 In 1986 the islands became the first place in Scotland to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , for its terrestrial natural features . In 2004 , the WHS was extended to include a large amount of the surrounding marine features as well as the islands themselves . In 2005 St Kilda became one of only two dozen global locations to be awarded mixed World Heritage Status for both ' natural ' and ' cultural ' significance . The islands share this honour with internationally important sites such as Machu Picchu in Peru , Mount Athos in Greece and the <unk> / Drakensberg Park in South Africa . 
