Editing Hirta (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Saint Kilda 20090611 Hirta - Village overview.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Overview of Village Bay|alt=Photograph]]

The island measures {{convert|3.4|km|mi|frac=16|abbr=off}} from east to west, and {{convert|3.3|km|mi|frac=16|abbr=on}} from north to south. It has an area of {{convert|6.285|km2|sqmi|frac=32|abbr=on}} and about {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on|0}} of coastline. The only real landing place is in the shelter of Village Bay on the southeast side of the island.  The island slopes gently down to the sea at Glen Bay (at the western end of the north coast), but the rocks go straight into the sea at a shallow angle and landing here is not easy if there is any swell at all.  Apart from these two places, the cliffs rise sheer out of deep water. However, sea [[kayak]]ers can also land for a break on a small boulder beach backed by cliffs in the north of the island, just before the northeast side where the highest summit in the island, Conachair, forms a precipice {{convert|430|m|ft|adj=mid|high|abbr=on}}. St Kilda is probably the core of a [[Tertiary]] [[volcano]], but, besides volcanic rocks, it contains hills of [[sandstone]] in which the [[stratum|stratification]] is distinct.

{{lang|gd|[[Dùn, St Kilda|Dùn]]|italic=no}} is separated from Hirta by a shallow strait by (Caolas an Dùin) which is about {{convert|50|m|yd|round=5|abbr=off}} wide; the strait is normally impassable and is reputed to dry out on rare occasions.<ref name="Smith"/>