St Kilda Island Scotland - Exploring Remote Places - A Remote Island That Time Forgot

Explore the remote, abandoned island of St Kilda, Scotland, United Kingdom (U.K.) on a very wet and windy day. Please SUBSCRIBE to see more videos from the most remote places on earth.
Journey with me and get a feel for what life must have been like on St Kilda for it's inhabitants until they evacuated the island in 1930 in this episode of my Remote Travel Vlog.
St Kilda island is a fantastic place if you're interested in abandoned and remote places. I would highly recommend visiting on your next trip to Scotland.
If you would like to visit St Kilda please check out the post about how to get there on my website www.andyexplorestheworld.com
Enjoyed this video? Please like, share and comment.
About me: I'm a travel vlogger & travel blogger with a passion for remote places and remote travel.
Transcription:
Today we’re in Leverburgh in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and we’re just abut to get on the boat behind me and head out to St Kilda which is one of the remotest islands in the UK.
It’s about a fifty mile journey from the Outer Hebrides so it’s a long way out. It takes about two and a half hours. The conditions today - it’s a bit lumpy out there. It’s very overcast. We’re motoring out into the gloom at the moment. There is no sign of St Kilda. We probably won’t see it until we get quite close today. It’s one of my favourite places in the whole of the British Isles.
So we’ve landed on St Kilda after quite a rough passage across from Harris. Straight away when you step ashore you’re struck by what a barn and remote place it is here.
At the moment I’m wondering along what would have been St Kilda’s only street. Today it’s very much in an abandoned state.
The St Kildan’s lived in very meagre accommodation. We’re just going to walk into one now. You can imagine how low that roof was for me to fit through there. I certainly wouldn’t have made it through there standing up.
It’s quite sobering to think that until the 1930’s this was someones house. It was in the 30’s when the St Kildan’s finally abandoned the island because their way of life was no longer sustainable. A lot of that was due to it’s remote location. The population grew older and the younger people left and the way of life slowly became unsustainable. There is a plaque in this house that I am walking through now that says the date of the last family to live here.
The incredible thing about the St Kildan’s for me was there ability to live out here in such harsh conditions. They survived out here living mainly off the seabirds they used to catch. It’s hard to imagine being out here through the winters completely cut off from civilisation.
Today it has taken us 2 and a half hours doing about 20 knots on a modern boat pushing hard against quite a big sea today to get here. For the St Kildan’s it would have been a two day row across the open Atlantic Ocean and that was just to reach the other Outer Hebrides Islands.
I think a howling gail with wind and rain your face is really the proper way to experience St Kilda. The weather certainly hasn’t got any better. It’s still looking pretty bleak and closing in. We got real low cloud cover today. I’m going to attempt to walk out of the town now and up one of the hills behind the town and see what else we can see.
Wow what downpour. I’d call that downpour. I don’t even need a bottle of drinking water today I can just stand here with my mouth open.
You can see the bay where we came in behind me there. Just about through the rain. We’re going to keep on going and see what else what else we can see. Probably more rain and cloud.
So at the moment we’re on the top of St Kilda. Just moments ago this was in thick cloud and I couldn’t see any of this at all. When the cloud cover lifts you start getting a feel for the scale of the island and the brutality and sheerness of it. There’s new bits of the island revealing themselves out of the cloud every minute t the moment. Hopefully the visibility will keep on increasing throughout the day.
We’re going to keep on walking on across the island.
There is also some military installations on ST Kilda as well. Behind em you can see what looks like one of the radar domes. It’s strange you want somewhere like this to be completely unspoilt but there’s a number of military buildings here to.
What’s in front of me that is absolutely beautiful. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel.
For me it’s just an incredibly beautiful and barren and unique place.
What an incredible place ST Kilda is. AT the end we went out to have a look at the stacks around St Kilda. They are amazing but it was really really rough out there.
We have had every type of rain imaginable. We had a great passage back tonight. It was pretty rough. A few green faces down below. Literally just arriving into port in Harris now. If you’re interested in remote places check out my travel blog.

[@maaan8494]

Just came back from this trip and I'll tell you it changed my life. Learning the history of kilda and seeing those stacks and sea cliffs up close is unforgettable

[@martyrea79]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland is beautiful, proud to call it home

[@sm3296]

I went to Scotland to stay for a month and stayed for three years. I never thought I’d fall so head over heels for a place. I couldn’t leave. I’d still be there but my first grandchild was born and that was the only reason I’d leave. I know I’ll be back again and I’ll explore even more when I do.

[@sm3296]

@Bella Friere spiritual yes, that’s exactly right. I felt part of something timeless and magical there. Don’t feel it here where I am now tho. That’s a loss.

[@sm3296]

@Bella Friere oh my that was beautiful and a lovely way t start the day. And music by Mark Knofler too! One of my favourites. I dream of returning, I never got to see the highlands, and I will do so when I return, although it was living right beside the sea that caught my heart as it did.

[@secallen]

@@sm3296 Spiritual? I guess you weren't in Glasgow. 😂 I am from Argyll. Things change at the Rest and Be Thankful.

[@sm3296]

@@secallen fife!

[@secallen]

@@sm3296 Home of The Skids! I think Anstruther has the world's best fish and chips too.

[@kathrynkelly8241]

Visited St Kilda 13years ago .When I was 8yrs old my Great Aunt had shown me photographs from St Kilda taken around about 1920 and I had always said I would love to visit someday . The most amazing emotive place I have ever been .

[@patrickhoney2706]

Not many people are aware of the fact that during the summers of 1957 and 1958 a detachment of approx 300 RAF personnel from the Airfield Construction Branch 5004 Squadron (mostly RAF National Servicemen) worked from April to September each year building the road to the top of the mountain and all the Military buildings and infrastructure. They lived in tents under arduous conditions (at times most of the tents and their contents were completely blown away) and in serious inclement weather the Servicemen took shelter in solme of the old stone cleats). They worked for 6 days each week and It is recorded that these conditions led to 2 mutinies taking place. A quarry was opened and material for the roads and other buildings blasted. When the quarry blasting took place up to a million birds took to the air ! Their link to the mainland was by 2 x 800 ton flat bottomed front opening Royal Navy tank landing craft vessels, manned by ROAC Army crews, who made the hazardous trips from the military port at Cairnryian as and when weather permitted. For any further info and photographs feel free to contact Mr Honey. [e-mail].

[@markrae1317]

The day I went to St Kilda remains one of the greatest days of my life.

[@djpriddin6211]

I envy you Mark. I've read a lot of books on St Kilda. To walk where the St Kildans walked for all those years and to let your imagination run a bit while you were there must have been incredible. Envy is the word. BTW I echo the sentiments expressed in the upload about the installations on such a piece of history. The satellite installation, or whatever it is, is an outrageous desecration. Quite dreadful. People in office saying " Let's just put it there. Just perfect" Grrr!

[@scarlettwitman2028]

Mark Rae I can really understand that!!!

[@sammarsden8719]

I was lucky I worked on the island in 2019. It’s amazing.

[@aquajuwel7098]

For about a year ago I saw a picture of this island, and I felt this extreme connection to the people in the picture. I’m so drawn to this island and I have no idea why.....I’m a 40 year old Norwegian man.......I just want to visit so bad and have been reading it’s history, looked at pictures and so on. I must go there one day. Just so strange.

[@ajisroadtrippin5505]

Follow your heart and go make that connection. 😊

[@mitchvincent8800]

St. Kilda the name derives from Norse. St.Kilda is known to have had a viking presence at some point, maybe you were there in a past life - strange!

[@p24hrsmith]

The first time I read about the old Brooklands motor-racing circuit I felt an overwhelming desire to go there and when I did and saw its ruined state I was over come with emotion like I just lost an old friend. Years later while researching my family tree I found I had an ancestor who raced used to there. So go there you may not be able to prove your ancestor lived there but you will feel it

[@nraughmoobyaj8088]

Maybe you were one of them in your past life.

[@stevenconner1709]

I have this strange desire to go to St Kilda as well. My Grandfather who I never knew was a Scotsman so maybe there is something in my heart driving me up to Scotland and the remote islands.

[@lana.9073]

It is true magic what Scottish wind & rain & the sea create. This must be the greenest place on earth 💚 St. Kilda is definitely on my list.

[@harrydotg9460]

why matey

[@JamesBond-si7xs]

Matey ? ‘She’ explains why.

[@CinntSaile]

The name is derived from a tautological reference. There is a large spring just above the bay, which in the Gaelic language of the native inhabitants would have been "tobar", spring or well. The later Norse invaders visited the well, presumably to replenish water supplies and would have referred to it as a "kelda", Old Norse for well. Later map makers and antiquarians understood the tautological name of the Gaelic and Norse, "Tobair Kilda" to be an example of the Gaelic peoples' devotion of wells to a particular saint of the Celtic or Catholic church.. Examples can be seen right across Gaelic Ireland and Scotland. One well known example is Tobermory, on Mull, from the Gaelic "Tobar Moire", (St) Mary's Well. Tobar Kilda was supposed erroneously to be (St) Kilda's Well, whence St Kilda.

[@ruthmaxwell60]

Brilliant information, thank you sooo much. 👌. 🐢

[@uselesseater1584]

The recipe for a St.Kilda omelette includes 200ft of climbing rope to obtain the eggs.

[@josephatthecoop]

I have watched a few videos about St. Kilda now, but this one gives me the strongest sense of how otherworldly it must be there. I'm trying to imagine how people lived there for thousands of years, and for some of them that lonely set of rocks in the Atlantic may have been they only place they ever knew. Thank you.

[@ianfrier9043]

spent a couple of days here in the 1970 with RN its magical the bird life is great

[@AjosTok]

I’ve been watched this video more than 100 times. Finally, I’ll off to St Kilda tomorrow.

[@54spatula]

I’d love to live there on my own. With a boat arriving once a week for provisions, a panoramic view of the sea, lovely big fire and lots of kindling and firewood, no missus or kids running around, absolute bliss.

[@hakimcameldriver]

No trees, no firewood, only half wild sheep..

[@alvashoemaker8536]

What hardy people they must have been. Thanks for this video! 🙃😁👣

[@milleka3504]

My late father was in the British army and was based on St Kilda back in the late half of the 1960s. He developed pleurisy from the constant harsh cold wet weather and was sent home to recover. He loved it there despite it being so bleak and as a Scotsman felt he was very close to his heritage. I’ve never seen St Kilda until I spotted your video in my recommendations so thank you so much for posting this video giving me the opportunity to see the island and where my dad was based.

[@jstringfellow1961]

This is my first time to hear of the isles, but I am fascinated by the history. Incredible stories.

[@dansimmons21]

I attempted to go once but it was too stormy so we only went out to North Uist and back. A pod of dolphins came right up to the boat and we got to see it all for free because we didn’t make it out, so they refunded us entirely. The second time it was bright sunshine and calm seas. 25 degrees C and gorgeous! A very beautiful yet haunting place.

[@maupinmaupin1472]

such a beautiful place. my most stubborn ancestors came from hereabouts.

[@AncientVirgin]

Lovely place 😍❤️💖

[@Kwozie]

Awesome video, so barren, and so beautiful and ancient. Thx for sharing 😊

[@donaldsmith7077]

Rough seas, beautiful island. Kind of moving.

[@BottleBri]

Thanks for an amazing ‘raw’ experience of st Kilda Andy. 🇬🇧👍👍

[@garymcatear822]

That town looks like the remains of an ancient civilization.

[@mediolanumhibernicus3353]

A Celtic Macchu Picchu

[@alexandercarder2281]

I grew up all my life in sleepy Norfolk, with its gentle countryside and bright corn and mustard fields. I grew up the city of Norwich. In a strange way similar to st kilda in that it is a lonely city that is like an island in sea of the countryside. But I was 9 years old when I first visited Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 me and mum and my older sister went by Train 🚞 all the way to Inverness. I was captivated by a land I had only ever imagines or seen in documentaries. The great Highland way and for the first time in my life I saw mountains. I never imagined that anything could be so big. The British isles is so unique but also so hidden from place to place. I never knew St Kilda existed until a couple of years ago. And now I want to go there. It has a deep spirit that broods upon the islands. It’s just something that I feel but can’t describe.

[@anthonywalsh785]

Fascinating documentary. I grew up in Melbourne, Australia and one of the famous suburbs is St Kilda. i in fact lived in East St Kilda from 1977 to 1983.

[@andrewdrummond8576]

Used to live in OZ. Remember St Kilda and Footscray had crap footy teams. I always liked Geelong.

[@AJGeeTV]

Thanks for this super video. My father was on the first RAF landing craft to be on St Kilda during the MOD's "Operation Hard Rock" in the mid-1950s. He spent 2 years there with the Royal Engineers building the harbour, the road to the radar station, and the additional MOD buildings. A few men were killed in terrible accidents during this time due to the extreme weather and machinery. Dad would always tell tales of St Kilda and as kids we always played with the antique flare gun he found in the old manse, this I will return to the island personally in the coming years.

[@TheWilderPlaces]

Thanks for all the kind comments. This was my first ever vlog. More to come very soon.

[@lyndaoneill6483]

Such a pity its left abandoned, would be lovely to see it full of houses and alive with people. Still it's very desolate and bleak,no shelter from the winds really.Thanks for showing.👍

[@velvetindigonight]

Do have a search on KZbin the people who lived on St Kilda are on film and they really did not want to leave but in those days they had no choice. Touching to hear them talk so much later about their love for the place. Sounded like true community. Sad.

[@lyndaoneill6483]

@@velvetindigonight thank you for that Helen.It would have been really terrible for those people to pack up and leave their way of life behind.Very sad and I will have a look and listen.Take care,👍

[@sonofagunder]

this is beautiful. thank you.

[@stevemeyer2400]

Without wishing to sound all Billy Big Bollox (because it's easily look-upable) but it's the archipelago that is called St Kilda and which comprises four islands - Dun, Boray, Soray and the largest - which the abandoned village is on - Hirta. However, it seems that St Kilda has become the name by which Hirta is now mostly known. This may have been mentioned before but I'm not reading all 261 other comments to find out !!! That said this video does give a great view of how bleak and isolated it is and no wonder the original islanders eventually gave up and "emigrated" to the mainland nearly 100 years ago.

[@samdevries6280]

Very nice video man! Also nice comments! Like to go there once, beautiful rough and peaceful place👍🏻

[@charlesjensen7678]

That is amazing. You are blessed to have had the opportunity to be in that moment in time. CMJ

[@scarlettwitman2028]

Stunning!

[@sinyu9551]

I love your video Andy, love to see all those remote places. I hope you will make more travel vlog!

[@ewanwallace1]

The history and way of life of this island fascinates me so much. It’s on my bucket list to visit some day, there is something so beautiful about the landscape.

[@eddajokie4115]

Thanks for sharing this beautiful video and let us know such a magical place. I hope one day to have the opportunity to visit it !

[@claudegamble393]

Fantastic! Thank you for the trip.So uplifting to visit this remote, very unique place.

[@derekmacdougall3011]

Great film,the ridge that edges out into the water is really something, it looks like treasure Island, would be a great setting for a adventure movie, Indiana Jones and the lost kingdom😊

[@arianevadi5046]

Thank you! It is one of my dream to go to st kilda! Incredible day as you say

[@stuartwrigglesworth9339]

Amazing place

[@jameshalton8303]

Amazing video. Subscribed. Please make more videos like this!

[@sylviahall5667]

Very beautiful but a very hard life

[@gailhowes9398]

I imagine someone would go regularly to look after the animals but yes it does have wild beautiful places. With all those ruins there must have been a number of people at one time. Thank you for sharing !

[@silverbreezeRn]

Such a beautiful place! Tfs.

[@TheWilderPlaces]

Thank you. It really is a wild and special place. One of the most fascinating in the British Isles.

[@lindabrand6167]

wonderfull

[@ME-ty8rv]

Thank you for this great video. One day I want to visit this island as well. Greets from Germany

[@ronfrankl]

Well-done. A unique and fascinating place.

[@fojnica2226]

i cant stop watch this god.s place.greetings from croatia

[@JaimieJo]

Beautiful island! Great footage!

[@bagpussbagpuss5528]

Hauntingly beautiful.

[@ChristelMontoya]

What a wonderful video!!! You did such a great job making the viewer feel as if they are there with you. Oh my goodness I sincerely hope that one day I am able to make the long trip from Elk, California to The Outer Hebrides. I am obsessed with all of the Shetland Island books and mainly it’s because of the stark, brutal, beautiful locations (all of which are in and around The British Isles...)

[@onemexican1973]

just stunning......

[@debbierennox931]

Looks beautiful would love to see it one day

[@lindaking9222]

Beautiful place

[@jocky2]

Thanks pal great video. What a place!

[@dgoo8294]

This is awesome. Great video.

[@michaelmullin3585]

Even ran the descendants of the Vikings off. Crazy

[@secallen]

Paradise.

[@tjashton]

Amazing. Great video and interesting history - thanks. I would love to go there some day. Hopefully to get some diving done too.

[@StewartHarding]

Absolutely stunning. Thanks for sharing this.

[@martiniv8924]

Incredible remoteness , thanks for sharing.

[@steviedee8921]

Two and a half hours from Lewis...lucky you...it took me one and a half days from Oban back in 1984....great memories though...

[@freddiefare]

Why hasn't this channel got more subscribers???

[@fishsoup435]

The best view after rain!

[@carolinepritchard6402]

Thank you for sharing. We visit the Outer Hebrides every couple of years. I am going to put this on my wish bucket. I love remote areas and History.

[@culbered]

Fascinating. Thank you

[@stevendavis1940]

A great place. I appreciate your sense of adventure and interest in remote places.

[@waynesaunders1151]

It looks gorgeous there I need to visit for sure. Another one to the bucket list lol.

[@lizard6444]

Wonderful video Andy! Beautiful! Just gorgeous

[@GodTierComments]

Thanks for this. Inspiration x 1000%

[@jimfrodsham7938]

I visited St Kilda/Hirta from Benbecula in the early '80's. It was a surreal place. I helped unload a load of stores for the weather and radar crews, had a walk around and a pint in the Puffin Inn. It was quite a memorable experience.

[@timwright8785]

Have always wanted to go to st kilda can't believe people used to live out there life must have been very hard

[@counteldamar5135]

I love it, keep up the good work

[@sirdaggoo]

Wonderfull video

[@mariGentle]

Fascinating video

[@unstone06]

Excellent sir.

[@white_clover767]

I live on Fugloy island, in the Faroe Islands, fairly close to St Kilda. Life here is very similar. Id say the only difference is the language.

[@buffplums]

Lovely video always wanted to go there

[@macdaiddavidson8051]

It looks so beautiful. It’s actually too bad it’s abandoned now since there are other ways to get there like helicopters 🚁. I’d love to see it for myself. So lovey!

[@paulafreeman760]

Looks beautiful

[@nakedireland]

Beautiful place!

[@john-wq8kf]

Some of my friends from Durham Kayak Club tried in the seventies to paddle there but gale and a storm made them turn back they made it to Haskeir before turning back, but we did most on the inner islands mull,Jura, islay etc even corryvrecken which was an anticlimax the whirlpool was having an off day but the west of Jura was fantastic nice bothie at glengarisdale

[@JeanNezMarre25]

looks so depressing there but beautiful at the same time!

[@coaldust01]

Don't look depressing to me. Love to live somewhere like this. Away from all the hustle and bustle of druggies and filthy humans. All I'd need is a boat for travel and stocking up on shopping. And a piece of tail to lay the pipe on and I'd be happy as an unsociable pig in shit.

[@ivansime9127]

Jkinsg92 I like experiences but living there after more than a month would drive you crazy so cut the shit with your snarky no Mcdonalds comments

[@vahurjoa210]

Away from civilization? Yes, please.

[@robokill387]

@@coaldust01 actually, living in an isolated island means you have to rely on other people more, not less than in cities.

[@rnstoo1]

@@coaldust01 I am from Scotland. There was good reason why the folks left St. Kilda. Life was UNSUSTAINABLE. This part of the world is listed as being among the most difficult to live on. Wind blows away topsoil, you cannot farm. A lot of their diet was eating sea birds. There is NOTHING romantic about living there , especially for today's "wimpy" people. Oh, did I mention the really bad internet service? :)

[@georginaholt9416]

An amazing video.

[@mariebohacik1230]

Beautiful, but no trees . What did they used for heating?

[@sammarsden8719]

Peat balls. I believe they rolled balls and stored them in the stone cleats to keep them dry! And burned as needed.

[@JS-el3zm]

It's beautiful.

[@janevieira1861]

É aí. Quero morar aí. Da pra ver o nascer e o por do sol Dá pra assistir o dia. Maravilha. A very very very good place. Só beautifullllllll

[@boglecamper9209]

Andy absolutely brilliant video. Here's me converting my van to campervan to get out and explorer and yet the best places are places without road!! Grab a look at our van conversion and let me know your best place you have explored in the UK so I can add it to my list for this year!!

[@MattiaVio]

very nice video :)

[@hullcityafc72]

Fabulous - I was lucky enough to sail around it on a yacht expedition which set off from Oban - Tobermory - Barra - round St Kilda - Stornoway. We didn't go on short the island but we were able to see the village through binoculars. The sea was horrendous, with huge peaks and troughs, there were two yachts and sometimes we couldn't even see the other one! Read a great book on the island later on as well.

[@bflex89]

Awesome video

[@billymiller4586]

I worked on the St kilda 92/97 MFV.

[@joegaragozzo1640]

Just unreal!!

[@lindamoses5932]

Beautiful

[@seanmadigan5047]

Fun fact the peiple of st kilda had a longer big toe than normanl people do the could climb up the cliffs easily

[@shaunemartin316]

Bollocks.

[@ChooseU4ever]

Lol

[@markcarey8426]

They also developed smaller lungs because the strong winds would fill them up real quick.

[@elliegreen4738]

Lol! I almost fell for your joke except that it conflicted with a comment I'd read on another video which said that their ancestors only arrived there in 1870 and that no one knows where the original inhabitants went.

[@gracesutherland8823]

Very interesting

[@anorange28]

3:28 lmaooooo The island looks gorgeous

It is ....so please don't go there......

[@anorange28]

@ wdym?

[@clifton1943]

@ I immediately wanted to go ! A little B&B, a wind farm on top of the hill ! What's wrong with that ?

[@thestrengthwithin4249]

Brilliant 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@paul8193]

Nice video 👍🏻😀