St Kilda cattle on Oban pier
1930 Photographer unknown
The St Kilda cattle are seen here on Oban pier. Most of the cattle and sheep were transported from St Kilda on the SS Hebrides in July 1930 to Tiree and Oban, and the remainder transported on 30th August 1930 on the Dunara Castle at the same time as the evacuation of the human population. The image above could be from either occasion. The sale of the cattle at the marts of Oban in July was the last breath of the St Kildan economy, as the cattle provided both milk and meat for home consumption. The milk from St Kilda cattle had a reputation for being very rich. Cheese was made by the islanders with a mixture of both cow and sheep milk, and as well as being consumed in the islands, this was also exported and sold to visitors to generate income.
