Edited sentence: Calvay in the Sound of Barra provided the inspiration for Compton MacKenzie’s 1947 novel ‘’Whiskey Galore’’ after the ‘’SS Politican" ran aground there with a cargo of whisky.Hirta, for example was occupied from the Neolithic period until 1930.In July 2005 the St Kilda archipelago became a World Heritage Site,  one of the few to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities.In common with the other main island chains of Scotland many of the more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after a period of continuous habitation since the prehistoric period.More recently, Taransay hosted the BBC television series ‘’Castaway 2000’’.Some of the islands continue to play an important part in modern culture.The "Mingulay Boat Song", although evocative of island life, was written after the abandonment of the island in 1938.This process  involved a transition from these places being perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies  to a view by both island residents and outsiders that they lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy