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 For those who suffer with problems with their backs I would strongly recommend that they travel to St Kilda on the calmest of days. I had expected the bumpy ride from Leverburgh to settle down to a gentle up and down motion usually experienced when travelling at sea. Unfortunately, when we had cleared the islands the sea was just as turbulent as earlier and I knew I was in for a rough ride. The ups and downs were fine, although it did make others feel a little unwell, however the slapping effect as we came back down from a particularly high wave went straight for my (weak) back and was rather painful.
Please Note: Our trip had been added to the schedule due to the demand. Ordinarily the Orca would have waited for calmer weather but being so late in the season this was really our last chance at getting across.
If in a car and suffering you have the option to pull over and take a rest, a luxury I wished dearly to have on my journey to St Kilda! I was not alone in my discomfort, another guy on the trip was 72 and also experienced similar discomfort. The cabin was great and the seating most comfortable and well padded but could do little to ease my distress, it was the idea that I was, finally, to set foot upon St Kilda that kept me going.
 Arriving at St Kilda was wonderful and, even though I had read much about the island, I was not prepared for the scale and awesomeness of the sight. The islands appeared as though they had been forced upward by some prehistoric freaky major event and looked far too imposing to sustain human life. Entering the horseshoe bay surrounded on three sides by steep and, surprisingly very green, mountains was not only a great relief but also very exciting. Sadly the experience was marred by the presence of the QinetiQ base.
 QinetiQ on St. Kilda seems almost a contradiction. QinetiQ the global defence and security experts and at the forefront science and technology innovation and St Kilda, the historical site recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. However their presence, indirectly, allows us the opportunity to visit the island. The National Trust For Scotland maintains the island and work parties help restore the buildings. Studies are made of the bird life and all is possible with the support offered by QinetiQ. When we arrived on the island (having transferred from the Orca on a dingy) we were greeted by a ranger who explained the basics of visiting the island and a list of do's and don't's. The ranger later opened the shop to our party which allowed the other members to purchase many things related to the island ( I had travelled without cash!). Maybe next year I will remember to take some money with me - yes I plan to visit again as there are still areas I wish to explore and photograph.
You will find more details about St Kilda in the archive of the old Virtual Hebrides site here
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St Kilda
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