A sailing trip by OffshoreScotland yacht to the St Kilda archipelago provides a unique and exciting adventure for any sailor in Scotland. The remarkable islands are the most remote spot in the UK and sit on the very edge of north west Europe with their towering cliffs rising spectacularly from the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is home to the world's largest northern gannet colony, with over 60,000 breeding pairs, and the cliffs and sea stacs help make it the most important seabird breeding station in northen Europe with half a million breeding seabirds.

UNESCO awarded St Kilda, World Heritage Site in 1986 for its exceptional natural beauty and for the significant natural habitats that it supports and in July 2004 UNESCO extended this recognition to include the surrounding marine environment. And just a year later, St Kilda became one of the few places in the world to be awarded Dual World Heritage Status for natural and cultural significance when the importance of the island cultural heritage was also recognised.

This cultural heritage was forged by the absolute remoteness of the islands, first visited up to 5,000 years ago by Bronze Age visitors, which led to the islanders becoming totally self-sufficient and self-governing and existing in a hostile environment through hard physical labour and the courage required to win a bounty from the sea and collect bird meat and eggs from seabird nests perched precariously on the cliff faces.

But after 1,000 years of isolation from mainstream civilisation, increasing exposure to the outside world in the 1800s from missionaries and visitors from mainland Scotland - and further afield - led to an increasing dependence on landed supplies which triggered a breakdown in the tightly knit economic fabric of the community with over 30 islanders emigrating to Australia in 1852.

Increasing contact with the mainland saw islanders gradually losing their self-sufficiency with food, fuel, house furnishings and building material being increasingly imported and this outside influence saw a growing dissatisfaction of St Kildans at their lack of communication and isolation from the outside world.

Further hammer blows fell in 1912 with severe food shortages and the following year saw an outbreak of influenza. But the outbreak of World War I in 1914 was the major catalyst that led to the end of the island community with the deployment of a Royal Navy detachment on the island of Hirta. This led to a huge increase in visits by naval supply ships to the archipelago and when the war ended in 1918 and the sailors were withdrawn, the sense of isolation deepened and led to many of the young islanders deciding to emigrate.

By 1930 the aging population of 36 souls could no longer support themselves and with the old community economy in ruins, they requested evacuation and the sad chapter in the island's history was captured in poignant black and white photography which stirs the emotions when viewed today with the realisation that a unique way of life had finally ended on St Kilda. Following the evacuation, St Kilda was sold to the Marquess of Bute, a keen ornithologist, in 1931 and he bequeathed his purchase to The National Trust for Scotland in 1957.

The islands at the edge of the world therfore provide many attractions for sailors who have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the long-gone islanders and wonder at how they managed to retain such a viable community for well over 1,000 years before the benefits of 'civilisation' lead to the destruction of their way of life.

Any trip to St Kilda is weather dependent and the decision on whether the trip is made, or any curtailment, is entirely at the discretion of the OffshoreScotland skipper as the island lies 40-50 miles from the Outer Hebrides and only those who have made the trip can truly appreciate the sense of isolation to be experienced.

The trip to St Kilda also offers a milebuilding opportunity for sailors preparing for their RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification or who want the benefit of RYA tuition in a wide range of sailing courses. And for those who just want to sit back and relax and have a holiday then a trip to the archipelago is a great time to let an OffshoreScotland skipper do all the hard work while you enjoy the splendour of your surroundings.

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