Person wanted to run Scotland's most remote shop on St Kilda

A shop at the "edge of the world" on St Kilda needs someone new to run it.

The shop at Village Bay, St Kilda, is needing someone to run it with the job easily done from the mainland given its new electronic set up. PIC: NTS.

The tiny store sells souvenirs to the 5,000 or so people who venture to the the archipelago, which sits around 40 miles north west of its nearest neighbours in the Outer Hebrides, every year.

It does a line in fleeces, t-shirts, mugs. books and other mementos, including the ever-popular cuddly puffins.

The St Kilda Club, which owns the shop, is looking for a new convener after its member Rob Gower decided to step down after five years in the post.

The convener is responsible for sourcing stock, managing accounts and working with suppliers to insure the shelves are fully furnished with the best possible goods.

The replacement convener will be able to run the shop from afar.

Mr Gower did the job from Hampshire - some 700 miles from St Kilda - and visited the island only at the start of the season every year to make sure the shop was set up as he wanted it.

He introduced an electronic stock management system to insure that the surges of visitors to St Kilda did not leave the shelves empty.

Julie Hunt, chairwoman of St Kilda Club, said: "We have now got an electronic till and it makes running the shop a lot easier.

"It means the job can really be done from home. It really is about making sure the logistics are in place to run the ship.

"Our turnover is up to around £50,000 a year and all the profits go to National Trust for Scotland to support their work on St Kilda.

"Rob went up to St Kilda at the start of every season and for many that would be a massive perk of the job."

Volunteers working on St Kilda - and sometimes rangers from the National Trust for Scotland - man the till when new visitors arrive with stock for the shop taken to the island by Kilda Cruises.

For more information, please email [email protected]