A VISIT TO ST. KILDA. 159 



Glen," or ' the Glen " as it is known in St. Kilda, 

 stretches out at our feet sloping gently down to 

 the distant Atlantic at West Bay. The hills on 

 either side of this romantic glen fall almost sheer 

 down in precipices to the sea, and on them Fulmars, 

 Guillemots, Razorbills, and Gulls rear their young, 

 whilst here and there a few Shearwaters burrow 

 into the rich soft soil. At the extremity of the 

 glen the cliffs are low and the shore is very rocky ; 

 but a landing can sometimes be made here when 

 the usual place in Village Bay is inaccessible. In 

 this glen the finest pasturage in St. Kilda is to be 

 obtained, and here most of the cows are grazed, 

 the women-folk going twice each day to milk them. 

 Not a tree nor a shrub relieves the monotony of 

 the bare hillsides or sheltered valleys of St. Kilda, 

 but grass grows luxuriantly, making the place 

 literally an " emerald isle " ; whilst primroses, 

 sorrel, and many other plants and weeds thrive 

 on the cliffs and sloping downs. The hillsides are 

 studded with numbers of rough hovels, locally 

 called " cleats," made of boulders and roofed with 

 turf, in which the St. Kildans dry their " turfs " 

 for fuel, and their grass for hay, and in which the 

 sheep take refuge during inclement weather. 



It is said that the present natives of St. Kilda 



