St Kilda is characterised by the hundreds of cleits that are distributed across the main island of Hirta, as well as on the outliers of Soay and Boreray and the sea stack Stac an Armin. These small rectangular drystone huts with roofs of turf set on stone lintels, aligned with the slope of the land, were used for storage of hay, peats, birds and eggs, and gave shelter to the sheep.
The drystone cleits that have been built close to the settlement on Hirta are particularly large, while those further afield are much smaller. They have been accurately recorded during recent RCAHMS fieldwork.
HES DP044818
