St Kilda (Scottish Gaelic: Hiort) is a remote group of islands located 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. These islands are the westernmost part of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. The largest island, Hirta, has the highest sea cliffs in the United Kingdom. Three other islands—Dùn, Soay, and Boreray—were used for grazing sheep and hunting seabirds. The islands are officially part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority area.
The origin of the name "St Kilda" is not certain. The islands have a unique history of human habitation, including special buildings from ancient and medieval times. The earliest written records of life on the islands date to the Late Middle Ages. A medieval village on Hirta was rebuilt in the 19th century, but illnesses from increased contact with visitors and the challenges of World War I led to the island’s evacuation. People may have lived on the islands for about 2,000 years, with the population likely never exceeding 180. The population was highest in the late 17th century and dropped to 36 by 1930, when the last residents left. Today, only military personnel live there year-round, while scientists, conservation workers, and volunteers visit during the summer. The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
A cleit is a type of stone storage hut or shelter found only on St Kilda. There are 1,260 cleitean on Hirta and 170 on the other islands. Two ancient types of sheep still live there: the Soay, from the Neolithic period, and the Boreray, from the Iron Age. The islands are an important nesting place for many seabirds, including northern gannets, Atlantic puffins, and northern fulmars. The St Kilda wren and St Kilda field mouse are species found only on these islands.
St Kilda became one of Scotland’s seven World Heritage Sites in 1986. It is one of the few places in the world recognized for both its natural beauty and its cultural significance.
Origin of names
The name St Kilda is not used in Gaelic and has an unknown origin. There is no saint named Kilda. The name first appears in Thresoor der Zeevaert ("Treasure of Navigation"), a navigation guide published by Lucas Waghenaer in 1592. A. B. Taylor suggests the name may have come from a mistake in copying Skilda(r), a name on Nicolas de Nicolay’s 1583 map of Scotland, which Waghenaer used as a source. On Nicolay’s map, the name refers to an island group near Lewis and Harris, possibly Haskeir, Gasker, or Haskeir Eagach. Taylor notes that the last two names might describe islands that look like shields lying flat on water and connects them to the Norse word skildir, meaning "shields."
Another theory, proposed by William J. Watson and others, says the name comes from Tobar Childa, a significant well on Hirta. Childa is linked to the Norse word kelda, meaning "well." However, visitors to the island might have mistaken the well’s name for a saint’s name. Many other theories about the name’s origin have been suggested over time.
The origins of Hiort and its English form Hirta, which existed long before St Kilda, are also unclear. Watson connects Hirta to the Gaelic word hirt, meaning "death." He notes that while Alexander MacBain thought the name might relate to the idea of the island being a gateway to paradise, it is more likely connected to the dangers of living on St Kilda, which was seen as a place of punishment rather than a paradise. Some suggest Hirta comes from the Gaelic phrase na h-iartìre, meaning "the western land," but this theory has challenges. It may not be Gaelic at all but Norse. Taylor links Hirta to the Norse word hirtir, meaning "stags," because the islands have jagged shapes. He supports this by noting that Hirtir appears in the 13th-century Prestssaga Guðmundar Arasonar as a name for an island group in the Hebrides.
As with St Kilda, many other theories about the names of the islands have been proposed. Richard Coates discusses all the names of and on the islands in detail.
Geography
The islands are made of ancient volcanic rock, including granites and gabbro, which have been worn down by wind and rain over time. The archipelago is what remains of a long-dead ring-shaped volcano that once rose from a flat area of the seabed about 40 meters (130 feet) below sea level.
Hirta is the largest island in the group, covering 670 hectares (1,700 acres) and making up more than 78% of the archipelago’s total land area. Soay, also called "sheep island," is next in size at 99 hectares (240 acres), and Boreray, known as "the fortified isle," measures 86 hectares (210 acres). Soay lies 500 meters (1/4 nautical mile) northwest of Hirta, while Boreray is six kilometers (3 nautical miles) northeast. Other smaller islands and rock formations in the group include Stac an Armin ("warrior's stack"), Stac Lee ("grey stack"), and Stac Levenish ("stream" or "torrent"). The island of Dùn ("fort") once connected to Hirta through a natural rock bridge that protected Village Bay from strong southwesterly winds. Some believe the bridge was broken when a ship from the defeated Spanish Armada hit it, while others think it was destroyed by winter storms.
The highest point in the archipelago, Conachair ("the beacon"), is 430 meters (1,410 feet) tall and located on Hirta, just north of the village. In the southeast, Oiseval ("east fell") reaches 290 meters (950 feet), and Mullach Mòr ("big hill summit") is 361 meters (1,185 feet) west of Conachair. Ruival ("red fell") is 137 meters (449 feet) high, and Mullach Bi ("pillar summit") is 358 meters (1,175 feet) tall, both rising from the western cliffs. Boreray reaches 384 meters (1,260 feet), and Soay is 378 meters (1,240 feet). The Stac an Armin, at 196 meters (643 feet), and Stac Lee, at 172 meters (564 feet), are the tallest sea stacks in Britain.
In modern times, the only settlement on St Kilda was at Village Bay (Scottish Gaelic: Bàgh a' Bhaile or Loch Hiort) on the east side of Hirta. Earlier homes remain on Gleann Mòr on Hirta’s north coast and on Boreray. The view of Hirta from Village Bay suggests a small village surrounded by hills, but the north side of Conachair is a steep cliff nearly 427 meters (1,401 feet) high, falling directly into the sea and forming the highest sea cliff in the UK.
The archipelago is home to some of the most dramatic sea cliffs in the British Isles. Baxter and Crumley (1988) described St Kilda as a place where "a mad, imperfect God scattered unnecessary natural beauty in the Atlantic, far from the mainland."
Although 64 kilometers (35 nautical miles) from the nearest land, St Kilda can be seen from the Skye Cuillin, about 129 kilometers (70 nautical miles) away. The climate is oceanic, with high rainfall (about 1,400 millimeters or 55 inches per year) and high humidity. Average temperatures are 5.6°C (42.1°F) in January and 11.8°C (53.2°F) in July. Winds are mostly southerly and southwesterly, with speeds averaging 13 km/h (7 knots) about 85% of the time and over 24 km/h (13 knots) more than 30% of the time. Strong gales occur less than 2% of the time, but wind gusts of 185 km/h (100 knots) or more are common on high ground, and speeds of 209 km/h (113 knots) have been recorded near sea level. The tidal range is 2.9 meters (9.5 feet), and ocean swells of 5 meters (16 feet) often make landings difficult or impossible. The oceanic location prevents heavy snow, which falls for only about 12 days each year.
St Kilda’s remote location and oceanic climate are similar to only a few other small islands in the UK, such as the Flannan Isles, North Rona, Sula Sgeir, and the Bishop’s Isles near the southern edge of the Outer Hebrides. Administratively, St Kilda was once part of the parish of Harris in the traditional county of Inverness-shire. Today, it is part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar unitary authority (formerly the Western Isles Islands Council).
History
People have known for a long time that St Kilda was home to people for over 2,000 years, from the Bronze Age until 1930. In 2015, the first direct proof of earlier Neolithic settlement was found, including pieces of pottery called Hebridean ware, discovered near the village. Later, a stone tool quarry on Mullach Sgar above Village Bay led to the discovery of many stone tools, such as hoe-blades, grinders, and Skaill knives, inside special stone storage buildings called cleitean. These tools are likely from the Neolithic period.
The pottery appears to be made from local materials, not brought from other islands, suggesting the islands were settled around 4,000 years ago. Iron Age pottery has also been found. Archaeologist Alan Hunter Blair noted that the eastern end of Village Bay was heavily used during the Iron Age, though no house structures were found.
The first written record of St Kilda may be from 1202, when an Icelandic cleric wrote about taking shelter on "the islands called Hirtir." Early reports mention brooches, an iron sword, and Danish coins. Norse place names show Vikings lived on Hirta, but most evidence has been lost. In the late 14th century, John of Fordun called the islands "the isle of Irte," located near the edge of the world. The islands belonged to the MacLeods of Harris, whose steward collected rents and performed duties. The first detailed visit was in 1549, when Donald Munro described the people as poor and lacking religious knowledge, though a chaplain visited to baptize children.
In 1615, Coll MacDonald of Colonsay raided Hirta, taking 30 sheep and barley. After this, the islands became known for their abundance. In 1697, Martin Martin recorded a population of 180, with the steward traveling with a group of up to 60 people to visit the islands and help others regain health.
Until the early 19th century, islanders had a close relationship with nature, which included rituals linked to Druidism. Their understanding of Christianity also shaped their lives. A "druidic" stone circle near Stallar House on Boreray was reported by Macauley in 1764, but by 1875, no evidence of it remained.
Rachel Chiesley, Lady Grange, lived on St Kilda from 1734 to 1741. In 1759, Kenneth Macaulay visited on behalf of a religious group and published a book about the island’s history and customs.
In the 18th century, visiting ships brought diseases like cholera and smallpox. In 1727, many people died, so new families were brought from Harris. By 1758, the population reached 88, and by the end of the century, it was nearly 100. This number stayed the same until 1852, when 36 people emigrated to Australia on the ship Priscilla, reducing the population to 70. Some returned later, but 18 of the 36 died during the journey. The emigration followed the closure of the church during the Disruption, which created the Free Church of Scotland.
A missionary named Alexander Buchan arrived in 1705 but failed to establish organized religion. This changed in 1822 with Rev. John MacDonald, who preached many sermons and improved the islanders’ lives. His successor, Rev. Neil Mackenzie, rebuilt the village, improved agriculture, and started schools for reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Mackenzie left in 1844, and no new minister was appointed for a decade. When Rev. John Mackay arrived in 1865, he emphasized strict religious practices, requiring long church services and forbidding play or games. Visitors noted the strict rules made daily life difficult. Mackay remained the minister for 24 years.
The church and manse have been restored, and more work is planned for their 200th anniversary. Visitors can see how they looked in the 1920s.
Most modern commentators say that the main theme of life on St Kilda was isolation. In 1697, the only way to reach the islands was by open boat, which took days and was dangerous in bad weather. A 1908 diary entry mentioned storms could happen anytime from September to March. Records from the National Trust for Scotland show gales occurred for 75 days.
21st-century tourism
Visits to St Kilda were encouraged until the pandemic in 2020 caused facilities to close. The area has since reopened.
The National Trust for Scotland has worked to improve the village on Hirta over time. They have repaired the roofs of the cottages on the main street, restored the church, and replaced stones that strong winds had knocked down from the cleits, or bothies, found across the volcanic landscape. One cottage, number 3 on "The Street," has been more thoroughly restored and turned into a museum. However, the other cottages are not expected to be fully restored.
According to the Historic Environment Scotland website, the simple church with a schoolroom added to its northwest in 1898 was restored to look as it might have appeared in the 1920s. The site also explains that the village’s curved street layout resulted from improvements made in the mid-1800s. Unique dry-stone storage structures called cleitan are scattered throughout the area. There are over 1,400 cleitan across the St Kilda archipelago, with most located near the village.
The National Trust for Scotland notes that there is strong interest in diving and birdwatching in the area. St Kilda is home to Europe’s most important seabird colony and a major seabird breeding site in the North Atlantic. Before the pandemic, day trips by boat from Stein Jetty, Skye, were available for tourists. A review of St Kilda, written before the closure, noted that landing at the pier can be difficult in rough seas.
Architecture
The oldest buildings on St Kilda are the most mysterious. Large sheepfolds are located inland from the current village at An Lag Bho'n Tuath (English: the hollow in the north). These areas have strange "boat-shaped" stone rings, or "settings." Soil samples suggest these structures date back to 1850 BC. However, they are only found on St Kilda, and their purpose is unknown. In Gleann Mòr (north-west of Village Bay beyond Hirta's central ridge), there are 20 "horned structures," which are ruined buildings with a main court about 3 meters by 3 meters (10 feet by 10 feet), two or more smaller rooms, and a forecourt formed by two curved or horn-shaped walls. These structures are unique to Europe, and their original use is unknown. Also in Gleann Mòr is Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, the "Amazon's House." As Martin (1703) recorded, many stories about a female warrior are told about this place.
Similar tales of a female warrior who hunted on the now-submerged land between the Outer Hebrides and St Kilda are also found in Harris. The structure's forecourt is similar to the other "horned structures" nearby, but like Martin's "Amazon," its original purpose is unknown.
More is known about the hundreds of unique cleitean that cover the archipelago. These dome-shaped buildings are made of flat stones with a layer of turf on top. This design allows wind to pass through the walls but keeps rain out. Cleitean were used to store peat, nets, grain, preserved meat and eggs, manure, and hay, and to shelter lambs in winter. The origin of this St Kildan invention is unknown, but they were used continuously from prehistoric times until the 1930 evacuation. Over 1,200 cleitean remain on Hirta, and 170 are found on nearby islands. House no. 16 in the modern village has an early Christian stone cross built into its front wall, which may date to the 7th century.
A medieval village was located near Tobar Childa, about 350 meters (1,150 feet) from the shore, at the foot of the slopes of Conachair. The oldest building is an underground passage with two small rooms called Taigh an t-Sithiche (house of the faeries), dating to between 500 BC and 300 AD. The St Kildans believed it was a house or hiding place, though a more recent theory suggests it was an ice house.
Extensive ruins of field walls and cleitean, as well as the remains of a medieval "house" with a beehive-shaped annex, are found nearby. The "Bull's House" is a roofless rectangular structure where the island's bull was kept during winter. Tobar Childa is supplied by two springs outside the Head Wall, which was built around the village to keep sheep and cattle out of cultivated areas. There were 25 to 30 houses in total. Most were blackhouses, typical of the Hebrides, but some older buildings were made of corbelled stone and turfed rather than thatched. Turf helped block wind and rain, and older "beehive" buildings looked like green hills rather than homes.
The Head Wall was built in 1834 when the medieval village was abandoned, and a new village was planned between Tobar Childa and the sea, about 700 feet (210 meters) down the slope. This happened after a visit by Sir Thomas Dyke Ackland, a Member of Parliament for Devon. He was shocked by the poor living conditions and funded the construction of thirty new blackhouses. These houses were made of dry stone, had thick walls, and were roofed with turf. Each had one small window and a small opening for smoke from a peat fire in the center of the room. The interiors became blackened by soot. Cattle lived in one end of the house during winter, and once a year, straw from the floor was removed and spread on the ground.
In October 1860, several new homes were damaged by a severe storm, and repairs were only enough to make them suitable for use as byres. According to Alasdair MacGregor's analysis, the sixteen modern, zinc-roofed cottages seen in photographs of the native islanders, along with the new Factor's house, were built around 1862.
One of the more poignant ruins on Hirta is the site of "Lady Grange's House." Lady Grange was married to James Erskine, Lord Grange, for 25 years when he decided she had overheard too many of his secret plans. He had her kidnapped and secretly held in Edinburgh for six months. She was then sent to the Monach Isles, where she lived in isolation for two years. She was taken to Hirta from 1734 to 1740, which she described as "a vile, nasty, stinking poor isle." After a failed rescue attempt, she was removed to the Isle of Skye, where she died. The "house" on Hirta named after her is a large cleit in the Village meadows.
Boswell and Johnson discussed the topic during their 1773 tour of the Hebrides. Boswell wrote: "After dinner today, we talked of the extraordinary fact of Lady Grange's being sent to St Kilda and confined there for several years without any means of relief. Dr. Johnson said, if M'Leod would let it be known that he had such a place for naughty ladies, he might make it a very profitable island."
In the 1860s, attempts were made to improve the landing area by blasting rocks. A small jetty was built in 1877 but was destroyed in a storm two years later. In 1883, requests to the Napier Commission suggested building a replacement, but it was not until 1901 that the Congested Districts Board provided an engineer to complete the work the following year. Nearby on the shoreline are large boulders known throughout the Highlands and Islands in the 19th century as Doirneagan Hirt, Hirta's pebbles.
At one time, three churches stood on Hirta. Christ Church, located in the village graveyard, was in use in 1697 and was the largest.
Fauna and flora
St Kilda is a breeding ground for many important seabird species. One of the world's largest colonies of northern gannets, with 30,000 pairs, represents 24% of the global population. There are 49,000 breeding pairs of Leach's petrels, up to 90% of the European population; 136,000 pairs of Atlantic puffins, about 30% of the UK total breeding population; and 67,000 northern fulmar pairs, about 13% of the UK total. Dùn is home to the largest fulmar colony in Britain. Before 1828, St Kilda was the only UK breeding ground for fulmars, but they have since spread to other areas, such as Fowlsheugh. The last great auk (Pinguinus impennis) seen in Britain was killed on Stac an Armin in July 1840. In 2007, unusual behavior by St Kilda's bonxies was recorded during research into declines in the Leach's petrel population. Using night-vision equipment, scientists observed skuas hunting petrels at night, a rare strategy for seabirds. The St Kilda archipelago has been recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International for its seabird colonies.
Two wild animal groups are unique to St Kilda: the St Kilda wren (Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis), a subspecies of the Eurasian wren, and a subspecies of wood mouse known as the St Kilda field mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus hirtensis). A third group, the St Kilda house mouse (Mus musculus muralis), disappeared after humans left the islands, as it relied on human settlements. This mouse shared traits with a subspecies found on Mykines island in the Faroe Islands. The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) now breeds on Hirta but did not do so before the 1930 evacuation.
The archipelago's isolation has led to limited biodiversity. Flies are the most successful colonists, with nearly 200 species, followed by beetles with about 140 species. There are no bees on the islands, so flies may help pollinate plants. One beetle, the rare and endangered weevil Ceutorhynchus insularis, is found only on Dùn and the Westmann Islands, an archipelago off Iceland's southwest coast. Less than 100 species of butterfly and moth occur on St Kilda, compared to 367 on the Western Isles. Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and painted lady (Vanessa cardui) are two of only seven butterfly species, both common migrants. Common summer moths include the antler (Cerapteryx graminis), dark arches (Apamea monoglypha), and the migrant silver Y (Autographa gamma). A rare moth, the least carpet (Idaea rusticata), is occasionally recorded on the islands, usually found in southeast England. On September 4, 2014, a rare oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii) was recorded. Oleander is not found in the UK every year, and its larvae have never been seen in Britain.
The islands' plant life is shaped by factors like salt spray, strong winds, and acidic peaty soils. No trees grow on the archipelago, but over 130 flowering plants, 162 fungi species, and 160 bryophytes are present. Among 194 lichen species, several are rare. Kelp thrives in surrounding seas, which host unusual marine invertebrates. The St Kilda dandelion (Taraxacum pankhurstianum) is an endemic species discovered in 2012.
The beach at Village Bay is unusual because its summer sand disappears in winter, revealing large boulders. A 1953 survey found only one resident species, the crustacean isopod Eurydice pulchra.
On the remote island of Soay, a unique type of sheep lives as feral animals. These Soay sheep are believed to be descendants of the earliest sheep in Europe during the Neolithic Era. They are small, short-tailed, usually brown with white bellies, and have naturally moulting fleeces. About 200 Soay sheep remain on Soay, and a second population was established on Hirta after the evacuation, numbering between 600 and 1,700 by 1994. Some Soay sheep have been exported globally for breeding due to their hardiness, small size, and distinct appearance. On Hirta and Soay, the sheep prefer Plantago pastures, which grow in areas exposed to sea spray and include red fescue (Festuca rubra), sea plantain (Plantago maritima), and sea pink (Armeria maritima).
The St Kildans raised up to 2,000 sheep of a different type on Hirta and Boreray. These were a Hebridean variety of the Scottish Dunface, a primitive sheep likely similar to those in Britain during the Iron Age. During the evacuation, all the islanders' sheep were removed from Hirta, but those on Boreray became feral. These sheep are now recognized as a distinct breed called the Boreray, one of the rarest British sheep and a descendant of the Dunface (though some Scottish Blackface blood was introduced in the 19th century).
Nature conservation
On August 14, 1956, the Marquess of Bute passed away. His will stated that the archipelago would be given to the National Trust for Scotland, but only if they accepted the offer within six months. After long discussions, the trust’s executive committee agreed to accept the gift in January 1957. Work to repair and protect the village began slowly, with many tasks completed by summer volunteers. Scientists also started studying the wild Soay sheep population and other natural features of the area. In 1957, the region was officially named a national nature reserve.
In 1986, the islands became the first place in Scotland to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list because of their natural land features. In 2004, the World Heritage Site was expanded to include large areas of the surrounding ocean and the islands themselves. In 2005, St Kilda was recognized as one of only 24 global locations with mixed World Heritage Status, meaning it is important for both natural and cultural reasons. Other places with this status include Machu Picchu in Peru, Mount Athos in Greece, and the Ukhahlamba/Drakensberg Park in South Africa.
St Kilda is protected in several ways: it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a National Scenic Area, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a European Union Special Protection Area. Boats can find shelter in Village Bay, but visitors who want to land must contact the National Trust for Scotland ahead of time. Concerns exist about introducing non-native plants or animals to this delicate environment. In 2008, the National Trust for Scotland received support from Scotland’s Environment Minister, Michael Russell, to prevent rats from reaching land. A fishing boat, the Spinningdale, ran aground on Hirta on February 1. Officials worried that the boat’s fuel, oil, and supplies might harm the island’s birds. Fortunately, a Dutch salvage company, Mammoet, removed these materials before the bird breeding season in early April.
The underwater caves, arches, and deep chasms around St Kilda offer a difficult but excellent diving experience. The powerful waves of the North Atlantic can be felt even 70 meters (230 feet) below the ocean’s surface.