The People of St Kilda
The St Kildans developed a way of life that sustained them for centuries. They worked the soil, harvested the ocean and culled the vast colonies of sea birds from the soaring cliffs for food and fuel, clothing and light.
Famously accomplished climbers, they were much more at ease on the vertical cliffs than the horizontal sea and the delicate balance of their lives was fully intertwined with that of the birds they hunted. They had no words for trees, war, writing, mirrors or money until late in the day.
By the mid 19th century, however, their increasing contact with the wider world had disrupted the harmony of the old traditional rhythms and island life became increasingly problematic. The last of the native St Kildans were evacuated in 1930 and the loss of their unique way of life continues to have a poignant resonance for many modern Europeans.
The St Kildan’s story, and their remarkable island home, continues to fascinate the popular imagination worldwide.