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Fragments of the past haunt these islands, now home to the UK’s largest colony of Atlantic puffins
The UK’s only dual UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of only 39 in the world.
Home to nearly 1 million seabirds, including the UK’s largest colony of Atlantic puffins.
Evacuated on 29 August 1930 after the remaining 36 islanders voted to leave as their way of life was no longer sustainable.
St Kilda has its own unique wren, as well as a sub-species of mouse which is twice the size of a British fieldmouse.
There is no place like St Kilda. Towering out of the storm-tossed waters of the Atlantic Ocean, its cliffs and sea stacks clamour with the cries of hundreds of thousands of seabirds.
Internationally recognised for its birdlife, St Kilda is no less famous for its human history. A community existed here for at least 4,000 years, exploiting the dense colonies of gannets, fulmars and puffins for food, feathers and oil.
The final 36 islanders were evacuated in 1930. Now uninhabited, visitors can brave the weather to sail to the ‘islands at the edge of the world’ for the experience of a lifetime.
In the 1850s, 42 islanders emigrated to Australia. Many died en route, but a few settled in Melbourne, and to this day a suburb of the city is called St Kilda – named after the schooner The Lady of St Kilda which was anchored off the shore at around this time. There’s also a St Kilda in New Zealand.
Our ambassador Cal Major recently spent some time on St Kilda, volunteering with the seabird team, and created a series of short films about her adventure.
