A VISIT TO ST. KILDA. 157 



of rock Stack Biorrach, or the pointed stack (the 

 most difficult cliff to climb in the islands), Stack 

 Soay, and Stack Doonaah, or the bad stack. On 

 two of these rocks sea-birds breed in abundance. 

 Soay has an elevation of more than a thousand feet 

 from the sea, furnishes rich pasturage for many 

 sheep, and is a favourite nesting-place of myriads 

 of sea-fowl, especially the Manx Shearwater, which 

 swarms to such an extent that many parts of the 

 island are honeycombed with its burrows. The 

 Stormy Petrel also breeds here in abundance. 

 Four miles north of St. Kilda is the island of 

 Borreay, with the two rock-stacks of Stack-an- 

 Armin and Stack Lii, the latter being the grand 

 head-quarters of the Gannets, which not only swarm 

 on the flat sloping summit, but on all the ledges 

 of the lofty sides. So densely do the white birds 

 cluster on this rock that it may be seen distinctly 

 from the Long Island, forty miles away, looking 

 like a large ship under full sail bending to windward. 

 Borreay also rises more than a thousand feet above 

 sea-level, and its mighty cliffs swarm with birds. 

 Many sheep are also pastured here. St. Kilda is the 

 only island of the group which is inhabited by man. 

 As soon as I landed on St. Kilda signs of birds 

 met me at every step. The ground near the 



