St. Kilda is an isolated archipelago some 64 miles west of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The largest island, Hirta, boasts the highest sea cliffs in the United Kingdom. The entire archipelago comprises one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, inscribed jointly for its natural and cultural importance. The other islands are Dun, Soay and Boreray, and have been used for farming and seabird egg harvest in the past. Today there is a small military base on Hirta, and in summer volunteers spend the season restoring the islands’ many prehistoric and historic structures. The cliffs of the islands are nesting grounds for vast populations of seabirds including northern gannets, fulmars, and Atlantic puffins. Your ship will cruise the archipelago to offer splendid views of this remote and unusual corner of the United Kingdom.
