📌 Various departure points, Isle of Skye / Western Isles
★★★★★
Isolated in the North Atlantic Ocean 40 miles west of the main spine of the Western Isles, St Kilda’s half-dozen islands and sea stacks form Scotland’s most isolated outpost: the remains of an ancient supervolcano eroded by waves and storms over millennia. A trip to this remotest of archipelagos is a cultural, historical and natural spectacle to rival any, and truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many visitors. Look at just some of the records this place holds: Britain’s remotest islands, the UK’s highest sea cliffs, its only dual World Heritage Site (natural and cultural), the world’s biggest colony of northern gannets, the Atlantic’s biggest colony of Leach’s Petrels, along with unique bird and animals species. A fragile community called the largest island, Hirta, home for centuries until evacuation at their own request in 1930 – see our separate feature page for more info. Hirta is the only island safe enough for scheduled sailings to land on, but you also get a tour of the immensely impressive sea stacks to the north (together with their colossal seabird colonies) as part of the trip. We were looked after by the excellent Sea Harris outfit; they and several other operators are listed below, all allowing at least a couple hours on the main island as part of a long day trip in return for a large wadge of cash. Don’t bet on good weather – sailings do get cancelled at short notice – and remember this is the Atlantic Ocean you’re crossing. With only a small passenger ferry to rise the waves, be prepared for a rough ride and, well, we hope you have a strong stomach.
🌍 Location
📌 See below for trip departure points. Boreray sea stack, one of the highlights of the trips, is at:
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NA 154052
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.869700,-8.490992
💬 Trips depart from several locations including the Isle of Skye (Go to St Kilda | 🔗 gotostkilda.co.uk), Isle of Barra (Hebridean Sea Tours | 🔗 hebrideanseatours.co.uk) & Isle of Harris (Kilda Cruises | 🔗 kildacruises.co.uk or Sea Harris | 🔗 seaharris.com)
🚢🚌 Buses serve most of the boat trip departure points but timetables may not fit early / late sailing times
🚗 Parking available at all departure points
📝 Key info
⌚🎫 Check dates, times & prices with individual providers. Trips do not run in winter, are subject to weather conditions at any time of year, and should be booked well in advance to get a space
