 The Scottish folk rock band Runrig recorded a song called " Edge of the World " on the album The Big Wheel , which dwells on the islanders ' isolated existence . The folk music singer / songwriter Brian McNeill wrote about one of St. Kilda 's prodigal sons , a restless fellow named Ewan Gillies , who left St. Kilda to seek his fortune by prospecting for gold first in Australia and later California . The song recounts fortunes won and lost , his return to the island , and concludes with his inability to stay . Entitled " Ewan and the Gold " , it was published on the album Back O ' The North Wind in 1991 and is the subject of McNeill 's audio @-@ visual presentation about the Scottish diaspora . 
