Saturday 28th May. St Kilda
While endemic animal species are rife on the island, St. Kilda has not been peopled since 1930 after the last inhabitants voted that human life was unsustainable. However, permanent habitation had been possible in the Medieval Ages, and a vast National Trust for Scotland project to restore the dwellings is currently being undertaken. Today, the only humans living on the islands are 3 NT conservation guardians, plus an unknown number - 20?- of MOD personnel. One of the caretakers even acts as shopkeeper and postmaster for any visitors who might like to send a postcard home from St. Kilda. It should be noted that St. Kilda is the UK's only (and just one of 39 in the world) dual World Heritage status from UNESCO in recognition of its Natural Heritage and cultural significance.
After 5 days of stormy weather, we awoke to find ourselves off St Kilda! Breakfast, Pilates and then a zodiac to St Kilda in a gorgeous calm and with brilliant sunshine. We had 3 hours there and wandered round the church, down the Main Street and in and out of the 12 remaining houses( 5 of them reconstructed) and black houses and cleits. Also the cemetery and the 4 inch gun installed in WW1 after a German submarine had fired 70 rounds at the radio station there. Unfortunately the M of D have constructed inappropriate/ugly buildings and have 9 storage tanks for 500, 000 litres of diesel. What are they doing??.
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In the afternoon we had a lovely zodiac ride to see puffins ( just in the water and air) guillemots, fulmars and several seals.
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Then Trivia and a drink in the Panorama lounge before Recap and Briefing: there was a standing ovation for Oscar for having persevered in getting us ashore there after the storm seemed to have prevented a landing .Then dinner in La Terraza
On to Lunga & Iona