. 1906 Holiday Tours to the Western Highlandsand Islands, Including the Romantic Island of StKilda Glasgow

Anon. 1913 ‘Ascent of Stack na Biorrach, St Kilda’Alpine Journal, 27, 195–202

Anon. 1926 ‘St Kilda’ British Medical Journal, 2,80–81

Anon. 1957 ‘An expedition to Hirta’ Scottish Field,October 1957

Anon. 1957 ‘Animals and humans at St Kilda’Discovery, August, 344–348

Anon. 1973 ‘Childhood days on St Kilda’ Gairloch(reprint of Cameron, articles in Oban Times, 1969)

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Armstrong, Rev. E.A. 1953 ‘The history, behaviourand breeding-biology of the St Kilda Wren’ Auk, 70,127–150

Armstrong, Rev. E.A. 1955 The Wren London

Armstrong, E.A. 1959 ‘The behaviour and breedingenvironment of the St Kilda wren’ British Birds, 52,136-138

Arnet, H. (ed.) Extracts from the Records of theBurgh of Edinburgh 1701–1718

Arrowsmith, A. 1809 Memoir relative to theconstruction of the Map of Scotland published byhim in 1807 London

Atkinson, G.C. 1831 A few Weeks’ Ramble amongthe Hebrides in the Summer of 1831 Ms. Accountin NTS Archive

Atkinson, G.C. 1832 ‘Notice of St Kilda’Transactions of the Natural History Society ofNorthumberland, 2, 215–225

Atkinson, G.C. 1838 ‘An account of an expeditionto St Kilda in 1831’ Transactions of the NaturalHistory Society of Northumberland. Durham andNewcastle, 2, 215–225, map P1 III

Atkinson, R. and Ainslie, J. 1940 ‘British breedingstatus of Leach’s fork-tailed Petrel’ British Birds, 34,50–55

Atkinson, R. 1947 ‘Studies of some species rarelyphotographed .vi. The St Kilda wren’ British Birds,40, 145 pls.12–15

Atkinson, R. 1949 Island Going London (Reprint,1995 Birlinn, Edinburgh)

Bagenal, T.B. 1953 ‘The birds on St Kilda 1952’Scottish Naturalist, 65, 19–24

Bagenal, T.B. 1957 ‘Vertical range of some littoralanimals on St Kilda’ Scottish Naturalist, 69, 50–51

Bagenal, T.B. 1958 ‘The feeding of nestling St KildaWrens’, Bird Study, 5, 83–87

Baillie, Lady, of Polkemmet 1875 ‘A short visit to StKilda by a Lady: 1874’ Church of ScotlandMissionary Record, January 1875, 254–257

Baldwin, J. 1974 ‘Sea bird fowling in Scotland andFaroe’ Folk Life, 12, 60–103

Bancroft, D.R. 1993 ‘Genetic variation and fitnessin Soay sheep’ Ph.D. Thesis, University ofCambridge

Bancroft, D.R. 1995 ‘A microsatellite polymorphismat the ovine pituitary adenylate cyclase activatingpolypeptide gene which can be co-amplified withtwo other loci’ Animal Genetics, 26, 59

Bancroft, D.R., Pemberton J.M. and King P.W. 1995‘Extensive protein and microsatellite variability inan isolated, cyclic ungulate population’ Heredity,74, 326–336

Bancroft, D.R., Pemberton, J.M., Albon, S.D.,Robertson, A., MacColl, A.D.C., Smith, J.A.,Stevenson, I.R. and Clutton-Brock, T.H., 1995‘Molecular genetic variation and individual survivalduring population crashes of an unmanagedungulate population’ Philosophical Transactions ofthe Royal Society, 347, 263–273

Barrett-Hamilton, G.E.H. 1899 ‘On the species ofthe genus Mus inhabiting St. Kilda.’ Proceedings ofthe Zoological Society London, 77–88

Barrett-Hamilton, G.E.H. 1899 ‘On two recentlydescribed mice from St Kilda’ Annals of ScottishNatural History, 31, 129–140

Barrett-Hamilton, G.E.H. 1900 ‘On geographical andindividual variation in Mus sylvaticus and its allies’Proceedings of the Zoological Society London,387–428

Barrett-Hamilton, G.E.H. 1906 ‘On a collection ofmice (Mus hirtensis and M. muralis) from St Kilda’Annals of Scottish Natural History, 57, 1–4

Barrett-Hamilton, G.E.H. 1910 A History of BritishMammals London

Barrington, R.M. 1866 ‘Notes on the flora of StKilda’ Journal of Botany, 24, 213–216

Barrington, R.M. 1884 ‘The St Kilda Wren’Zoologist, 8, 383–385

Barrington, R.M. 1913 ‘Ascent of Stack na Biorrach,St Kilda’ Alpine Journal, 27, 195–202

Barron, J. 1912 ‘The Northern Institution and itsleading members 1825–1835’ Inverness Courier,Inverness

Barry, J. 1980 ‘Aircraft wrecks on St Kilda’ After theBattle, 30, 28–43

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Basham, S. 1991 ‘Subterranean structures on Hirta,St Kilda, Scotland’ Bulletin Subterranea Britannica,27, 5–6

Baxter, C. and Crumley, J. 1988 St Kilda. A portraitof Britians’ remotest island landscape, Colin BaxterPhotography, Lanark

Baxter, C. and Quine, D. 2002 St Kilda. Colin BaxterPhotography, Grantown-on-Spey

Baxter, J.M. 1998 ‘Spectacular Underwater Secretsof St Kilda’ Heritage Scotland, 15(1), 22-25.

Beare, T.H. 1908 ‘Notes on the Coleoptera from StKilda’ Annals of Scottish Natural History, 17, 30–33

Beare, T.H. 1916 ‘Notes on Coleoptera from StKilda’ Scottish Naturalist, 258–260

Benzie, D. and Gill, J.C. 1974 ‘Radiography of theskeletal and dental condition of the Soay sheep’Chapter 12 in Jewell, P.A., Milner, C. and Boyd,J.M. (eds). Island Survivors: The Ecology of theSoay Sheep of St Kilda Athlone Press, London

Berry, R.J. 1969 ‘History in the evolution ofApodemus sylvaticus (Mammalia) at one end of itsrange’ Journal of Zoology, 159, 311–328

Birnie, G.W.V. 1972 ‘A census of puffins (Fraterculaarctica) on Hirta and Dun (St Kilda), July 1969unpublished

Birnie, G.W.V. and Yule, R.F. 1969 ‘A count offulmars on Hirta’ unpublished

Blair, J. 1962 ‘At Last – St Kilda’ Scots Magazine,Febuary, 377–384

Blankenhorn, V.S. 1979 ‘From the Farthest Hebrides’(Review article) The Scottish Review, 16, 53–55

Boddington, D. 1959 ‘St Kilda, Outer Hebrides’ BirdMigration, 1, 24–25, 72–73

Boddington, D. 1960 ‘Unusual mortality of youngpuffins on St Kilda, 1959’ Scottish Birds, 1, 218-220

Boddington, D. and Maclellan, G. 1959 ‘Birds on StKilda 1958-59’ unpublished

Boece, Hector 1527 Scotorum Regni Description fxiiii: part of: Scotorum Historiae Prima GentisOrigine cum aliarum et rerum et gentium illustrationenon vulgari Paris (another edition 1574, (f 8))

Bones, M. 1992 ‘The Garefowl or Great AukPinguinis impennis’ Hebridean Naturalist, 11, 15-24

Boswell, J. 1785 The Journal of a Tour to theHebrides (Oxford University reprint, 1974)

Bourne, W.R.P. and Harris, M.P. 1979 ‘Birds of theHebrides: seabirds’ Proceedings of the RoyalSociety of Edinburgh, 77B, 445-475

Bowen, D. Q., Rose, J., McCabe, A. M. andSutherland, D.G. 1986 ‘Correlation of QuarternaryGlaciations in England, Ireland, Scotland andWales’ Quarternary Science Reviews, 5, 299-340

Boyd, J.M. 1952 ‘St Kilda in 1952’ Scottish Field,October, 1952

Boyd, J.M. 1953 ‘The sheep population of Hirta1952’ Scottish Naturalist, 65, 25–28

Boyd, J.M.1954 ‘The St Kilda wren in village area,Hirta, 1952’ Scottish Naturalist, 66, 47–49

Boyd, J.M. 1955 ‘Golden Eagle at St Kilda’ BritishBirds, 48, 454

Boyd, J.M. 1956 ‘Field mouse population in Villagearea, May 1955’ Oikos, 7, 110–116

Boyd, J.M. 1956 ‘The sheep population of Hirta,St Kilda, 1955’ Scottish Naturalist, 68, 10–13

Boyd, J.M. 1956 ‘The Lumbricidae of Hirta, St Kilda’Annual Magazine of Natural History, 9, 129–133

Boyd, J.M. 1956 ‘The Lumbricidae in the Hebrides2 Geographical Distribution’ Scottish Naturalist, 68,165–172

Boyd, J.M. 1957 ‘Animals and humans at St Kilda’Discovery, 344–348

Boyd, J.M. 1957 ‘Ecological distribution of theLumbricidae in the Hebrides’ Proceedings of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh, 66B, 311–338

Boyd, J.M. 1957 ‘Lumbricidae at Boreray, St Kilda’Glasgow Naturalist, 17, 280–281

Boyd, J.M. 1960 ‘The distribution and numbers ofkittiwakes and guillemots at St Kilda’ British Birds,53, 252–264

Boyd, J.M. 1960 ‘Birds on Boreray, St Kilda, May1960’ unpublished

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Boyd, J.M. 1961 ‘The gannetry of St Kilda’ Journalof Animal Ecology, 30, 117-136

Boyd, J.M. 1969 ‘Annotated map of kittiwake andguillemot colonies’ unpublished

Boyd, J.M., Doney,I.M., Gunn, R.G. and Jewell, P.A.1964 ‘The Soay sheep of the island of Hirta,St Kilda. A study of a feral population’ Proceedingsof the Zoological Society of London, 42, 129–163

Boyd, J.M. Munns, D.J. Whitehouse, A.A.K. 1956‘Birds in St Kilda, May 1955’ Scottish Naturalist, 68,14–22

Boyd, J.M. Twenion, A. and Wallace, D.I.M. 1957 ‘The birds in St Kilda, mid summer 1956’Scottish Naturalist, 69, 94–112

Boyd, J.M. and Waters, W.E. 1963 ‘Rock thrush onSt Kilda’ British Birds, 56, 66–67

Boyd, J.M. and Wormell, P. 1958 ‘Spring observationson the Manx shearwtaer and small petrels onSt Kilda and Rhum’ Scottish Birds, 1, 46–48

Brash, I. 1965 ‘St Kilda – Please Open’ ScotsMagazine, May, 160–163

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Stevenson, I.R. 1994 ‘Male-biased mortality in Soaysheep’ Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cambridge

Stewart, A. 1877 ‘The St Kilda Maids’ Song’ Gael,6, April 1877, 125

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Wood, J.G. nd My Feathered Friends

d. Address where inventory,records and archives are held

Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove, Glasgow,G3 8AG, Scotland, United KingdomPrincipal repository for artefacts and archaeologicalfinds from St Kilda. Currently holds on loan theNTS St Kilda collection.

Dunvegan Castle, Isle of SkyeFormer owners, the MacLeods have an interestingdisplay of St Kilda artefacts amd memorabilia.

Historic Scotland, Longmore House, SalisburyPlace, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH, Scotland, UnitedKingdom(historic-scotland.gov.uk)Holds documentary and photographic records.

Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Seabirdsand Cetaceans, Dunnet House, 7 Thistle Place,Aberdeen, AB10 1UZ, Scotland, United KingdomHolds seabird census data and cetacean sightingsrecords from St Kilda.

Museum nan Eilean, Francis Street, Stornoway,Western Isles, HS1 2NF, Scotland, UnitedKingdomRepository of artefacts, photographs anddocumentary material from St Kilda.

Museum nan Eilean, Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula,Western Isles, HS7 5PJ, Scotland, UnitedKingdomRepository of artefacts, photographs anddocumentary material from St Kilda.

National Archives of Scotland, H.M. GeneralRegister House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY, Scotland,United Kingdom(nas.gov.uk)Holds documentary sources and a limitedphotographic record of St Kilda.

National Monuments Record of Scotland, JohnSinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh,EH8 9NX, Scotland, United Kingdom([email protected])Extensive photographic records, plans, elevationsand other drawn materials resulting from recentsurveys. Also archive material from previousarchaeological excavation, and historic archivephotographs. Publicly accessible.

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School of Scottish Studies, University ofEdinburgh, 27 George Square, Edinburgh, EH89LD, Scotland, United Kingdom([email protected])Major collection of ethnographic material from StKilda, including sound recordings and majorcollections of old photographs.

Scottish Natural Heritage, Advisory Services,Maritime Group, 2 Anderson Place, Edinburgh,EH6 5NP, Scotland, United Kingdom(snh.org.uk)Holds marine natural heritage records, underwatervideos and photographs from St Kilda.

Scottish Natural Heritage, Stilligarry, Isle ofSouth Uist, Western Isles, HS8 5RS, Scotland,United Kingdom(snh.org.uk)Holds natural heritage records and photographsfrom St Kilda.

The National Trust for Scotland, Wemyss House,28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET,Scotland, United Kingdom([email protected])Documentary records from 1957 and before, plusarchival records and photographs of pastconservation works and condition monitoringexercises. Includes the St Kilda Club archives, andthose of the Highland Agricultural Society.

University of Aberdeen Library, Queen MotherLibrary, Meston Walk, Old Aberdeen, Aberdeen,AB24 3UE, Scotland, United Kingdom([email protected])Holds the George Washington Wilson Collection oflate 19th-century photographs of life on St Kilda.

Finlay MacQueen with a puffin he caught and stuffed himself

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Signed on behalf of the State Party

Full name: JACK McCONNELL

Title: FIRST MINISTER

Date: January 2003

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Acknowledgements

The development of the revised nomination document for the St Kilda World Heritage Site was carried outby a Steering Group comprising:

• Ian Melville (Scottish Executive)• Manson Wright (Scottish Executive)• Robin Turner (The National Trust for Scotland)• Richard Luxmoore (The National Trust for Scotland)• Lorraine Bell (The National Trust for Scotland)• Kevin O’Carroll (Department of Trade and Industry)• Sally Foster (Historic Scotland)• Ken Kennedy (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)• Jim Reid (Joint Nature Conservation Committee)• John Love (Scottish Natural Heritage)• John Baxter (Scottish Natural Heritage).

A large number of other individuals have contributed to the production of the document, including:

Calum Ferguson who wrote ‘St Kilda’s language and culture’;Josephine Pemberton who provided data on Soay and Boreray sheep;Mary MacLean (SNH) who provided the Gaelic translation of The First Ministers’ Introduction;Past wardens of St Kilda, all of whom have provided valuable biological records, but especially JimVaughan, Stuart Murray and Andy Robinson;The geology text was written by John Gordon, George Lees and Colin MacFadyen (all SNH) with acontribution by Fiona MacTaggart. The text was reviewed by Jim Hansom (Glasgow University) and byvarious staff at the British Geological Survey, including Howard Johnson, David Stephenson, Alick Leslie,Ruth Hoult, Joseph Bulat, Rhys Cooper, Heather Stewart, Nicholas Golledge and Sandy Henderson;Tony Weighell (JNCC) and Christopher Young (English Heritage) who provided guidance to the SteeringGroup and contributed to the revised nomination document;Andy Webb (JNCC) produced the maps of seabird distribution around St Kilda and Claire McSorleyproduced the figure depicting common guillemot distribution at the Isle of May;Ian Mitchell and Tim Dunn (JNCC) provided data on seabird breeding numbers;The Hydrographic Office, Ministry of Defence, Taunton, Somerset for supplying charts;David Donnan (SNH) co-ordinated interpretation of the seabed survey data;Mary Harman;Bob Foster-Smith (University of Newcastle) drew the diagram of the littoral and sublittoral zonation;Paul McCormack (DCMS);Susan Bain, Jill Harden and Julie Duff (NTS);Astron Document Services Ltd., with particular thanks to the Graphic Design Team.

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Image Acknowledgements

The following sources of images in the document are gratefully acknowledged. The images are allcopyright of the photographers /organisations. More specific picture credits are contained in the RevisedNomination Document.

AerofilmsAlexander Bennet/NTSAndy RobinsonArchibald Maynard/NTSColin BaxterBen BuxtonD. Scott/NTSDavid Donnan/SNH/JNCCDavina Graham/Glasgow MuseumG.D. Hay/Crown CopyrightGeorge Washington Wilson/ University of AberdeenGlasgow MuseumsHighland CouncilIsla Robertson/NTSJ. Strachan/NTSJames Fenton/NTSJill Harden/NTSJim Vaughan/SNHJohn Baxter/SNH/JNCCJohn LoveMaclean PressNational Museums of ScotlandNeil Ferguson CollectionNational Trust for Scotland (NTS)Paul Johnson/NTSR.M.R. Milne/NTSRCAHMSRichard Luxmoore/NTSRobert Atkinson/ School of Scottish StudiesRobin Turner/NTSRohan Holt/SNH/JNCCSchool of Scottish StudiesSharbau/Trustees of the National Museums of ScotlandSir Thomas Dyke Acland/Sir John Dyke AclandSue Scott/SNH/JNCCSusan Bain/NTS

revised nomination of kilda - st kilda, · pdf fileagus beachd shaoghalta dhan àite....

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