St. Kilda

An amazing day on the beautiful, wild Hebridean archipelago of St. Kilda.  We hiked on the island of Hirta, which is now uninhabited as the entire populace of 36 people voted to be relocated to the mainland in 1930 because they found human life in this remote place had become unsustainable.

All that remains are the stone cottages and cleits -- stone storage huts with grass roofs.  There are also many many Soay sheep roaming freely, and living completely wild.  (Hence the "Please Clean Your Boots" sign!)

Nowadays, the National Trust for Scotland manages the area, and the only year-round residents are military personnel and a variety of conservation workers, volunteers and scientists who spend time there in the summer months.  What a privilege it was to be able to visit this lovely, lonely place.