Profile: St Kilda

THE National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is set to mark 60 years of caring for St Kilda, the islands that lie 40 miles off the west coast of the Outer Hebrides.

In a unique project, the NTS has teamed up with Aberdeenshire singer and songwriter Jenny Sturgeon who has released a collection of songs inspired by St Kilda. The collection is called The Wren And The Salt Air.

WHY ST KILDA?

LAST year St Kilda, the most remote archipelago in the British Isles, celebrated its 30th anniversary of receiving World Heritage Site status for natural criteria. It is a dual World Heritage Site, recognised also for its cultural qualities.

St Kilda consists of four main islands and some islets. The largest island is Hirta which was inhabited for centuries until it was evacuated in 1930. Boreray, Dun and Soay were used for grazing sheep, and the latter island’s sheep are recognised as a distinct and much-prized hardy breed that has been introduced to many other locations. Apart from military personnel at the radar-tracking base, researchers and tourists, St Kilda has had no inhabitants since the evacuation, which was a world-famous event.

The NTS took over St Kilda when the islands were bequeathed to the heritage charity by the 5th Marquess of Bute in 1957. That year, the archipelago was also declared a National Nature Reserve, and it is this dual anniversary which NTS is soon to celebrate.

WHAT’S THE PROJECT?

TO mark the 60th anniversary the NTS commissioned Sturgeon, a well-known figure on the folk scene, to write a series of pieces of music inspired by the wildlife and history of St Kilda.

In September last year, Sturgeon spent five days on St Kilda exploring the nature, landscape, sounds and history of the islands. Taking inspiration from the islands, she has created four new pieces of music which celebrate the wildlife and history that make St Kilda unique.

WHAT’S THE MUSIC LIKE?

IN writing and recording these pieces, Sturgeon was keen to combine traditional Scottish folk styles with field recordings. All four tracks include recordings taken on St Kilda of waves, weather and, most importantly, bird calls.

Not surprisingly, the music is highly evocative of the islands. You can sample The Wren And The Salt Air on the Aberdeenshire singer’s website and buy the collection at: https://jennysturgeon.bandcamp.com. Ten per cent of profits from the CD goes to support conservation work on St Kilda.

Susan Bain, Western Isles Manager for the National Trust for Scotland, said: “The St Kildans drew inspiration from the landscape and wildlife around them to compose songs and melodies and I’m delighted that Jenny has continued this tradition. As a World Heritage Site St Kilda has value to all of humanity and music can connect and inspire peoples across the globe, regardless of language or culture.”

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW?

HAVING previously worked as a seabird biologist, nature is at the forefront of Sturgeon’s songwriting and this project allowed her to explore the connections between birds and music even further – using her own field recordings from St Kilda and field recordings of composer, ornithologist and author Magnus Robb (The Sound Approach).

Sturgeon said: “Three of the tracks take inspiration from bird species I’ve seen on visits to St Kilda. I wanted to reflect these encounters in the melody and lyrics of the pieces, as well as through using field recordings of these birds. I was delighted when Magnus got involved with the project – it was great fun putting bird calls and the music together!”

SO WHO WAS ST KILDA?

THERE’S the rub. There is no trace of any saint of that name anywhere. The name may be a corruption of Childa, the Norse word for a well which was misinterpreted by Dutch cartographers in the 17th century.

To mark the forthcoming anniversary, Hamish MacPherson will tell the story of St Kilda in our regular history column Back in the Day next Tuesday.