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9 Sept 2019

Sharing St Kilda’s secrets

A view of the harbour at Village Bay, St Kilda - with a small boat making its way across the turquoise water and a larger boat alongside the shore. Stone steps run down to the jetty.
Hirta Harbour, St Kilda
Ranger Sue Loughlan has been blogging about her time on St Kilda all summer long, giving an insight into what’s involved in caring for one of Scotland’s most protected and remote locations.

St Kilda is, without doubt, one of the most intriguing and enticing places that the National Trust for Scotland protects.

It has a special place in the hearts of many, including those who have not yet visited, or will never travel there. People are always fascinated to know what it’s like to spend time there.

So this summer it’s been fantastic to have ranger Sue Loughran keep us all up to date with her adventures.

A man and woman stand with their arms around each other in a stone harbour area. The woman on the left wears bright yellow diving gear; the man on the right has a navy fleece and high-vis jacket.
Sue arriving on St Kilda for the first time, earlier this season
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“For me, St Kilda is still very much a living and working island.”
Sue, St Kilda Ranger

From her arrival on a bright, blue-skied day, the island’s retail opportunities and her role in welcoming visitors, she’s blogging about it all.

These pieces provide an insight into the varied role of a ranger in such a remote location, and highlight how much Sue, her colleagues and the dedicated volunteers do, day in day out, to care for St Kilda.

A view looking down on a group of people sitting in a rigid inflatable boat as it makes its way out to sea. The group are sitting on either side of the boat with their legs in the middle. An outboard motor is at the rear.
A group of volunteers depart from St Kilda

The National Trust for Scotland works every day to protect Scotland’s national and natural treasures. From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, we protect all of this For the Love of Scotland.

In Our Strategy for Protecting Scotland’s Heritage 2018–23, we set out how we’re planning to work towards our vision that Scotland’s heritage is valued by everyone and protected now, and for future generations.

From the edge of the world

St Kilda blog

Find out more about what it’s like to work on these incredible islands.

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A group of people standing on the jetty on Hirta, St Kilda >