St Kilda Survey Project

Located in the North Atlantic some 64km west of the Outer Hebrides, St Kilda is one of only two-dozen global locations to hold dual World Heritage Site status in recognition of its natural and cultural importance. Against the stunning backdrop of steep slopes and sheer cliffs, RCAHMS field staff have systematically mapped traces of human occupation to modern Ordnance Survey standards for the very first time.

The archipelago comprises four main islands – Hirta, Dun, Soay and Boreray, with its two attendant stacks, Stac an Armin and Stac Lee. Though field work has concentrated on Hirta, the largest island of the group, brief visits have also been made to Dun and Boreray. By far, the most numerous structures to be found are cleits, a type of multi-purpose stone-built storehouse unique to St Kilda, used for the drying and storage of sea birds, eggs, peat and crops. On Hirta alone, more than 1400 have been recorded.

In addition to the mapping and noting work, a comprehensive photographic survey was carried out under optimum conditions in May 2008, including exterior views of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) base and installations. To complement plans undertaken by RCAHMS in the 1980s, detailed measured surveys were extended to the west side of Gleann Mor, revealing further cellular buildings that are presumed to be of prehistoric date. But perhaps the highlight of the survey was the discovery of a previously unrecorded cross-incised stone, reused as the cover slab of a drain between one of the cottages on the Street and the blackhouse it replaced.

The final field survey trip was completed in September 2009. Much more remains to be done over the forthcoming months and the current programme of work includes the checking and processing of the data, digesting the information and then making the results accessible to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and to the public through the RCAHMS online database Canmore.