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St Kilda 2010 Trip Report

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St Kilda 2010 Trip Report St Kilda 2010 Trip Report Revised Nomination of St Kildafor inclusion in the World Heritage Site List a. Country b. State, Province United Kingdom or Region Western Isles 1 Scotland 0 c. Name of Property 5 km 191m. Stac an Armin Boreray Am Biran St Kilda (Hirta) 0 2 miles Bothy N Rubha Bhriste St Kilda Gearr-geo An t-Sail n 0 1 km i Soay e l Geo na Tarnanach i E Udraclete WE n a 0 1 mile h Hirta c S Geo Shunadail a u l 379m l . n u Boreray a Dun M d Mullach an Tuamail Taigh a l Levenish Stallar Creagan na Am Plasdair Geo Rubha 236m. Rubhaig Bana Ge Clesgor Bothies o an Creagan Fhea Poll Adinet 166m. chdaire 149m Fharspeig Creagan . Cave Bothy ich e . Geo na Lee ra oir c Cleitein McPhaidein 308m n A M sta a n h 94m e Stac Lee eo ha rb . Coinneag . d c a Glamasgeo Stac r G ea Sg Tobar 373m The Altar i L o Rubha Bhrengeadail Soay A na e Ruadh Cnoc Glas Mol - o G Gob Scapanish . h e Sgarbhstac 339m Geo Chaluim Mhic Mhuirich a r mh G Shoay n a a c -S . Geo Sgeir Chàise Gob na o s t The Boreray island group lies 6.1 kms Stac r e n an Gob i h-Airde G O a e Taigh 211m o o id Gob na Pursan Biorach b e e Na la (3.8 miles) N. East of Leac Mhin Stac a' Ghaill G P Min Stac h-Airde a' ChaimDugan im The Loch G Cleitean n a Mol el dastac a n . h nn hra n a 179m Stac Cambir Tu B o rs C Carn na a'Ghlinne eo e u Dona o G Leac Mhin Stac Ph 144m. e Liana Bradastac G eo G Beul or Glen Bay G G G Soay na Geo eo eo Ch n Gob Phursan ru an . Baghan ad R m a o 1 h n 2 Sgeir Dhomhnaill a 3 in Mullach Mol can . 430m a A 72m Mor Ghiasgar St Tobar m 355m Conachair a A Stac a' Langa n Amazon's Radar. eo nam h m e G u oig r Station r 272m h h BuaidhG i House ' B . a n The Geo a t u g l oi l r l n B e e Gap . Am ig i Glacan Ea A o na a G n Ge n Chonachair 163m n h n Leathad M Rubha Ghill n l n i a' Ghlinne Geo na Laisealaich i 121m. Calum u M n Lag h n h Mor's e M Geo na Muir-bhuaile (Bream) m o Bho'n o Mullach r House A r h Sgeir nan Sgarbh o Geal Medieval Tuath 289m i . G Mullach r House Kiln eo Bi Claigeann an Oiseval nan Sg . lag arbh 355m Taigh Faire Am Well Vil e .289m he Saw Rubha an Uisge Carn Blaid T Pier Pit. Sgeir Mor Claigeann 22m h M Mhor c Mor . u .39m a l n id 282m l Village Bay ea a Lover's . a G r p l n c Clash na eo i r il e n h or B E l u s Stone i l Point of ra Hirta n A b il p i Leathaid a' u i S . Bearnaich ba a n o a a a h g g 218m Loch by o a G h l Sgithoil h a Coll or e g t C G m s r G ea a a A le A Hirta Rubha Challa r h n a Chaoil G C C o B eo G m 26m eo e a Mh R h . G n Laimhrig u u R G r 178m. u Tobar na Gille o i b u e nan Gall Rubha c h a i h a i nn G Mhuirich va St. Brianan's Chapel l Uamh Cailleach Bheag Ruaival G eo Chile Brianan An Torc Geo Leibli . Ruaival29mGiasgeir 135m. o Mistress Stone Ge lig ei ideig Surfaced road S a Ru Geo Gharran Altar eo n Village "street" Buidhe Sgeir G Na Bodhan Mhor Bioda 56m Building . Tun . A' Bhi 113m nel ir Mor Cleitein r ge ei as 176m. Stone enclosure g hi 124m. Na Sgarain ' Wendy Price Cartographic Services, Inverness, 2002. as G Tunnel Dyke hi eo Map based on the 1928 Ordnance Survey map with additions C G Gob an Duin Levenish ' Well from aerial photography kindly supplied by Photoair through A Dun Gob na Muce Levenish lies 2.8 kms Contour (30 metres) /cliff G Scottish Natural Heritage. Whilst every care has been taken Sgeir Cul iu Hamalan (1.75 miles) E.N.East River/stream an Rubha m to ensure that the map is correct, it should not be used in a ach of Gob an Duin Sandy beach situation where a high degree of detail is required. sgor 6 St Kilda 2010 Trip Report Introduction In most years during the 1990’s varied members of the Club took a diving holiday around the Inner Hebrides aboard the “MV Harry Slater”, operated by Dave Ogden until his death in 2000. The Harry Slater generally kept to the Sound of Mull with trips to Coll or further when the weather permitted – she was a small boat, and not built for comfort in rough seas. However, we were lucky with the weather on many occasions, and got out as far as Barra on the last trip that I did. The weather was clear and flat calm, and the elusive St Kilda, which we had often talked about diving, and which Dave reached perhaps once a season, was only 6 hours steaming away. Common sense prevailed, but it always seemed like an opportunity missed, and reinforced my ambition to dive St Kilda one day. Many years intervened, but following our successful trip to Norway in 2009, I decided that it was time to look at St Kilda again, and consequently made a booking for May 2010. St Kilda The archipelago of St Kilda, the remotest part of the British Isles, lies 41 miles (66 kilometres) west of Benbecula in Scotland's Outer Hebrides. Its islands with their exceptional cliffs and sea stacs form the most important seabird breeding station in North-West Europe. The evacuation of its native population in 1930 brought to a close an extraordinary story of survival. The National Trust for Scotland run an extensive website at http://www.kilda.org.uk/ St Kilda Underwater The St Kilda website says ... “The islands of St Kilda are bathed in clear, oceanic waters and support a spectacularly diverse and stunning range of animals and plants in both the intertidal (between high and low water) and subtidal (below low water) areas. Beneath the surface a dense forest of kelp creates a swaying mass, providing refuge to a host of other animals and plants. The rock surface amongst the kelp holdfasts is covered by a variety of different sponges and sea anemones. Going deeper with decreasing light levels, the kelp forest thins into a park but remarkably some kelp plants survive to depths in excess of 45m compared to a maximum of 25m on the west coast mainland of Scotland and only 10-12m on the east coast. Space is at a premium, every square centimetre of rock is covered in a kaleidoscope of form and colour. Carpets of jewel anemones ranging from greens and pinks to vivid reds, startling bunches of orange deadman's fingers (soft coral), great swathes of orange, yellow, grey or green sponges, delicate hydroid and bryozoans all flourish in the plankton rich waters. Mobile animals such as chitons, snails, sea slugs, crabs and various starfish including featherstars, sun stars and cushion stars are to be found. In the almost azure blue surface waters fish abound, shoals of herring create a dazzling light show as the sunlight reflects off their slender, silver bodies. Seals and even larger predators such as basking sharks and minke whales patrol these rich inshore waters. The marine life around St Kilda is a wonderful resource and a gem in the crown that is Scotland's spectacular natural heritage.” Page 3 St Kilda 2010 Trip Report The Elizabeth G The boat that we had booked on was the Elizabeth G, one of only a few liveaboards operating in the Hebrides these days (where once there were many). While almost exactly the same length as the boat that we used in Norway last year, the Elizabeth G manages to devote more space to the interior, adding to the comfort, but making the kitting-up area slightly smaller than would be ideal. Accommodation was in six rooms with bunk beds, with plenty of space to put things. Each room has a small washbasin, and there were three (electric!) toilets and two showers on board to cater for the 12 guests. The full specification of the boat is available on their website at http://elizabethgcharters.co.uk. Assembled diving kit was strapped into benches just forward of the wheelhouse, as can be seen in the photo below, with plenty of space under the benches for dive bags and spare equipment. Cylinders were filled in place on the benches, saving the bother of dismantling the kit after every dive. Page 4 St Kilda 2010 Trip Report Nitrox was available at reasonable prices (thank you to Pete and Lucy for the loan of Nitrox Cylinders), and rebreather divers could obtain oxygen easily due to the onboard Haskell booster pump.
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