Hirta
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Hirta (Scottish Gaelic language Hiort) is the largest island in the Saint Kilda archipelago.
It measures 3.4 km from east to west, and 3.3 km from north to south, has an area of 6.285 km², and about 15 km of coastline. Except at the landing place on the south-east, the cliffs rise sheer out of deep water, and on the north-east side the highest summit in the island, Conachair, forms a precipice 430 m high. St Kilda is probably the core of a Tertiary volcano, but, besides volcanic rocks, contains hills of sandstone in which the stratification is distinct.
Although the islands had been continuously populated since prehistoric times, the original inhabitants were evacuated in 1930 due to disease and outside influences.
External link
- World Heritage Sites Protected Areas Programme - St Kilda (http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/stkilda.html)de:Hirta