Today marks the 80th anniversary of the evacuation of St Kilda.
After decades of struggle, food shortages, emigration and the ravages of disease, in 1930 the last 36 islanders opted to voluntary abandon the island for good.
Earlier today a mail-
Susan Bain, who is responsible for managing St Kilda for the Trust, explained: “Mailboats were used by St Kildans to contact the outside world in time of need and have now become a symbol of how isolated St Kilda was and the difficulties of communication, both factors that contributed to the evacuation.”
She added: “St Kilda stunning physical beauty, remoteness and intriguing cultural traditions provide an enduring source of fascination for people around the globe.
“We have been very keen to mark the anniversary of the evacuation and hope these events go some way to keeping the history of this beautiful island alive.”
Photo: National Trust for Scotland
Anniversary of St Kilda evacuation 29/8/10.