Wanted, barman to pull pints at the edge of the world
IT is the UK’s most remote outpost and home to only a handful of people.
But the tiny population of St Kilda will soon be boosted – by the arrival of a new bartender.
Applicants are currently being sought for the position of bar steward for the archipelago, 100 miles west of the Scottish mainland in the Atlantic Ocean.
As well as the usual bar duties, the steward of the wittily named Puff Inn will have to unload the stock from a helicopter.
But the successful candidate need not worry about being rushed off their feet – even on the busiest evenings, the number of customers is limited to fewer
‘I would go stir crazy after a month’
than 20 military staff and conservationists.
Nor is there any chance of passing trade – as well as being extremely difficult to reach, the pub is not open to the public.
The largest island, Hirta, is home to a Ministry of Defence missile monitoring station.
The unusual bar job is being advertised online by MoD contractor QinetiQ.
The advert says: ‘An opportunity for a Bar Steward/Cleaner to join our QinetiQ Hebrides, St Kilda Team.
‘This is a great opportunity for a customer-focused individual.’
Although no specific experience is required for the post, the advert, perhaps unsurprisingly, says the ‘ability to work on your own initiative’ is desirable.
The last permanent residents of St Kilda were evacuated in 1930. It is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland which, along with Scottish Natural Heritage and the MoD, runs conservation projects there.
A radar station is staffed all year, while trust wardens stay on Hirta from April to September.
The bar is open to MoD and visiting researchers and rangers.
For many years, The Puff Inn was open to the public. Cath MacDonald, 68, whose husband Murdo runs trips to St Kilda, said: ‘It was fantastic. It wasn’t just for drinking.
‘You could meet people from the other boats and have a ceilidh. It is badly missed.’
Another former customer said: ‘Certain rituals and traditions were observed, some of which are probably better not gone into. A night at The Puff Inn was an unforgettable experience.”
But it called last orders to the public in 2005 – apparently after a brawl between yachtsmen.
Applications had been due to close on Friday, but that has been extended due to huge interest.
Lewis MacDonald, 18, works for Kilda Cruises, which runs sightseeing trips from Tarbert on Lewis. He said: ‘It would suit someone wanting to get away from modern life, wanting an experience of the wilderness.
‘When it’s bad weather, it would be terrible. But when it’s good, it’s like living in a fairy tale.
‘It’s the island at the edge of the world.
‘I could do it. I would go stir crazy after a month, though.’