Figure 1.-- The photo was taken in the Saint Kilda archipelago, probably 1907. The photo shows how the people, mainly the children but also the adults, went barefoot even in cold weather. That was due to poverty, but also to an habit of enduring cold, which led them to preserve the few footwear for the snowy days. Leather would have been a scarce commodity.

The Saint Kilda Archipelago is an outlier. The many islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides are clustered close together. St. Kilda in contrast is located far from the others island well out in the storm-tossed North Atlantic. Actually St. Kilda is an archipelago composed of several islands. There is no individual St. Kilda island. The largest and only formerly inhabited island is Hirta. This island juts out of the North Atlantic with towering cliffs providing safe nesting areas for countless seabirds. There are different species, primarily fulmars, gannets, and puffins. There is even a unique species of wren. St. Kilda now is notable for Britain's largest colony of Atlantic puffins. St. Kilda was settled several millennia after the other islands. The birds are what attracted people to St. Kilda. It was settled several millennia after the other islands (about 2000 BC). People survived on this this isolated island, developing an economy based on the birds: providing food, feathers and oil. There appears to have been a Norse interaction, although there is no record. The Norse dominated the Hebrides for several centuries. The first known written record describes it as being at the edge of the world (14th century). For an island bearing a saints name, Druidism, seem more pronounced than Christianity and there was no school. Actually there is no actual Saint Kilda among the many Christian saints. The name seems to be a misunderstanding of a Norse name on a Dutch chart name. (The Norse and Dutch were active in the North Atlantic and the Dutch unlike the Norse chartered the waters recording their findings.) Life on the island did not change for centuries. Visiting ships caused outbreaks of small pox and cholera (18th century). 【Haswell-Smith】 Real change began (19th century). Some 42 islanders, a substantial part of the population, many died en route. It was part of a program funded by the Highland and Island Emigration Society. Church of Scotland ministers improved conditions. A thoroughly intolerant pastor, Rev John Mackay, however, disrupted the islander's tranquil lives. After 4,000 years,World War I (1914-18) would bring human habitation to an end. The Royal Navy erected a signal station on Hirta (the largest island) (1915). We are not sure what the purpose was, but this meant that for the first time there was daily communications with the mainland. This eventually attracted a German U-boat (May 1918). Late in the war, a German submarine surfaced in Village Bay (1918). Rather chivalrously, the U-boat captain issued a warning and then began shelling. The main target was the wireless station which was destroyed along with the church, but there was no effort to destroy the closely clustered houses. There was only a single casualty, a lamb. 【Steel】 The Royal Navy response was to place a Mark II QF gun on a promontory overlooking Village Bay. It was never fired except for practice. The Germans never returned and a few months later the War was over. The impact on the islanders was huge. The Royal Navy personnel acquainted the islanders with some of the niceties of modern life and the monied economy. Apparently after the War, the small population decided to seek economic opportunities on the mainland. Many of the young men left. The remaining 36 islanders voted to leave, deciding that the four millennia-long way of life was no longer sustainable. The island was finally evacuated (1930). It was not used in World War II, but a few planes crash landed there. It continues to be uninhabited, except for occasional visitors who mostly come to admire the birds and a few civilians working for the military.

Geography

The islands are tertiary igneous formations of granites and gabbro, the strong winds and oceanic forces over eons have battered the long-extinct ring volcano rising out a seabed plateau approximately 40 meters (130 ft) below sea level. The islands are all that is left of the once towering volcanoes. The relatively shallow plateau supports fish populations which in turn attracts large populations of sea birds. The remaining Archipelago of Saint Kilda is an outlier even for the Outer Hebrides. They are the most westerly, meaning distant from the Scottish mainland. of all Hebrides. The many islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides are clustered close together. St. Kilda in contrast is located far from the others island well out in the storm-tossed North Atlantic. Actually St. Kilda is an archipelago composed of several islands. There is no actual individual St. Kilda island. The largest and only formerly inhabited island is Hirta which comprises most of the land area of the archipelago (over 75 percent). Hirta's sea cliffs are the highest in Britain. Three other islands (Dùn, Soay. and Boreray) were also large enough to be used for grazing and seabird hunting, but never permanently settled. 【Hiltner】

Fauna

Hirta juts out of the North Atlantic with towering cliffs providing safe nesting areas for countless seabirds. The other islands also provide habitats for seabirds. There are different species, primarily fulmars, gannets, and puffins. There is even a unique species of wren. St. Kilda now is notable for Britain's largest colony of Atlantic puffins.

Settlement

St. Kilda was settled several millennia after the other Scottish islands, understandable given its remote location. The birds and their eggs are what attracted people to St. Kilda. It was settled several millennia after the other islands (about 2000 BC). People survived on this this isolated island, developing an economy based on the birds: providing food, feathers and oil. There appears to have been a Norse interaction, although there is no record. And we know of no DNA studies.

Name

The Norse dominated the Hebrides for several centuries. The first known written record describes it as being at the edge of the world (14th century). For an island bearing a saints name, Druidism, seem more pronounced than Christianity and there was no school. Actually there is no actual Saint Kilda among the many Christian saints. The name seems to be a misunderstanding of a Norse name on a Dutch chart name. (The Norse and Dutch were active in the North Atlantic and the Dutch unlike the Norse chartered the waters recording their findings.)

History

Life on the island went on with out change for centuries. The Norse began raiding the British isles (9th century) and finally there was settlenent as well. They did not completely replace the indigenous population, but maintained a significant presence in St. Kilda and other Scottish islands (9th-13th centuries). We do not know what they did in St. Kilda. There was not even a poor church to raid. Norse control in the Hebrides ended following the Battle of Largs (1263). This was a clash on the Ayrshire coast between King Haakon IV of Norway and Scotland's King Alexander III. Control of the Hebrides and oyher Scottish islands passed to Scottish clans like the MacLeods. The Norse (Danes and Norwegians) had lost control of England to the south three centuries earlier, but held on to isolated Scottish islands.) The St. Kilda Archipelago was thus traditionally owned by the MacLeod Clan of Dunvegan. For centuries the only contact was the annual visit by the steward sent by the Laird (the owner of the islands). The steward was tasked with collecting the rent for the land in kind (woven fabric, bird feathers, etc.). On such occasions, a priest, or a pastor (after the Reformation) would also visit the island. They would perform baptisms and weddings. For the rest of the year, religious services were organized by the inhabitants themselves and, naturally, blended the ancient Celtic beliefs with Irish Christianity (Scotlamd as Christinized by Irish missionaries) and finally Protestantism. It was not until relatively recently that missionaries venturing forth from the Church of Scotland settled on the island (18th century). Visiting ships caused outbreaks of small pox and cholera (18th century). 【Haswell-Smith】 Real change began (19th century). A perament church was finally erected (1827-28). It was the work of missionary Rev. John Macdonald. The mission was taken over by the Free Church of Scotland, which was dominated by a strict fundamentalist theology (19th century). They were were appalled by the pagan beliefs and Irish Catholic traditions that had survived among the islanders. Some 42 islanders, a substantial part of the population was resettled, many died en route. It was part of a program funded by the Highland and Island Emigration Society. Church of Scotland ministers worked to improve conditions on Hirta. A rather intolerant pastor, Rev. John Mackay, however, disrupted the islander's tranquil lives. As a result of the Industrial Revolution in Britain leading to modern ocean shipping and an increasingly prosperous population real change finally reached Hirta (second half of the 19th century). Particularly from the 1870s onward, the island began to be visited by groups of tourists. The tourists came not only to see the birds, but the islanders as well. They behaved as if they were at a zoo, interested in seeing those barefoot 'savages' less than a day by motorized ships from the Scottish coast. This contact was often rather humiliating for the inhabitants, but there were economic benefits. The Islanders organized themselves to sell handicrafts, especially fabrics, to tourists. This introduced a monetary economy to the island for the first time in its history. With the money from tourists, the islanders could buy some goods from the mainland.

Final Chapter

After 4,000 years of continuous habitation, World War I (1914-18) would lead to the end of life on Hirta. The Royal Navy erected a signal station on Hirta (1915). We are not sure what the purpose was, but this meant that for the first time there was daily communications with the mainland. This eventually attracted a German U-boat (May 1918). Late in the war, a German submarine with seemingly nothing better to do surfaced in Village Bay (1918). Rather chivalrously, the U-boat captain issued a warning and then began shelling. The main target was the wireless station which was destroyed along with the church, but there was no effort to destroy the closely clustered houses. There was only a single casualty, an unfortunate lamb. 【Steel】 The Royal Navy response was to place a Mark II QF gun on a promontory overlooking Village Bay. It was never fired except for practice. The Germans never returned and a few months later the War was over. The impact on the islanders was huge. The Royal Navy personnel acquainted the islanders with some of the niceties of modern life and the monied economy. Apparently after the War, the small population decided to seek economic opportunities on the mainland. Many of the young men left. The remaining 36 islanders voted to leave, deciding that the four millennia-long way of life was no longer sustainable. The island was finally evacuated (1930). It was not used in World War II, but a few planes crash landed there.

Modern Situation

Hirta continues to be uninhabited, except for occasional visitors who mostly come to admire the birds which today are totally untouched and a few civilians working for the military.

Sources

Haswell-Smith, Hamish. The Scottish Islands (Edinburgh: Canongate, 2004.

Hiltner, Stephen . "Agony and Ecstasy on the Scottish Archipelago of St. Kilda". The New York Times (October 11, 2021).

Steel, Tom. The Life and Death of St. Kilda (London: Fontana, 1988).

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Created: 10:44 PM 1/10/2022
Last updated: 3:58 PM 8/19/2026