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Considering it is the most remote of British islands, humans have surprisingly lived here since prehistoric times, until the last permanent residents left in 1930. Village Bay was the only possible location for the community to live, due to the dramatic island topography and natural bay that was accessible only in calm conditions.
The islanders lived on ‘Main Street’ - a row of 16 houses. To the right, the grassy bank slopes down to the bay via plots of land and to the left, common ground, sheep pens and distinctive drystone storage structures called cleits have been built. Over 1,400 of them scatter the island - they were used to store and dry birds, eggs and feathers, harvest crops, and peat and turf were used for fuel.
Hiking above Main Street, you get a sense of just how organised this community once was and had to be to survive and thrive in such harsh conditions. Sheep are dotted throughout the landscape - it is just the humans that have left.
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alihorne.eth
I’m Alistair, a Scottish freelance photographer specialising in the outdoors and the natural world. I have worked on award winning social media campaigns with a variety of clients, including Visit Norway, Airbnb, Adobe and Visit Scotland. Having been brought up with the mountains and coastlines in my backyard, they have considerably shaped and influenced my work and photography style, leading to where I am today.
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St Kilda, Scotland
Main village in Hirta from above
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Ali Horne
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Can be used to display privately, or in commercial and non-commercial settings, or in groups with an unlimited number of participants. The license includes unlimited use and display in virtual or physical galleries, documentaries, and essays by the NFT holder. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works.
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