The Jewels of the Hebrides

St Kilda World Heritage Site and National Nature Reserve

The islands of St Kilda rise out of the Atlantic some 64 kilometres west of the Hebrides, forming the last outcrop of the North West edge of Europe. People around the world have long held a special affection for these Islands with their poignant history, dramatic scenery, spectacular seabirds and lonely isolation.

This isolated island group is all that remains above the sea of a large volcano thought to have been active about 60 million years ago. Hirta boasts the highest sea cliffs in the British Isles (430 metres) and Stac an Armin (191metres) is the highest sea stack.

People were living on Hirta, the largest of the St Kilda islands, some 2000 years ago. Human occupation of these 'islands on the edge of the world' - the remotest community in Britain- continued more or less without interruption until 1930. That year the remaining 36 inhabitants were evacuated at their own request, the isolation- especially in winter- proving too much for their unique but fragile way of life.

The islands were passed on in 1957 to the National Trust for Scotland who in turn leased them to the Nature Conservancy as a National Nature Reserve. These islands really are a national treasure.

They are also the most important seabird breeding station in North West Europe with:

• The largest colony of gannets in the world... on Boreray and the adjacent stacks with some 60,000 pairs
• The oldest and largest colony of fulmars in Britain... with about 62,000 pairs
• The biggest colony of puffins in Britain... with some 140,000 pairs
• Over one million birds in total
• The St Kilda wren, a unique sub species of the common wren
• The Soay Sheep... a totally unique breed which lives on these islands alone

St Kilda has collected a cluster of designations for its natural and historical importance:

National Nature Reserve; Buildings protected under the Ancient Monuments Act; Biosphere Reserve; National scenic Area; Site of Special Scientific Interest; Scotlands first World Heritage Site; European Community Special Protection Area.

Scottish Natural Heritage supports a programme of wildlife research and surveys on the islands, which includes a long term study of the Soay Sheep, continual monitoring of the seabird populations and detailed vegetation mapping. The remarkable buildings and archaeological remains are scheduled ancient monuments and are actively conserved by volunteer parties of the National Trust for Scotland. There is a warden on Hirta throughout the summer months, a small campsite and the opportunity to participate on occasional National Trust for Scotland work parties in the summer.

A visit to St Kilda will be regarded as one of the experiences of a lifetime. The best time to visit is from May to July for seabirds and weather. These islands lie 50 miles west of the Outer Hebrides; only by cruise ships or charter boats from Oban, Miavig (Lewis) and Berneray (North Uist) can you reach here. Terrain and sea conditions are not for the faint hearted, absolutely no dogs are allowed. For more information, see www.kilda.org.uk