A new study has identified the three biggest climate change threats to the UK's only dual World Heritage Site. St Kilda - 40 miles west of the Western Isles of Scotland - is home to thousands of seabirds, including one of the world's largest colonies of northern gannets . The natural elements of the remote archipelago - the sea, the islands and the towering sea stacks - collectively form the most important seabird breeding area in northwest Europe.
The report's researchers looked for climate change threats using an assessment tool called the Climate Vulnerability Index . The CVI has been adopted as a standard tool for assessing the predicted changes to climate at World Heritage Sites. This is the first time the method has been applied to a place designated for both its natural and cultural significance.