St Kilda

This is the deserted village in the bay on Hirta, St Kilda. It was evacuated in 1935 due to the settlement not having a viable population. Life was so hard many had emigrated and few remained. About 36. The people were crofters and much of their diet was sea birds which they harvested off the sheer sea stacks. A dangerous affair and deaths resulted. They dried the birds and produce and stored them in round stone cleats to get them through the winter. The feathers and oil from the birds helped pay the rent. As many as 13 people lived in the small dwellings. Soay sheep still roam free which the Kildans would use for wool to weave and knit socks.