to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in 1906, and the role was widened to include monitoring of other seabird populations. In 1955 part of the area was declared a national nature reserve, and the reserve was extended to its current extent in 1958. At this point the Nature Conservancy Council (the predecessor of NatureScot), took over responsibility for monitoring the bird population. Since the 1980s seabird counts have been conducted on a systematic basis, and a whole-reserve count of the main species is undertaken every 6 years. In addition to being an NNR, the headland holds a range of other conservation designations for its spectacular wildlife, habitat and geological features. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and forms part of the Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field Special Protection Area (SPA) and the Shetland national scenic area. The Hermaness NNR is classified as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Watchers Hut Once the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds took over the protection of the bonxie population in 1906, they built a hut on the southern slopes of Hermaness Hill overlooking the nesting sites to accommodate their "Watchers". This hut burnt down after a few years and was subsequently replaced by a slightly larger one which survived until 1991. It was constructed of corrugated iron on a wooden frame with windows facing south. For many years, Watchers were resident during the breeding season until the bonxie population had recovered. After they were no longer required, the hut continued to be maintained as a place of refuge in bad weather and for use by researchers or people overnighting. It also contained the Bird Sanctuary Visitor’s Book. On 31 December 1991, an Englishman and his Canadian girlfriend hiked to the hut with the intention of seeing in the New Year there. That night, or in the early hours of 1 January 1992, the hut was struck by one of most severe storms ever recorded in the British Isles with winds reaching Hurricane force, gusting up to as measured at the nearby Muckle Flugga Lighthouse. The hut was blown away and completely destroyed, with debris scattered over the hillside and both lost their lives. The man was found on 5 January close to where the hut had been, his girlfriend half a mile (800m) away below a