Saint Kilda

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This article is about the Scottish island of Saint Kilda. For alternative uses of the term Saint Kilda, see Saint Kilda (disambiguation)

Mercator projection map of the Saint Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles

The Saint Kilda archipelago, in the North Atlantic is at the outermost limits of the British Isles. Situated 40 miles west of North Uist, only Rockall is further away. The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is a World Heritage Site.

Boreray, Soay, Dun and Hirta are the largest islands in the group.

The name most likely comes from Old Norse sunt kelda meaning sweet wellwater. Other theories invoke a corruption of Hirta or Saint Hilda. See the article on St Kilda for further discussion on the origin of the name.

The archipelago is a nature reserve recognised by UNESCO and a breeding ground for many important species including Puffins and Leach's Petrels. The small island of Dun is home to the largest colony of Fulmars in Britain.

The St Kilda archipelago is also the site of the most spectacular sea cliffs in the British isles. The highest point in the archipelago is Conachair at 1410 feet. The whole north face of Conachair is a vertical cliff over 1000 feet high, falling sheer into the sea.

In addition there are several offshore stac's, vertical pillers of rock. Stac An Armin the tallest of these is 630 feet high. Another, Stac Lee is 564 feet.

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