Latest news with #SusanBain
The Herald Scotland
05-08-2025
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Storm Floris causes landslip on St Kilda heritage site
A 'significant' landslip has taken place at St Kilda due to heavy rainfall from Storm Floris. The world heritage site consists of an archipelago 65km (35 nautical miles) west-northwest of North Uist, the most remote islands of the Outer Hebrides. The archipelago is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland and is the UK's only dual UNESCO world heritage site designated for both its cultural and environmental significance. Read More: Tonnes of mud and stone were swept down the hillside damaging some of the unique cleits and demolishing drystone dyke enclosures at the bottom of the slope. A full assessment of the damage will be undertaken by St Kilda Archaeologist, Clare Henderson when it is safe to access the area later this week. Property manager Susan Bain said: 'Landslips like this are rare on St Kilda and we have not seen anything on this scale in recent decades. St Kilda (Image: Brian W Matthews) "Sadly, as we continue to see the impacts of changing weather patterns through climate change, heavy summer rainfall events are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity, so it may be something that happens more frequently. "We will work with our partners, including Historic Environment Scotland, to repair damage and investigate future mitigation.' Almost all National Trust for Scotland properties were closed yesterday due to Storm Floris. Today, teams are clearing up after trees have come down, with some sites without power. The charity is reminding visitors to check and property social media before travelling. Donations to support the charity's work to care for St Kilda can be made here.
The Herald Scotland
31-07-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
St Kilda now home to world's largest gannet colony
The seabirds breed in significant numbers at St Kilda and have been part of the island's landscape and history for many centuries. The advanced drone census took place on the archipelago's island of Boreray and its two satellite sea stacks, Stac Lì and Stac an Armin, at St Kilda in 2023. The results have revealed that St Kilda is now home to the world's largest gannet colony with over 59,000 breeding pairs. READ MORE: The census was carried out by the National Trust for Scotland's seabird ecologists and dedicated volunteers. It took around six hours to complete, with counts and data analysis taking place over several months through the following winter. The census will be repeated this year, and the Trust's seabird ecologists will be analysing the data this winter. Throughout much of the last century, St Kilda was home to the world's largest gannet colony. While its population remained relatively stable, a notable increase in the Bass Rock population on the east coast of Scotland saw it replace St Kilda as the world's largest colony in 2014. However, in 2022, a deadly strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (avian flu) swept across the North Atlantic, decimating seabird numbers and resulting in a 25–30% decline in the gannet population at Bass Rock since 2014, which is now home to over 46,000 breeding pairs. The impact of avian flu on the gannet colony at St Kilda appears to have been less severe than at some other colonies across the UK, with its population declining by around 2% since the last census, which was conducted using images taken from an aeroplane in 2013. Trust seabird ecologists believe that the rugged landscape of St Kilda helped prevent disease spread, unlike the flatter regions where the gannets live. One of the most impacted areas of the colony was situated in the flatter sections on Stac Lì, which supports their theory that avian flu can be more easily transmitted on flat terrain, compared to the steeper sections of the colony. Gannets are the UK's largest seabirds (Image: National Trust for Scotland) Craig Nisbet, Seabird and Marine Ranger at St Kilda, said: "This was the first year that drones have been used to conduct a census of the gannet colony at St Kilda. The use of drones has not only ensured minimal disturbance while monitoring these birds, but it has also provided new and improved methods for obtaining results compared to previous surveys, with high-quality images. "While it is of course positive news that the gannet population at St Kilda has remained stable, the declines recorded at other colonies are a consequence of the very real and severe threats all seabirds face today. Frequent counting of seabird colonies is particularly important during periods of disease outbreak or increases in other threats, such as climate change and dwindling food supply, and this new monitoring technique ensures we can do this as accurately as possible." Susan Bain, Western Isles Manager, said: "We are very fortunate to have such a unique place in our care, which is once again home to the world's largest gannet colony. It is incredibly important that we capture this data to identify how wildlife is faring across the places our charity cares for. It's only by identifying the declines and trends in our seabirds that we can begin to consider how to help them. We're grateful to our supporters for enabling us to continue to understand, care for and protect our natural heritage." Ellie Owen, Senior Seabird Officer, said: "Scotland's seabird colonies are of global importance, but they are facing unprecedented challenges. By implementing protection measures, we can work together to protect Scotland's seabirds. 'As custodians of many of Scotland's iconic seabird islands, we have a unique responsibility to safeguard these species from threats to give them the best chance of survival, and support through the Save our Seabirds appeal ensures we can continue taking action to protect seabirds.' St Kilda is the UK's only dual UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of only 39 in the world, and is home to nearly 1 million seabirds.
