The island was once very fertile, supporting a three-figure population and exporting corn, barley and illicit whisky. Most of the stewards of St. Kilda were Pabbay men. The island was cleared for sheep in 1846. Pabbay is traditionally a home of Clan Morrison.
^National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
^Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.