Old Photographs And Footage Of Fowlers On St Kilda Outer Hebrides Scotland

Old photographs and footage of Fowlers on St Kilda, in the Outer Hebrides. Often described as the islands at the edge of the world, the archipelago of St Kilda is located 41 miles west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Now uninhabited, St Kilda was home to a community who survived the inhospitable conditions here for thousands of years before the final 36 people were evacuated in 1930. A significant feature of St Kildan life was the diet. The islanders kept sheep and a few cattle and were able to grow a limited amount of food crops such as barley and potatoes on the better drained land in Village Bay; in many ways the islands can be seen as a large mixed farm. They generally eschewed fishing because of the heavy seas and unpredictable weather. The mainstay of their food supplies was the profusion of island birds, especially gannet and fulmar. These they harvested as eggs and young birds and ate both fresh and cured. Adult puffins were also caught by the use of fowling rods. The St Kildans lived on these birds, catching them by lowering themselves on ropes from the clifftops or climbing up the stacs from boats. The men became expert climbers, learning their skills as children. The only way you can visit St Kilda these days is if you travel there by boat. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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