Conachair and Village Bay, St Kilda

Summary

St Kilda is Scotland's most remote group of islands, situated 66km west of Benbecula. Britain's only double World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural significance, a visit is an unforgettable experience; long day trips are available from Harris, Lewis and Skye. This walk climbs up to the summit of Conachair - the highest point on the archipelago and the rim of the UK's highest sea cliffs, site of spectacular bird colonies. It then returns to Village Bay to visit the remains of the remarkable community which survived here until 1930, when the last residents were evacuated at their own request.

Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

Rating

Terrain

Well-cropped grass with some boggy ground; the walk is pathless and very steep in places and the cliff edges dangerous. A track aids the descent back to Village Bay.

Public Transport

St Kilda can be reached by pre-booked boat trip from Uig on Skye, Leverburgh on Harris or Uig on Lewis.

Start

Pier, Village Bay, Hirta, St Kilda. Open in Google Maps.

Hillwalking in Winter

Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. All route descriptions and difficulties given here are for summer conditions. See our Winter Skills page for basic information on the essential skills, techniques and knowledge needed for winter hillwalking.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 5.5km / 3.5 miles
Time (summer conditions): 2.5 - 3.5 hours
Ascent: 459m (Profile)
Start Grid Ref: NF103990

Summits Climbed

Sub 2000: Conachair

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Accommodation

Walk Description

User reports (9)

Stage 1

The crossing to St Kilda from the Outer Hebrides is across 66km of exposed Atlantic Ocean - usually a memorable experience. Once reached, Village Bay is sheltered from most directions - with the jagged outline of Dun and its puffin colonies providing some welcome protection. Cabin boats are forbidden to land to prevent rats reaching the islands, which would devastate the sea-bird colonies, so landing is by transfer to inflatable zodiac dinghies. On landing, the ugly buildings of the Army base disappoint, but these are overwhelmed by the remarkable scenery all around. The ruins of Village Bay are also apparent, but our route visits these on the return, so to begin with head right from the pier, passing to the right of the whitewashed building (public toilet in the rear) and keeping right of the stone wall enclosing the army base and village, passing through a gap to reach the open hillside.

Stage 2

Bear left uphill, keeping the wall enclosing the village on your left, to climb above the village. There are views across the row of houses which were the homes of the St Kildans until the evacuation in 1930; several of the houses have been restored but the village is visited on the return walk. The much smaller rounded stone buildings are cleits - built by the islanders to store their peats and food, especially the fulmars, gannets and eggs which were the staple of their diets. A line of cleits heads northeast through An Lag towards The Gap; head through a boggy area, passing between four old stone enclosures and climbing past the cleits towards this grassy bealach. The Gap is reached suddenly - and with some disbelief. The grassy hillside ends abruptly in a cliff plunging 150m vertically into the sea, with the amazing island mountain of Boreray and its sea stacks visible in the distance beyond.

Stage 3

In spring and summer, all around are screaming birds, primarily fulmars in this area. The St Kildas were expert climbers and descended these cliffs and others using top ropes, to harvest both the birds and their eggs. Every summer, they also undertook expeditions to Boreray and the stacks, living on them for a couple of weeks to harvest the gannets. To climb Conachair, follow the rim of the cliffs to the left. The going is on short-cropped grass and is easy walking at first, but soon steepens greatly (and becomes wetter in places). Care is needed to keep safely away from the cliff edge.

Stage 4

The views improve with every step, looking back across the Gap to Oisebhal, the easternmost of the hills backing Village Bay. As height is gained, watch out for the Bonxies - the common name for Great Skuas. These huge brown birds - which harrass the gannets and other seabirds for food - are very aggressive, especially when defending their nests in the grass. They often fly directly at walkers - an unnerving experience - hats or walking poles help to fend them off!

Stage 5

Eventually the slope thankfully eases, and the trig point marking the summit of Conachair - the highest point on the St Kilda archipelgao - is reached. The views are unforgettable, with the westernmost island of Soay now visible, although it is still Boreray and its great stacks that attract the most attention. Soay is the original home of the Soay sheep - a primitive breed believed to date back to the bronze age. They were brought to Hirta after the evacuation and are now plentiful all over the island and are the subject of an ongoing scientific study.

Stage 6

Rather than heading straight for the radar station on Mullach Mòr , it is well worth heading south for 200m down the slope to reach a second trig pillar, this one directly above a steep slope that plunges down to Village Bay. It offers a remarkable view over the beautiful bay, its old houses and cleits as well as the Dun and the army base. After soaking in the panorama, contour across rougher ground to the bealach between Conachair and Mullach Mòr , then head up to the radar station on the summit of the latter. From here a road runs south along the ridge.

Stage 7

There views down into Gleann Mòr which was inhabited in ancient times, and across to the Lover's Stone atop the cliffs just west of Clagiean Mòr where young St Kildan men had to prove themselves worthy of marriage by standing on one foot above the precipice, holding their other foot in their hands. The stone can be visited by a detour if there is time, but emulating the St Kildans is not recommended! At the track junction take the left branch that descends back to Village Bay via the zig-zags (you can short cut these down the grass). The descent gives more great views of the village.

Stage 8

After the track passes through a gap in the wall enclosing the village area leave it to head across the grass and a small burn to reach the west end of the village street - a mix of cleits, old blackhouses and the newer improved houses built in the mid nineteenth century following donations after early visitors were appalled at the living conditions. Each of these houses has a stone placed in the hearth remembering who lived there at the time of evacuation in 1930; some of the houses have been restored as accommodation for work parties, and one can be visited as it is now a museum. At the far end of the street you can also visit the church and school (in the same building). The community on St Kilda existed in virtual isolation until the nineteenth century; it began to decline as the islanders were exposed to visitors and began to understand the comparative harshness of their lives here.

Stage 9

Most of the boat trips conclude visits to St Kilda with a cruise over to Boreray and its incredible sea stacks - an unforgettable end to a remarkable experience. There are tiny stone shelters on spectacular Stac Lee (the 2nd largest gannetry in the world) and Stac an Armin (the UK's highest) as well as on Boreray; all three summits are Marilyns and together with Soay and the Dun are undoubtably the greatest challenge for baggers. Incredibly a party of St Kildans survived on Boreray for nine months through the winter after an outbreak of smallpox on Hirta meant that the islanders were unable to collect them at the end of their fowling trip. It is well worth reading the book Island at the Edge of the World by Charles Maclean to learn more of the fascinating history of the island.

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