‘A LOGISTICAL MARATHON:’ CONSERVATION TEAM BRAVES THE ELEMENTS TO PROTECT ST KILDA KIRK

National Trust for Scotland starts complex project to repair impacts of weather and time on historic Kirk
Project designed to take account of weather, wildlife and the risk of alien species
Work made possible with generous support from funders, including Historic Environment Scotland
Gales, rough seas, nesting birds and the risk of non-native species arriving are just a few of the challenges National Trust for Scotland staff and contractors have faced during work on a major project to conserve the St Kilda Kirk, as its 200th anniversary approaches.

Extensive repairs to the roof and the replacement of gutters and rhones are required as a first urgent phase of conservation, to make the Kirk and adjacent School watertight and windtight, in a location where peak winds can reach 144mph. Due to the St Kilda archipelago’s location in the North Atlantic, the islands face gales approximately 75 days a year, with the recent Climate Vulnerability Index assessment for St Kilda showing that storms are likely to become more frequent and more severe as a result of climate change.

With support from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) grant funding, the project to weatherproof and conserve the Kirk is being managed by the National Trust for Scotland, which cares for St Kilda, the UK’s only dual UNESCO World Heritage site. Specialist contractors, Laing’s Traditional Masonry, have been working on Hirta over the summer, making the building more resilient to the effects of climate change while retaining its historic character.