If you’ve never heard of it, St Kilda is a small group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, farther west than the Outer Hebrides where Stornoway is. If you go due west from there, the next landfall is Labrador.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Kilda,_Scotland
I became fascinated with this extremely remote place many years ago when I bought a book on life on St Kilda. The main island, Hirta, has been occupied for thousands of years. In more recent centuries the residents were totally Scottish, adhering to the Church of Scotland, raising sheep, fishing, and living in stone bothys and cottages with turf roofs common in the Highlands. The most unusual thing about their lifestyle was collecting eggs from and catching the millions of seabirds that nest there.
There were never more than perhaps 200 residents, and fewer than 100 in later years. In 1930 it was decided to evacuate the island and the remaining 37 residents take up life on mainland Scotland. There were several reasons why life had become untenable, including the young men leaving for jobs on the mainland, crop failure, and over-fishing by trawlers in the area. Life was always hard on St Kilda but was becoming unsustainable. Since then there have been some military personnel there, and some tourist visits. It is now owned by the National Trust of Scotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@57.8129643,-8.5702783,4285m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
I want to visit there! I mean who wouldn’t, amirite? There is a company that offers day tours from the Isle of Harris near Stornoway. Next time I go to Scotland!
Why do I bring this up (why would anyone?) I recently discovered an English film made in 1937 about the evacuation of St Kilda, and the conflict that caused amongst the islanders before the final decision was made. It is surprisingly good and kind of touching, and I’ve never been a fan of old movies. It was filmed in the Shetland Islands, but the geography is pretty similar. You can view on Youtube – only 857 views so far. You can be number 858! To keep track of the plot the Wikipedia entry for the film is good, the actors speak pretty fast in a Scottish accent, just don’t read to far ahead!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edge_of_the_World
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoiyXr9Beyc
Randall Golhof 