Falling off the edge of the world

[shewhomust]

On August 29th 1930, the last 36 inhabitants of St Kilda were evacuated, at their own request, to the mainland of Scotland.

The Guardian points this out, in the context of an attempt to launch an annual 'Saint Kilda Day' for reasons that are not entirely clear; they link to a web site related either to the Scottish Tourist Board's 'Homecoming' promotion, a new opera, or both. Never mind - the article itself is interesting; and though the online version lacks the magnificent panoramic photo which leads off the print feature, it offers instead a slideshow with added audio, so you win some as well as losing some.

The author is a self-confessed 'Kildamane', suffering from an obsession with St Kilda, which is perhaps why he attributes the same affliction to Doctor Johnson. He explains that James Boswell wanted to buy the islands after their visit to the Hebrides in 1773, and quotes Johnson's reply: "Pray do, Sir. We shall go and pass a winter amid the blasts there." This may have been ironic: certainly they did not act on it.

I don't blame them. Even with modern equipment, St Kilda is not just remote, it's also inaccessible - in bad weather, it is still impossible to land. I can see why the islanders eventually decided to leave, and why now even the MoD has had enough (which presents the current owners, the National Trust for Scotland, with serious problems).

I'm not a Kildamane myself: an 'islomane' by all means, but even for me, St Kilda is an island too far. I'd love to visit, but maybe I'll make do with watching Michael Powell's film The Edge of the World, inspired by the evacuation but filmed in Shetland, on Foula. A map on the Shetland Heritage web site illustrates what it tells us about St Kilda, that in comparison Foula is a practical place to film...

Comments

[sovay]

I'd love to visit, but maybe I'll make do with watching Michael Powell's filmThe Edge of the World, inspired by the evacuation but filmed in Shetland, on Foula.

I still have not seen The Edge of the World. I'm not quite sure how this happened. I have read Powell's book about the filming . . .

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I have just ordered the DVD from Amazon; and am on the lookout for an affordable copy of the book.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

at their own request

- and then seem to have spent the rest of their lives lamenting the loss of it - or is that my own prejudice showing through? I don't think you get to bewail the sorrow of parting, if you ask to be taken away.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Sure you do--like immigrants forced to leave home for whatever reason world round, you can miss where you came from even if you had no choice but to leave.

Or even, once you've left, realize you've made the wrong choice after all ...

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

That's a bit harsh. I think you're entitled to be aware of what you've lost, even if you know perfectly well that you'd still settle for what you've gained.

In this case, the old way of life is something that would have vanished anyway, even if they'd stayed - or been born in mainland crofting communities.

On the other hand, the whole Scottish / Irish heritage tourism thing, in which the grandchildren and great grandchildren of people who left as economic migrants if not exactly voluntarily get all sentimental about a 'home' to which they would not dream of returning - that gets up my nose!

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

A similar thing happened at the Blasket islands off the West Coast of Ireland. Because it was a Gaeltacht,various Irish nationalists wanted the remote and backward community to stay, in order for earnest Dublin politicos to spend the summer there learning their native language, but the only life there was grinding poverty, and the people sensibly upped sticks and went.

Nowadays, maybe modern technology could allow richer people to build fabulous eco-friedly homes in these places and telecommute to alomst anywhere. I quite fancy it myself.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

If the resources of the military couldn't make St Kilda habitable, I'm not sure that private resources could... Anyway, the wealthy tend to head for warmer climates. And for myself, I'd rather see the islands returned to the birds than turned into gated communities.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Okay, I had no idea St. Kilda even existed, so that was a fascinating article to me.

I can see how it would be very hard indeed, going from a "we all grow food--or fail to grow food--for the community together" economy to a money economy.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Then I'm very pleased to have made the introduction.

St Kilda - for people who find Iceland a bit tame.