Tides of Time St Kilda

THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT FRIDAY,DECEMBER 9, 2011 | 5 RICHARDSON JIM The St. Kilda National Nature Reserve, an archipelago 100 miles (160 kilometers) from mainland Scotland, is an important breeding ground for seabirds People lived on these isolated and rugged islands for 5,000 years, until being evacuated in 1930. PEOPLE | Richard Luxmoore, senior nature conservation adviser for the National Trust for Scotland Emptied of human habitation 80 years ago, St. Kilda is now aseabird haven ore than 10,000 miles separate St. Kilda, came to work in Scotland in 1981 as amanager at a Luxmoore joined the National Trust for Scotland in ated more than 80 years ago, traces of human habita- Scotland, from Antarctica, but the two loca- commercial fish farm in Inverness-shire, then joined the 1998, in part for the opportunity ‘‘to get involved with the tion can still be found all over the main island, including About WorldHeritage M tions have more in common than may first be World Conservation Monitoring Centre in 1983 to gather management of St. Kilda.’’ Working in Antarctica, he an abandoned village and 1,430 cleits,stone structures apparent. It is theirsimilarities —remoteness, rugged and analyzedata on international trade in says, ‘‘gave me alove for wildplaces and built without mortar that were used for storage. The aim ofthe World Heritage Convention, adopted by Unesco terrain, indigenous wildlife and challenging climatic con- wildlife. His focus later shifted to managing a small islands in the middle of oceans ‘‘St. Kilda, like alot of the west of Scotland, has very members in 1972, is ‘‘to encourage ditions —that fascinate Richard Luxmoore, aBritish global database of threatened habitats and covered in seabirds. And I’ve always been in- high rainfall,’’ Luxmoore explains. ‘‘And consequently, the identification, protection and marine ecologist who has worked in both places. protected areas. terested in marine ecology as well. You get you can’t just leave things outside to dry; they won’t dry, preservation of cultural and natural Luxmoore is senior nature conservation adviser for In 1986, St. Kilda became Scotland’s first all of those in spades at St. Kilda.’’ they’ll just get wetter and wetter. So St. Kildans de- heritage around the world the National Trust for Scotland, whichowns and man- World Heritage site, based on the striking He was heavily involved in the extension veloped this technology for drying things, which we call considered to be of outstanding ages the country’s major nature conservation sites, in- beauty of its islands —with high cliffs and effort. In 2004, World Heritage status was cleits.They are basically dry-stone barns with aroof on universal value to humanity.’’ cluding roughly 400 islands. Of all of them, none is more glaciated landscapes formed by ancient vol- extended to the islands’ marine environment. but which let the wind blow through the walls. They would ‘‘Tides of Time’’ is apartnership outstanding than St. Kilda, in his view. canoes —and its outstanding wildlife. Ayear later, St. Kilda was recognized for its use them for drying hay, for drying peat for burning and among Jaeger-LeCoultre, Unesco’s ‘‘St. Kilda is an isolated archipelago in the middle of In 2003, the National Trust for Scotland importance as acultural landscape. Lux- for drying seabird carcasses for the storage over the World Heritage Centre and the the ocean with really tremendous cliffs, some of the helped submit aproposal to extend this moore notes that there are only 45 marine winter.’’ International Herald Tribune. The series presents some of the people highest in Europe,’’ he says. ‘‘But it’s also outstanding for World Heritage site to encompass its marine Richard Luxmoore. World Heritage sites globally, and only 25 The seabirds were critical for the survival of the St. its wildlife. It has the largest seabird colony in Europe, and cultural elements as well as its terrestri- with both natural and cultural heritage status. Kildans. ‘‘There was awell-rehearsed cycle of harvest- who are helping preserve marine sites on the World Heritage List. with over amillion seabirds in the breeding season.’’ al heritage. St. Kilda is the only such site in the United Kingdon and, he ing the different species of seabirds at different times To see videos about World Heritage Luxmoore’s love affair with what he calls ‘‘wild The marine environment is integral to the mainten- PARIS says, ‘‘really up there with the top few in the world.’’ of year,’’ says Luxmoore. The fact that this harvest per- marine sites, visit the ‘‘Tides of places’’ and the sea began as aboy. He studied applied ance of terrestrial biodiversity, because it provides food The islands’ cultural heritage bears witness to more sisted for millennia, he points out, ‘‘shows that these Time’’ archive at whc.unesco.org/ biology at Cambridge, then earned aPh.D. in marine eco- for the breeding seabirds, including species such as than 5,000 years of human survival in extremely trying techniques for harvesting seabirds must have been tidesoftime logy while working for the British Antarctic Survey. He Atlantic puffins and northern gannets. WILLIAM conditions. Although the last few residents were evacu- sustainable.’’ C.F. ST. KILDA NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE | Islands at the end of the world Aprivilegedlook inside aJaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Remoteness helps keep ‘spectacular’ archipelagowild For some watch connoisseurs, it is was open to all members of Jaeger- not enough to own and wear an LeCoultre’s LeClub (applications can ften called the End of the World or al remains suggest habitation for 5,000 St. Kilda is the single largest seabird breed- says Luxmoore, ‘‘but certainly in other parts object of beauty such as aJaeger- be found at www.jaeger- Britain’s Loneliest Isles, the St. Kilda years. The landscape is speckled with old ing ground in the northeast Atlantic. of Scotland the decline in kittiwake numbers LeCoultre timepiece; they want to lecoultre.com/leclub). O archipelago lies about 40 miles (60 stone houses, field systems and the is- Despite its remoteness, St. Kilda and its has been tagged very closely to climate understand how it functions. The attending V.I.P.s and watch kilometers) northwest of the Outer lands’ distinctive cleits, small stone struc- seabirds are not unaffected by the outside change and the impact that has on their In London on Nov. 10-12, they specialists delved into the know- Hebrides, asolitary landfall in the North At- tures with earth and turf roofs used to store world. One worry is the increasing use of dam- main food, which is alittle species of fish had that opportunity. For the first how of fine watchmaking. They lantic that bears witness to both nature’s birds, eggs, feathers, crops, peat and other aging fishing techniques like scallop dredging called the sand eel.’’ time ever, 70 aficionados learned how to assemble and fury and mankind’sdetermination tosurvive resources. in nearby waters. Luxmoore and othersin- Tourism remains far down the list of en- experienced the essence of the dissemble the Reverso Grande Date in even the harshest of settings. ‘‘It’s sort of an echo of the way people lived volved in St. Kilda’s protection are looking at vironmental threats. Only ahandful of Vallée de Joux, birthplace of fine Calibre 875, one of Jaeger- Says RichardLuxmoore, senior nature in the past,’’ says Luxmoore. ‘‘They lived avery ways to stop this from taking place within the people make it out to St. Kilda each year, Swiss watchmaking and home to LeCoultre most famous movements. conservation adviser for the National Trust —insome respects —pleasant existence, boundaries of World Heritage sites. and they’re usually the type of visitors who the manufacture, as Jaeger- This particular model was chosen for Scotland: ‘‘It’s mainly outstanding in but in other respects avery tough existence. ‘‘But really the biggest threat to the is- have great reverence for both the human LeCoultre organized amaster class because it is the manufacturer’s terms of its landscape —anisolated ar- And it was the toughness of that life there that lands is climate change,’’ says Luxmoore. and natural heritage. at the Salon QP watch fair at the iconic watch, celebrating its 80th chipelago in the middle of the ocean with caused them to ask to be evacuated.’’ ‘‘And we’re seeing some really dramatic ‘‘We’re very happy for tourists to come Saatchi Gallery. This was aunique anniversary this year. some really spectacular cliffs. It’s areally im- While the human side of St. Kilda still in- changes in the seabird numbers, probably here,’’ says Luxmoore, ‘‘but Ithink it’s al- experience to learn from two The ‘‘apprentices’’ were taught portant site for its wildlife, particularly the trigues, the main draw for visitors to the re- as aresult of climate change.’’ ways going to be limited by the remoteness master watchmakers, one who how to assemble the watch’s seabirds. But it’s also afascinating and mote islands today is the spectacular nature. The biggest concern is the kittiwakes, of the islands and, in particular, the rough came from the Vallée de Joux mainspring, responsible for emotive place to visit for its human history.’’ As the ring-shaped remains of aTertiary-era whose numbers have declined by close to 75 sea conditions. There’s areal sense of especially for theevent and the powering the trainwheels, right St.Kilda’s great irony is that while people volcano, the islands boast some of the percent over the past 25 years. ‘‘It’s abit achievement having got there. That’s one of other based at the brand’s boutique down to the escapement, the device survived on these islands for several thou- highest sea cliffs in Europe.

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