St Kilda: 'Gruelling logistical marathon' underway as kirk repairs begin

For those working on the conservation of the tiny St Kilda Kirk ahead of its 200th anniversary, the challenges have been as unique as the job itself, with the project described as a “gruelling logistics marathon”.

Extensive repairs to the roof and the replacement of gutters and rhones are now underway in the first and urgent phase of conservation to make the kirk and neighbouring school wind and water tight.

The task has proved to be no mean feat on an island where winds can reach speeds of 144mph with recent climate forecasts for St Kilda showing that already severe conditions will intensify and become more common over time. Even now, gales batter St Kilda on approximately 75 days a year.

Susan Bain, the National Trust for Scotland’s Property Manager for St Kilda, said: “The National Trust for Scotland is privileged to care for and share St Kilda’s natural and cultural heritage, including the Kirk and School, but our stewardship also brings with it great practical complexities.

“The project to repair the roof and replace the rainwater goods of the Kirk not only requires specialist heritage conservation expertise and skills, but also involves a gruelling logistical marathon.”

Ms Bain said that transporting the materials for the project had taken months of planning, with the initial shipment made to South Uist for storage.

There, the materials are checked ahead of voyage in case the cargo has attracted the attention of non-native rodents in order to keep them off the protected landscape of St Kilda.

The work is being carried out by contractors Laing’s Traditional Masonry with funding support from Historic Environment Scotland. The first phase of the work will cost £200,000 and has been made possible due to additional funds from St Kilda Club, the NTS Foundation USA, the Noble Caledonia Charitable Trust and McCorquodale Charitable Trust.

The St Kilda Kirk was constructed in 1827-28, to Robert Stevenson’s 1826 design, after a visiting minister, Rev Dr John Macdonald, commented that the islanders were ‘ignorant of the leading truths’ of Christianity.

Though ministers and missionaries had visited St Kilda since the 18th century, the first resident minister was the Revd Neil Mackenzie, who lived there with his wife and family from 1830-44.

After the last islanders left St Kilda in 1930, the Kirk fell into disrepair, but it was restored by the Trust in the 1970s. Marking the 50th anniversary of the evacuation, the Kirk was re-dedicated at an interdenominational service in August 1980.

The kirk and school will remain closed to visitors during the conservation work.

Fundraising will soon begin ahead of the second phase of the work which will focus on the interior of the Kirk with repairs to timber and plasterwork to restore it “to its former glory”.

Dr Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at HES, said: “St Kilda has a distinctive story to tell in Scotland’s history and these buildings are testament to a unique way of life. HES grant funding in this case is helping to conserve not only the tangible fabric of the Kirk and School buildings, but also to safeguard the island’s invaluable cultural heritage, ensuring that its stories and significance continue to be shared with the world.”