Thursday, July 21, 2011

Microstates : 09 St Kilda (cinderellas)

Saint Kilda, who was Saint Kilda... In fact no one ever was saint Kilda, since that person never existed.
And yet, there are stamps of 'saint Kilda' ...
A bogus issue once more, and once more we have to go to the UK, Scotland in particular.
Saint Kilda does exist, it's an archipelago in the North West of Scotland.



The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom. The islands are administratively a part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority area. St Kilda was permanently inhabited for at least two millennia, its population probably never exceeding 180 (and certainly no more than 100 after 1851). The entire population was evacuated from Hirta (the only inhabited island) in 1930. Currently, the only year-round residents are defence personnel although a variety of conservation workers, volunteers and scientists spend time there in the summer months.

The name of St Kilda might come from the old Nordic language :  sunt kelda (sweet spa)
Stamps were issued by the Post Office depicting St. Kilda in 1986 and 2004.
Funny thing, since the sheetlet I got in my collection was cancelled in December 1969).

St Kilda was also commemorated on a new series of banknotes issued by the Clydesdale Bank in 2009.

St Kilda sheetlet

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