Plan for St Kilda centre in Isle of Lewis moves forward

A proposal for a visitor centre dedicated to the remote St Kilda archipelago has been given planning permission in principle.

Ionad Hiort, the St Kilda Centre, would be built at Uig in Lewis in the Western Isles.

Building on St Kilda's main island, Hirta, was ruled out because bad weather could restrict access to the small group of isles.

St Kilda is also a protected Unesco World Heritage site.

Islanders abandoned the archipelago in 1930, and today Hirta is only occupied for a few months of the year by National Trust for Scotland staff and volunteers, scientists. Ministry of Defence contractors also spend periods of time on St Kilda operating a rocket testing radar.

The project, A Chiad Cheum, has proposed the new visitor centre.

Under the plans, visitors would be able to experience St Kildan cultural traditions and the environment of the islands.

It would also act as a research base.