Stac an Armin
United Kingdom · Europe
About
Stac an Armin (Scottish Gaelic: Stac an Àrmainn) is a sea stack in the St Kilda archipelago. It is 196 metres (643 ft) tall, qualifying it as a Marilyn. It is the highest sea stack in Scotland and the British Isles.
The name Stac an Armin means stack of the soldier/warrior, and evidence remains showing it was used by people living nearby as a hunting grounds. It is not believed to have been inhabited year round, but has hosted some (involuntary) extended stays. Climbing the rocks was once done to collect eggs and has continued in the form of recreational sport. The island was once home to the now extinct great auk, and rules exist to protect the bird habitats and breeding grounds.
Stac an Armin is 400 metres (1⁄4 mi) north of Boreray and near the 172-metre-high (564-foot) Stac Lee. Stac an Armin is separated from Boreray by a channel "so littered with rocks" that it should not be sailed, though sailors write passionately about the views.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.