Editing St Kilda, Scotland (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Saint Kilda archipelago topographic map-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|The St Kilda archipelago]]

The islands are composed of [[Tertiary]] [[igneous]] formations of [[granite]]s and [[gabbro]], heavily weathered by the elements. The archipelago represents the remnants of a long-extinct ring volcano rising from a seabed plateau approximately {{convert|40|m|ft}} below sea level.<ref>[http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/trends/seas/Seas_Part1.pdf "Knowledge of the marine environment"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709200108/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/trends/seas/Seas_Part1.pdf |date=9 July 2007 }} (PDF) Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 2 January 2007.</ref>

At {{Convert|670|ha}} in extent, [[Hirta]] is the largest island in the group and comprises more than 78% of the land area of the archipelago. Next in size are [[Soay, St Kilda|Soay]] (English: "sheep island") at {{Convert|99|ha}} and [[Boreray, St Kilda|Boreray]] ("the fortified isle"), which measures {{Convert|86|ha}}.<ref name=Smith/><ref name=UNEP>[http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/stkilda.html "Protected Areas and World Heritage—St Kilda".] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070705053252/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/stkilda.html |date=5 July 2007 }} United Nations Environment Programme: World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 18 March 2007.</ref> Soay is {{convert|0.5|km|mi|1}} north-west of Hirta, Boreray 6&nbsp;kilometres (4&nbsp;mi) to the northeast. Smaller [[islet]]s and [[Stack (geology)|stacks]] in the group include [[Stac an Armin]] ("warrior's stack"), [[Stac Lee]] ("grey stack") and [[Stac Levenish]] ("stream" or "torrent").<ref name="Maclean (1977) page 33."/><ref>Quine (2000) pages 99, 109, 111, 125, 137, 145.</ref> The island of Dùn ('fort'), which protects Village Bay from the prevailing southwesterly winds, was at one time joined to Hirta by a natural arch. MacLean (1972) suggests that the arch was broken when struck by a [[galleon]] fleeing the defeat of the [[Spanish Armada]], but other sources, such as Mitchell (1992) and Fleming (2005), suggest that the arch was simply swept away by one of the many fierce storms that batter the islands every winter.<ref>Maclean (1977) page 18.</ref><ref>Fleming (2005) page 64.</ref>

The highest point in the archipelago, Conachair ("the beacon") at {{convert|430|m|ft}}, is on Hirta, immediately north of the village. In the southeast is Oiseval ("east fell"), which reaches {{convert|290|m|ft}}, and Mullach Mòr ("big hill summit") 361&nbsp;metres (1,185&nbsp;ft) is due west of Conachair. Ruival ("red fell") {{convert|137|m|ft}} and Mullach Bi ("pillar summit") {{convert|358|m|ft}} dominate the western cliffs. Boreray reaches {{convert|384|m|ft}} and Soay&nbsp;{{convert|378|m|ft}}.<ref name=Smith/> The extraordinary Stac an Armin reaches {{convert|196|m|ft}}, and Stac Lee, {{convert|172|m|ft}}, making them the highest [[sea stack]]s in Britain.<ref>[http://www.kilda.org.uk/frame26.htm "Dual World Heritage Status For Unique Scottish Islands"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002160717/http://www.kilda.org.uk/frame26.htm |date=2 October 2006 }}. National Trust for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2007.</ref><ref>The heights are from Haswell-Smith (2004), although the National Trust website states {{Convert|191|m|ft}} and {{Convert|165|m|ft}} respectively.</ref>

In modern times, St Kilda's only settlement was at Village Bay ({{langx|gd|Bàgh a' Bhaile}} or {{lang|gd|Loch Hiort}}) on the east side of Hirta. Gleann Mòr on the north coast of Hirta and Boreray also contain the remains of earlier habitations.<ref>Maclean (1977) page 19.</ref> The sea approach to Hirta into Village Bay suggests a small settlement flanked by high rolling hills in a semicircle behind it. This is misleading.<ref>Baxter and Crumley (1988) page 87. "Village Bay and its hills... a stupendous sham, a masterly St Kildan deception."</ref> The whole north face of Conachair is a vertical cliff up to {{Convert|427|m|ft}} high,<ref name=Keay>Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London. HarperCollins. Pages 840–2.</ref> falling sheer into the sea and constituting the highest sea cliff in the UK.<ref>This is noted by several authorities including Steel (1988), p. 27, although Keay (1994) erroneously states they are the "highest in Europe". Croaghaun on [[Achill Island]] is considerably higher at {{Convert|668|m|ft}}; see for example [http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/geography/extremities.html "Geographical Facts and Figures".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219155333/http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/geography/extremities.html |date=19 December 2015 }} Wesleyjohnston.com. Retrieved on 9 September 2007.</ref>

The archipelago is the site of many of the most spectacular sea cliffs in the British Isles. Baxter and Crumley (1988) suggest that St Kilda: "...is a mad, imperfect God's hoard of all unnecessary lavish landscape luxuries he ever devised in his madness. These he has scattered at random in Atlantic isolation {{convert|100|mi}} from the corrupting influences of the mainland, {{convert|40|mi}} west of the westmost Western Isles. He has kept for himself only the best pieces and woven around them a plot as evidence of his madness."<ref>Baxter and Crumley (1988) page 7. The lower case pronouns for the deity are in the original text.</ref>
[[File:Staclevenish.jpg|thumb|upright|Cliff face silhouette on [[Stac Levenish]]]]
Although {{Convert|64|km}} from the nearest land, St Kilda is visible from as far as the summit ridges of the [[Skye]] [[Cuillin]], some {{Convert|129|km}} distant.<ref>Murray (1966) page 163.</ref> The climate is oceanic with high rainfall, {{Convert|1400|mm|in}}, and high humidity. Temperatures are generally cool, averaging {{Convert|5.6|C|F}} in January and {{Convert|11.8|C|F}} in July. The prevailing winds, especially strong in winter, are southerly and southwesterly. Wind speeds average {{Convert|13|km/h}} approximately 85 percent of the time and more than {{Convert|24|km/h}} more than 30 percent of the time. Gale-force winds occur less than 2 percent of the time, but gusts of {{Convert|185|km/h}} and more occur regularly on the high tops, and speeds of {{Convert|209|km/h}} have occasionally been recorded near sea level.<ref name=Darling/> The tidal range is {{Convert|2.9|m|ft}}, and ocean swells of {{Convert|5|m|ft|0}} frequently occur, which can make landings difficult or impossible at any time of year.<ref name=UNEP/><ref name=Manplan>[http://www.kilda.org.uk/StkildaManagementPlan.pdf "St Kilda World Heritage Site Management Plan 2003 – 2008"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529185218/http://www.kilda.org.uk/StKildaManagementPlan.pdf |date=29 May 2008 }} (PDF) National Trust for Scotland. Retrieved 24 January 2007.</ref> The oceanic location protects the islands from snow, which lies for only about a dozen days per year.<ref name=Darling/>

The archipelago's remote location and oceanic climate are matched in the UK only by a few smaller outlying islands such as the [[Flannan Isles]], [[North Rona]], [[Sula Sgeir]], and the [[Barra Isles|Bishop's Isles]] at the southern edge of the Outer Hebrides. Administratively, St Kilda was part of the [[List of civil parishes in Scotland|parish]] of [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]] in the traditional county of [[Inverness-shire]].<ref>Steel (1988) page 199.</ref> Today it is incorporated in the [[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]] [[unitary authority]]<ref>Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 460, North Lewis/Ceann a Tuath Leòdhais.</ref> (formerly Western Isles Islands Council).