Kleits on St Kilda

Location St Kilda Archipelago
http://www.great-britain.co.uk/world-heritage/st-kilda/st-kilda-map.jpg

Divers will want to look at http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/reports/stkilda3.htm

The StKilda group homepage is at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StKilda/

  The lover's Stone
The highest cliffs in the British Isles
GL_LoverStone_700ft_guideliner.co.ukStKilda.htm

Here on the Mullagh was where we looked for the chapel

The house ruins below are where the islanders lived until 1930 when they left due to illnesses.  Quite an exciting sotry at the group and also at the links indicated there

  The Puff Inn
Famous for its coffin on a rod (game) and also its mini-coffin with Edward Bear inside it.  The weekly supply plane used to fly low over the KGB and drop the bear to see how the wind and sightings were working but Teddy Bear dropped into the ocean one day an was drowned - and subsequently ceremoniosly put in a coffin (that never got buried)

  The back of the KGB

US Navy radar specialists from Florida were extremely proud of their KGB T-shirts (made specially and only for them)

The Kilda Generating Board is a harmless power station but the Norwegian supply ship was a leased genuine Russian vessel - until it sadly ran agrain at St Kilda one visit.  Another story at the group

Village bay Hirta (St Kilda) and the island of Dunn on the right
On the left one sees Oiseval - the highest cliffs in the British Isles

Dunn houses about 1/3 of the world's puffin population  whilst Hirta is the home of Bonxies (Great Skua) and a zillion Fulmars which the Bonxies chase.  They also chase humans too.  The islanders used to collect Fulmar feathers for selling to the mainland for duvet and cushion interiors.  The stone "kleits" (say: kleets) all over the island were storage sheds for the feathers. Grain was grown in little protected fiels walled with "exclosures" - keeping sheep and other ground animals out.

They used to eat Fulmars too *ugh* .  If a Fulmar ever snorts its stinking nose contents over you then throw away your clothes.  Skunks are "perfume" in comparison.

The gannets live on Boreray and its Stacs as these rocks are almost impenetrable by humans

Boreray with Stacs Lee and Armin

The islands are seldom to be seen so clearly as normal conditions are low cloud, drizzle and rain

As the islands are a World Heritage site, excavations require the earth and turf to be put back each year.  However, the chapel was eventually found by a later work party.  As it was at the foot of a steep mountain full of scree, that is not surprising.  The archipelago is one big heap of old stones in any case LOL

Now see and hear the islands at the Scottish National Trust site at: http://www.kilda.org.uk/Default.htm

Hope you enjoy
Gari, the man from Mann

 [ send green star]

Sorry about the pics that didn't show up.  They are mostly at
http://www.guideliner.co.uk/St%20Kilda.htm which is well worth a visit.

  Back of the KGB

Hirta (St Kilda) village with island of Dun in background

"The Street"  Hirta Village houses re-constructed
for Trust workers

 Search for St Brianan's Chapel

  The Lovers' Stone
To become eligible young men, boys had to stand on the edge whilst holding one foot.  Those who fell down were not eligible

  Boreray
Boreray with Stacs Lee and Armin (Gannet Isles)

 [ send green star]

Hi all

I today opened a photo album especially for St Kilda and uploaded 4 pages of pictures.  There will be more to come

The direct link to my public album St Kilda pages is

http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view/47/417791465/02_1_Europe_British_Isles_St_Kilda__Outer_Hebrides_/

Cheers/Slane lhiats

Gari the

 [ send green star]

 [ accepted]