31. St. Kilda (Hirta). (NF 0999)

Above, photographs of the QinetiQ facility on St. Kilda.

The Ministry of Defence site on Hirta was established in 1957 as a radar tracking station for the missile range on South Uist. The site is now operated by QinetiQ for the MoD, and is staffed by civilian workers. Although the last remaining inhabitants of Hirta were evacuated in the 1930s, the QinetiQ station is manned throughout the year. St. Kilda was designated a World Heritage Site in 1986, and visitors to the island are limited to about 2,500 a year. To learn more about the island visit www.kilda.org.uk. The MoD recently renewed their lease at St. Kilda and are due to pay the owners of the island, Scottish Natural Heritage, £100,000 a year for the next 25 years.