Editing St Kilda, Scotland (section)

=== Military occupation ===
[[File:Blotonstkilda.jpg|right|thumb|The tracking tower on [[Mullach Sgar]]]]

The islands saw no military activity during the [[World War II|Second World War]], remaining uninhabited,<ref>Steel (1988) page 234.</ref> but three aircraft crash sites remain from that period. A [[Bristol Beaufighter]] LX798 based at [[Islay Airport|RAF Port Ellen]] on [[Islay]] crashed into Conachair within {{convert|100|m|ft|-1}} of the summit on the night of 3–4 June 1943. A year later, just before midnight on 7 June 1944, the day after [[Normandy Landings|D-Day]], a [[Short Sunderland]] [[flying boat]] ML858 was wrecked at the head of Gleann Mòr. A small plaque in the church is dedicated to those who died in this accident.<ref>Quine (2000), p. 90.</ref>

A [[Vickers Wellington]] [[bomber]] crashed on the south coast of Soay in 1942 or 1943. Not until 1978 was any formal attempt made to investigate the wreck, and its identity has not been absolutely determined. Amongst the wreckage, a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] cap badge was discovered, which suggests it may have been HX448 of [[Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School RAF|7 Operational Training Unit]] which went missing on a navigation exercise on 28 September 1942. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the Wellington is LA995 of [[List of ferry units of the Royal Air Force|303 Ferry Training Unit]] which was lost on 23 February 1943.<ref>Steel (1988), p. 236</ref><ref>Barry, John C. (1980) "Wartime Wrecks on St. Kilda" ''After the Battle''. '''30''' p. 28</ref>

In 1955 the British government decided to incorporate St Kilda into a [[Deep Sea Range|missile-tracking range]] based in [[Benbecula]], where test firings and flights are carried out. Thus in 1957 St Kilda became permanently inhabited once again. A variety of military buildings and masts have since been erected, including a canteen (which is not open to the public), the Puff Inn.<ref>[http://www.kilda.org.uk/puffinnstatement.htm "Puff Inn statement"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311083300/http://www.kilda.org.uk/puffinnstatement.htm |date=11 March 2012 }}. Provided by QinetiQ, approved by the MOD and published by the [[National Trust for Scotland]]. Retrieved 18 October 2012.</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MOD) leases St Kilda from the National Trust for Scotland for a nominal fee.<ref>Steel (1988) pp. 238–55.</ref>

Hirta is still occupied year-round by a small number of civilians employed by defence contractor [[QinetiQ]] working in the military base ([[MOD Hebrides]]) on a monthly rotation.<ref name=BBC29810/><ref>[http://www.kilda.org.uk/visitor-advice.htm "Advice for visitors"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416054436/http://www.kilda.org.uk/visitor-advice.htm |date=16 April 2007 }} (2004) National Trust for Scotland. Retrieved 18 March 2007. This notes that the name "Puff Inn" is misleading in that it is not open to the public.</ref> In 2009 the MOD announced that it was considering closing down its missile-testing ranges in the Western Isles, potentially leaving the Hirta base unmanned.<ref name=SKday>{{cite news| author=Ross, John| date=31 July 2009| title=Historic evacuation of islands will be commemorated on St Kilda Day| location=Edinburgh| newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]| url=http://news.scotsman.com/inverness/In-1930-the-last-islanders.5511585.jp| access-date=10 August 2009| archive-date=27 October 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027200704/https://www.scotsman.com/news| url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015 the base had to be temporarily evacuated due to adverse weather conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ampaipear.org.uk/qinetiq-st-kilda-recovery-plan-already-motion/|title=Qinetiq: St Kilda recovery plan already in motion|date=12 January 2015|access-date=21 November 2016|archive-date=21 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121181951/http://www.ampaipear.org.uk/qinetiq-st-kilda-recovery-plan-already-motion/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In summer 2018, the MOD facilities were being restored as part of building a new base; one report stated that the project included "replacing aged generators and accommodation blocks".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scotislands.com/st-kilda/|title=ST KILDA|date=12 September 2018|access-date=10 February 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503153748/https://scotislands.com/st-kilda/|url-status=live}}</ref> With no permanent population, the island population can vary between 20 and 70, most living here temporarily. These inhabitants include MOD employees, National Trust for Scotland employees, and several scientists working on a [[Soay sheep]] research project.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/what-it-s-like-living-on-st-kilda-1-4693525|title=What it's like living on St Kilda|website=The Scotsman|date=21 February 2018|author=Alison Campsie|access-date=31 December 2018|archive-date=31 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231194215/https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/what-it-s-like-living-on-st-kilda-1-4693525|url-status=live}}</ref>