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Fifteen people were evacuated off St Kilda when hurricane-force winds battered the island on Friday.

 

Buildings were being damaged in the violent storm which lashed the island after building up intensity as it raced thousands of miles across the open Atlantic towards Scotland.

Many of the staff at the army-operated missile tracking station were airlifted 40 miles to safety in Benbecula by Stornoway coastguard helicopter.

 

The alarm was raised when fierce winds tore at the radar station and buildings in St Kilda.

 

It is understood radar domes were damaged along with other infrastructure.

 

 

St Kilda evacuation

11 January 2015

Personnel at the radar base work for defence contractor QinetiQ which also runs the associated military testing range on South Uist.

 

A spokesperson for Stornoway coastguard confirmed: “Some staff were evacuated off St Kilda due to damage to buildings.

 

“There were no injuries. They were taken off the island while they could.”