St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Day 20 , 18th July.

We are in the channel between Hirta and Soay.   Hirta is the main island in the St Kilda group and Soay is the large island to the north-west of it (original home of the Soay Sheep).  Refer map in the Arrival at St Kilda post.

It’s a bit hard for me to know exactly what we are looking at here.  The triangular rock looks like Stac Dona but that’s beside Soay and too far away so that must be just a coincidence.  My guess is that the two rocks in the foreground are at the end of Hirta off An Campar (or the Cambir) and are too small to appear on an online map.  The larger rock in the background is probably Stac Shoaigh, seen lengthways and looking closer than it really was due to perspective compression with a long telephoto lens.

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The same two rocks in the foreground and definitely Soay in the background to the right.  Probably Stac Shoaigh again in the background to the left.

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Here we are looking back against the sun at the headland at An Campar on Hirta.  What appears to be a square end to the point is actually a small island (Mina Stac).

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On the left is Stac Shoaigh, showing a hole from a tunnel through it.  The tall rock to the right of it is Stac Biorach.  At the far right is Soay.  The sea mist is a bit heavier here. it comes and goes.

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Looking back at Hirta.

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Stac Biorach in front of Soay.

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Again but closer.  There are innumerable seabirds on top of the stac.

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The bottom of the stac, underneath the mist.

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Here you can see the density of the birds on the rock.

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Birds on rock ledges on Stac Biorach.  I think they are all gannets.

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The St Kildans were expert climbers and had no trouble climbing stacs like these.

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Gannets against Stac Biorach.

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A closer view of a gannet.

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