St Kilda is an emotional chapter in Scottish history that few of us Scots can forget. With a vibrant 4,000 year history, the island is now carefully maintained and owned by the National Trust For Scotland - an organisation we work closely with at In The Heather. The final St Kilda residents voted unanimously to be evacuated from the island on the 29th August 1930 due to depleting food sources, malnutrition and increased contact with the outside world. On this fateful day, the final 36 islanders were taken to the mainland to live amongst a greater population of people. Indeed, life was hard and growing harder by the year on St Kilda - the sea bird population, their main food source, had dwindled and their realisation of total isolation had grown more apparent.
In the mid 19th century, Summer cruises would bring tourists to the island and soon the islanders began to make souvenirs to sell such as tweed, bird eggs specimens, scarves and sheepskins. Before this, they had no concept of money or commerce other than trading. Fisherman and seamen working near the waters started bringing the islanders supplies and it is understandable that the residents began to dream of a better, easier life off the island. Gradually, the St Kildans began to relay more and more on supplies such as fuel and food and in 1852, 36 islanders emigrated to Australia, beginning the decline of their already small population.
The year 1876 saw a food shortage on the island and for around 40 years after, the islanders struggled to maintain enough food to get them through. 1913 brought with it a deadly influenza outbreak. When the First World War came, regular food and mail were delivered to the islanders by navy vessels. This was cut of entirely however when the war ended, deepening their sense of isolation. The younger inhabitants emigrated from the island after this and tourism was greatly affected - leading to the final 36 inhabitants of St Kilda asking to be removed permanently from the only place they had ever called home.
You might be wondering. what did the islanders eat? A 1764 census details that each person consumed 36 eggs and 18 whole birds a day. While this may sound excessive, eggs can be small and bird meat is relatively thin. In total, the island consumed 1,600 birds a day. The final 36 inhabitants secured accommodation in Oban, Fife and Inverness, ending this island chapter in Scottish history.