 On his death on 14 August 1956 , the Marquess of Bute 's will bequeathed the archipelago to the National Trust for Scotland provided they accepted the offer within six months . After much soul @-@ searching , the Executive Committee agreed to do so in January 1957 . The slow renovation and conservation of the village began , much of it undertaken by summer volunteer work parties . In addition , scientific research began on the feral Soay sheep population and other aspects of the natural environment . In 1957 the area was designated a national nature reserve . 
