How you can spend an 'unforgettable' summer on one of Scotland's most remote islands

It would be a summer like no other - in a place like no other.

Volunteers are promised an "unforgettable experience" on the hard to reach island over the summer. PIC: National Trust for Scotland.

People are being sought to join a work party on St Kilda during the summer months with helpers required to preserve the heritage and culture of the famed archipelago.

Applications are now open for volunteers for the 2019 season with National Trust for Scotland, which owns the range of islands, promising an “unforgettable experience” in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The work parties have drawn volunteers from across Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States in the past.

Susan Bain, Western Isles manager at the National Trust for Scotland, said: “St Kilda work parties give the public the chance to get involved in the conservation of one of Scotland’s most special places.

“Not only will volunteers be helping our charity with the care and protection of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they will be able to work directly with our dedicated volunteers and staff, learning a range of new skills and meeting new people.

“Those who take part will have the rare opportunity to stay on Hirta for two weeks, providing an unforgettable experience and helping us to protect this iconic part Scotland’s heritage for future generations.”

St Kilda sits around 45 miles from North Uist and is the most westerly island in the Outer Hebrides.

Its last permanent residents were evacuated in 1930 as island life became unsustainable.

Volunteers will be expected to work for a minimum of 24 hours per week with members of the work party taking part in various tasks, from helping out in the St Kilda Club shop to assisting visitors and maintaining the buildings on the islands.

Tarring roofs, repairing stone walls, clearing drains and re-painting work are all typical tasks of the work group.

Volunteers will pay between £795 and £845 to join a work party for between nine and 10 days in May or June.

The price includes all accommodation and meals on St Kilda, travel to and from St Kilda by boat and

accommodation in Harris on the evening prior to departure and on return.

Work groups were started on St Kilda in the 1960s by a group which became the St Kilda Club.

The St Kilda Club donates funds to the NTS for conservation and education relating to the islands.

Applications for the work party must be submitted by January 21.

For further information visit www.kilda.org