Mythologised and misunderstood: Photos of former residents of remotest part of the British Isles revealed

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Before they were voluntarily evacuated, generations of people lived on islands 100 miles from Scotland

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoThe group of islands were home to generations of people for thousands of years. Posed by the ‘the leading photographer of the north', this group includes nurse and teacher Ann MacKinlay. Donald Ferguson, senior St Kildan, is fourth from the left© National Trust for Scotland
St Kilda, the “islands at the edge of the world” whose last residents were evacuated at their own request in 1930, holds surprisingly strong connections with the west coast Scottish communities it lies 100 miles away from, according to new evidence from the most detailed archaeological survey of the islands ever carried out.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoArmed forces personnel from all over Britain found themselves stationed in the islands© Newsquest/SCRAN
One of only 27 places in the world to have won dual World Heritage Status by UNESCO, honouring its natural and cultural significance, the island’s history has been documented in an evocative set of photos during a nine-month quest by a pair of archaeologists.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoTourists in the 1970s outnumber gannets in a view from the foredeck of a cruise ship. Cruises to St Kilda became commonplace from the 1870s. The cruise around - and sometimes between - Stac Lì and Stac an Àrmainn is now an obligatory part of the trip© National Trust for Scotland
Candid imagery of St Kildans going about their lives, the arrival and growth of tourism during the late 19th century and expeditions by naturalists, conservationists and archaeologists are among a set of rare and previously unknown images collected by George Geddes and Angela Gannon.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoHirta played host to regular visitors including tourists, researchers and a handful of St Kildans. Mrs Ann Gillies, her son Neil and Finlay MacQueen await the steamship for the return journey on August 9 1938© School of Scottish Studies
“St Kilda is one of the most mythologised and misunderstood places on earth,” points out Geddes, of Historic Environment Scotland.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoMrs Ann Gillies (née Ferguson), pictured here walking down the Street with her knitting in her hands, was born on Hirta in 1866. Ann was the daughter of the senior St Kildan, Donald Ferguson© National Trust for Scotland
“Most of us view the islands with the romantic notion of the people as a lost tribe, removed from civilisation.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoThe great sea stacks of Stac an Àrmainn, in the foreground, and Stac Lì in the distance© School of Scottish Studies
“What we have discovered is that this was never really the case. Throughout its human history, St Kilda has always been connected to a network of communities scattered across the north western seaboard and Highlands of Scotland.

A black and white photo of a community of people in St Kilda more than a century agoChildren pose for a photographer on Hirta, the main island of St Kilda© National Trust for Scotland
“For a long time, for instance, St Kilda was effectively part of a farm, along with another island, Pabbay, owned by the Macleod chiefs – just like any other Highland community.

A dramatic photo of cliffs at sea under soaring birds on the island of St KildaFor hundreds of years, Boreray and the stacks were at the centre of the St Kildans' way of life; the seabird harvest provided an important focal point each summer© Jill Harden
“What makes these islands so remarkable is not their distance from ‘civilisation’, but rather their enduring capacity to remain a living part of Scotland over the course of some 3,000 years.”

A dramatic photo of cliffs at sea under soaring birds on the island of St KildaEvidence of a system of fields and enclosures is testimony to an attempt at permanent occupation on the steep slopes of Boreray© HES
Growing crops and raising cattle and sheep, the former inhabitants of St Kilda made use of almost every corner of the archipelago, famously harvesting seabirds from the cliffs and towering sea stacks.

A dramatic photo of cliffs at sea under soaring birds on the island of St KildaLooking across Hirta’s Gleann Mòr, the island of Boreray, eight kilometres away, is capped by a tuft of white cloud© School of Scottish Studies
Geddes and Gannon made a rare visit to Boreray, one of the archipelago’s outlying islands, to collect evidence that the medieval community lived and worked on a steep land mass less than two square kilometres in size, and may have constructed six small stone chapels throughout the chain of islands. St Kilda, they suggest, could have been a place of Christian pilgrimage as late as the 17th and 18th centuries.

“It’s exciting that we’re still discovering different aspects belonging to this unique place and its associated way of life through research and survey work,” reflects Geddes.

“St Kilda still offers an opportunity for adventure that is unparalleled in the United Kingdom.”

  • St Kilda: The Last and Outmost Isle is out now.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Three places to discover Scotland's history in

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow
This permanent exhibition, William Hunter: Man, Medic and Collector, tells the story of Dr William Hunter, the Scottish obstetrician, teacher, collector and founder of the Hunterian Museum.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
The current exhibition, Reformation to Revolution, shows how wealthy people used portraits to assert ideas of social status centuries ago, as well as to record an individual likeness. Until December 31 2016.

Caithness Horizons
The Dounreay Story tells the tale of the United Kingdom’s fast reactor research and development programme at Dounreay, where the site is currently home to Scotland’s largest nuclear clean-up and demolition project.


Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art540964-st-kilda-historic-environment-scotland-archaeology


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