St Kilda: The Last Days of an Island Community

St Kilda: Life and Evacuation

Introduction to St Kilda

110 miles off the west coast of Scotland is a small group of volcanic islands. They are variously called Hirta, Boreray, and other local names, but together they are known as St Kilda. The cliffs rise to more than 400 meters (1400 feet) above the gray water, and this is home to millions of seabirds. Until 1930, a small colony of Scottish people lived there, whose community had survived for over 2000 years.

Life on the Islands

Life was precarious on St Kilda, located in the Atlantic Ocean well beyond the protective barrier of the Outer Hebrides. With an average January temperature of -10 to -20 ºC, the islanders were often isolated for months at a time by bad weather. They lived as they always had, relying on sheep and wild birds.

Traditional Life and Sustenance

They had no money and used a barter system to share their livelihoods. Those who tended the birds were called 'Fowlers'. Ropes attached to the tops of the cliffs allowed hunters to collect eggs and trap birds. They ate the meat; wings were used for brooms, skins for shoes, and spikes for nails to secure the roofs of their huts.

The St Kilda Parliament

A photograph of the St Kilda Parliament shows 13 men, all equally 'furry' with uncut, disordered whiskers and beards. They are identically dressed in wrinkled, bleached shirts, dark wool vests, dark, wrinkled pants, and wool berets with pompoms. The only differences are their height; about half are wearing boots while the other half are barefoot.

A Glimpse of the Community

They are standing on either side of the street, with grass growing between the flagstones. Six of them are leaning against the wall of a hut (no higher than the tallest man), and seven against a dry stone wall.

Contact with the Mainland

St Kilda was largely ignored by people on the British mainland until the late 1800s, when the community began to attract a mix of social reformers and tourists. The latter came to observe, often offensively, the last examples of a subsistence life. Money was introduced into the islands for the first time, disrupting the delicate economy by which they had survived for 20 centuries. Teachers and priests brought news, education, social improvement, and new beliefs.

Migration Begins

News of cities, work, and a better way of life persuaded many young people to leave the island, making life harder to sustain for those who remained.

The Final Years

Around 1929, only 36 islanders remained. That winter was particularly severe, and the small population, facing a ruined economy, was close to starvation. Some families left, and a nurse from the Scottish mainland named Williamina Barclay persuaded the government to arrange a relocation.

The Evacuation of 1930

On August 28, 1930, three ships evacuated the remaining three dozen islanders and brought them to the mainland. They brought with them 500 sheep and 10 cows. A few belongings were thrown into the sea with stones tied around them. The community, which had existed for 2000 years, effectively ended.