Ionad Hiort Visitor Centre

Mangersta, Isle of Lewis

How can the story of a dead community help keep an existing one alive? 

In Uig, on the west coast of Lewis, the community recognised the need to fight to save their school, culture and way of life. They wanted to ensure a future for Gaelic, its young people - and to attract new people to live there.

Their vision is to use the story of St Kilda to bring new life to their own. Ionad Hiort, The St Kilda Centre, is to be located on the cliffs of Mangersta, the building angled towards the distant island archipelago.

Dualchas, in collaboration with Norwegian practice Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, has been working with the community for a number of years on the design of the building. It has achieved planning consent, and now the drive is to get it on site. It will be a visitor experience, primarily told through Gaelic, about the islands and people of St Kilda, but also a celebration of the shared culture, landscapes and wildlife of this remarkable part of the world.

Their vision is that Ionad Hiort | St Kilda Centre will preserve St Kilda's heritage, sharing it with the world while inspiring new generations. Beyond cultural preservation, the centre aims to create educational opportunities, attract visitors to the region, and support the regeneration of Uig and surrounding communities.

This story is not so much about the remarkable people of St Kilda, but the remarkable people of Uig. For members of the community, building the project would be a just reward for their years of perseverance, but also a reminder of the power of individuals, wherever they live, to make a difference, to make the world a better place.

Ionad Hiort website: https://lnkd.in/e-_rJCpZ