Hi, Pam,
It was quite an adventure. We were lucky to get there. You get a two day window to sail there, as they don't go out if the weather is bad. We only had a one day window, so we were really fortunate. We talked to several people on the trip who had tried before, with a two day window, and hadn't had any luck.
I had always wanted to visit St. Kilda, after having read Tom Steel's book in the 1970s. For years, the only way to get there was with an NTS working party, which was a two week commitment. St. Kilda has been opened up to tourism within the last couple of decades. We went with Kilda Cruises, out of Leverburgh, but there are several companies now making the voyage - some from South Harris, and some from Skye.
I jokingly said to Angus, who operates Kilda Cruises, that I'd like to visit Rockall, which is the westernmost of the British Isles. He replied that they do go there! I don't think that it's possible to land, however, unless you're young and agile, and the ocean is calm enough for the boat to get close.
We stayed at the Harris Hotel in 1973 (!), and returned in 2014. Out of curiosity, I asked the manger if they still had their visitor logs from 1973. They did, and we had stayed there, almost to the day, 41 years earlier. We even got a discount as returning customers!
I hope that some of the visitors to this forum have the opportunity to visit St. Kilda. It's one of those things that you have to experience, and to imagine what life must have been like over the centuries for those islanders 50 miles from the nearest habitation.
Slainte!
Mike (auchterless)
BTW, the article is wrong. There are 16 houses in the main village. Each one has a small marker noting the last occupant of each house before the 1930 evacuation.
