Art print (35.5 x 28 cm) featuring Victorian photograph St Kilda by Alexander Hutchison, from the National Galleries of Scotland Collection

St. Kilda is situated 100 miles west of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. Its inhabitants existed in isolation up until the 1880s when regular summer cruise steamers began to visit the island. Tempted by what they saw of the mainland's wealth, the people of St. Kilda, pictured here in front of one of their traditional straw-covered huts, began to leave in ever increasing numbers.

In 1930 the island was finally evacuated. The Victorian photographer who took this picture must have been one of the summer visitors with a lively interest in the local 'primitive' community.