A remote Scottish island and ruined castle have made a new list of the ‘most fascinating 'desolate corners' of the globe.

The list of 12 locations across the world has been published by Brazilian website Jornal da Fronteira.

Behind Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island in the Bay of Bengal, the abandoned Six Flags New Orleans theme park, the ghost town of Berlin, Nevada and the Temple of Quechula - an abandoned Roman Catholic church located in the Nezahualcoyotl Reservoir in Chiapas, Mexico - is Hirta, the main island in the St Kilda archipelago. 

Describing Hirta as “the last Scottish stronghold”, Jornal da Fronteira wrote that it “preserves an almost intact landscape, with traces of an occupation that time has failed to completely erase”.

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Inhabited for at least 2000 years, Hirta was evacuated in 1930 after life became too challenging for the islanders. 

Now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, their row of homes on Hirta are a monument to a now lost and unique way of life.

There are no permanent residents on St Kilda - the UK's only dual UNESCO World Heritage Site - but Hirta is occupied all year round by the people who work on the military base.

National Trust for Scotland staff are resident on the island from April to September every year. Trust work parties also visit the islands during the summer months, and many researchers spend time there studying all aspects of the natural and cultural history.

Most people call Hirta ''St Kilda'', but the name of St Kilda applies to the whole archipelago - Hirta, Boreray, Soay, Dun and a number of isolated rocks and stacks.

Meanwhile, in seventh position, behind the Namibian ghost town of Kolmanskop, is the ruins of Kilchurn Castle, which Jornal da Fronteira says “evoke the grandeur of a distant past”.

The castle occupies a dramatic position at this end of Loch Awe, and is one of the most picturesque - and photographed - castles in Scotland. 

Built in the mid-1400s, Kilchurn remained the base of the mighty Campbells of Glenorchy for 150 years. After the first Jacobite Rising of 1689, Kilchurn was converted into a garrison stronghold, but was abandoned by the end of the 1700s.

Introducing the full list of ‘most fascinating desolate corners of the planet’, Jornal da Fronteira wrote: “The resilience of nature is evident in places that were once forgotten by humanity and are now resurfacing as scenes of singular beauty. 

“The history of these corners has often been lost to time, however, their natural charm and aura of mystery have transformed them into tourist destinations of great interest.

“These places, which were once scenes of stories of abandonment and oblivion, today stand out as icons of beauty and resilience, attracting tourists and history enthusiasts. 

“Each of them offers a unique experience of immersion in different periods and different cultures, showing that even the most forgotten places can be reborn as treasures.”

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Other locations to feature on the list include the ruins of Kloster Allerheiligen in Germany’s Black Forest, the ghost village of Kayakoy in Turkey, Ta Prohm Temple in Angkor, Cambodia, and Bodiam Castle in East Sussex.

A Scottish connection also exists with the 'desolate corner' named in 10th position in the 'Floating Forest' in Homebush Bay, Sydney. The 'forest' in question is actually the SS Ayrfield  - a cargo ship built at Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd. in 1911 that has been reclaimed by nature after being retired in 1972. 

The inclusion of Hirta and Kilchurn Castle in the list of ‘most fascinating desolate corners of the planet’ comes after Scotland’s first UNESCO Biosphere was named among the 30 most exciting destinations to visit in 2024 by prestigious travel magazine National Geographic Traveller (UK).

The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB) has been chosen as one of the destinations that will be “making headlines in the year ahead” alongside the likes of Nova Scotia, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and the Andrefana Dry Forests in Madagascar. 

It is the only Scottish destination in the prestigious global Cool List for 2024, which identifies the top places around world “where tourism benefits communities and the environment as much as the visitors and locals themselves.”

Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere’s inclusion in the list celebrates the reserve’s natural heritage, its UNESCO designation and its recently extended boundary, which recognises the site’s cultural significance.