Soay

Soay is a small, uninhabited island in the St Kilda archipelago off northwest Scotland, known for its feral Soay sheep and for seabird colonies. The island is part of the wider protected St Kilda group, which has international conservation designations.

On and around the island there are seabird colonies and unmanaged moorland habitat; the remnant sheep population is of particular biological interest. Visitor landings are limited and usually take place only as part of organized, permitted trips because the archipelago is a protected nature reserve.

Soay was used historically by St Kilda inhabitants for grazing and seasonal resource use; the main St Kilda settlement was evacuated in 1930 and the islands have since been managed for conservation. The sheep population on Soay has persisted as a remnant of earlier agricultural practices.

Soay sits within the St Kilda archipelago in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, hundreds of kilometres west of the Scottish mainland and several dozen kilometres west-northwest of North Uist.

• Soay sheep: Home to the primitive breed of Soay sheep, which descend from animals kept on the island for centuries and are a focus of scientific and conservation interest.
• Conservation status: Part of the St Kilda archipelago and managed as a protected reserve, with restricted or controlled visitor access to protect wildlife.