Holm of Sound
Conglomerate -
it was a very misty morning, so it isn't very clear
Holm of Sound
looking south down the Voe of Sound
Holm of Sound looking south east
Conglomerate at Holm of Sound
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Island 206 - Holm of Sound, Shetland
Holm of Sound is a very small grass covered island linked to Shetland Mainland just south of Sound, which is a suburb of Lerwick, at low tide by a sandy beach. It has just about enough grass to keep a sheep happy for a while. The geology of the island is interesting. It is composed of conglomerate. I visited on a misty morning. I confess I was unaware of its existence and only visited the beach because there was a geocache there. Happily it turned out to be low tide, so the island was accessible.
Island 205 - Pund, Lunnasting, Shetland
Pund is an unremarkable small grass covered island linked to Lunna on Shetland Mainland at low tide by a gravelly seaweed strewn causeway. It has more than enough grass to graze a few sheep but apart from a few oystercatchers I didn't see any other wildlife, although I expect that otters are in the area. It is definitely cut off at high tide, as we visited on our way to see the historic Lunna Kirk on our way home from a day trip to Out Skerries and the causeway was under water. I came back a few days later on a sunny evening, having made a diversion on my way home from Papa Stour to Lerwick, as the low tide time was just right.
The island is about 200 metres from north to south by 150 metres from east to west and the highest point is less than 20 metres above sea level. The tidal causeway is about 100 metres long.
The island is about 200 metres from north to south by 150 metres from east to west and the highest point is less than 20 metres above sea level. The tidal causeway is about 100 metres long.
The tidal causeway from Lunna, looking towards Pund
View looking north from the north end of Pund
Looking south towards Mainland from Pund
Monday 29 July 2013
Island 204 - Papa Stour, Shetland
Papa Stour is Shetland's best kept secret. I asked lots of people I met on Shetland, both visitors and locals, but none of them had been to Papa Stour, even though it is served by a vehicle ferry 5 days a week. Even one of the crewmen on the ferry said he had never walked round the island. They have all missed a treat, especially lovers of coastal geomorphology. I thought my geography textbook diagrams had come to life. It has so many stacks, arches, blowholes, skerries, sea caves, geos and stumps in such close proximity. The day I visited was relatively still and very sunny, which enhanced my enjoyment.
Papa Stour is currently experiencing a population crisis, as it now only has 8 permanent residents. It did have c20 until some of them fell out over a dead dog and moved off the island in 2005. This means that the ferry service must be hugely subsidised. In the 19th century the population was 360.
The ferry departs from West Burrafirth on the west coast of Mainland and the journey time is 40 minutes. The first round trip of the day is scheduled but the second is only available on request. I had booked it in advance but became a bit paranoid about being left on a small island with only 8 residents for 2 days, as there wasn't a sailing the following day. I checked with several members of the crew that they were doing a double run and there were a couple of other passengers anyway - 2 council workmen in a van and a man who was on a fishing trip.
There is no shop or pub on the island and although there used to be a hostel you could stay in, I think that has closed too, as the sign for it was laying on the ground. However there is a lovely waiting room in sight of where the ferry docks, with chairs, tea and coffee making facilities and information about the island, which is more than there is on Out Skerries. It is hard to see how the island could make money from tourism without a shop/café/hostel etc, as there is nothing to spend any money on apart from buying a postcard in the church or putting tea/coffee money in the honesty box in the waiting room.
The name Papa Stour means 'big island of priests' in Old Norse. It was probably called that because of Celtic missionaries who lived on the island in the 6th or 7th centuries. However the island has been settled since at least the Neolithic period. The Vikings used the island as a base and safe haven. By the 13th century it had become a Norwegian royal farm belonging to King Hakon. The rest of Shetland was given to Scotland by the Norwegians in 1469 but they kept their estates on Papa Stour until the 16th century. At Housa Voe there is a ring of 46 stones, which are thought to be the site of a Norse law Ting.
In the past 'lepers' were banished to the Hill O Fiellie/Felie in the south of the island to live in simple huts in isolation. They relied on the islanders to bring them food. However it is more likely that they were suffering from the effects of malnutrition or elephantiasis than leprosy.
Geologically most of Papa Stour is composed of pink rhyolite - a Devonian period volcanic rock. This has been eroded by the sea to form the island of today. All the indentations in the coastline mean that the island has 22 miles of coastline. There are also ridges of glacial moraines running across the island. It is not a particularly hilly island. Virdi/Virda Field is the highest point at 87 metres. The coast and sea around Papa Stour is a Marine Special Area of Conservation because of its rocky reefs and sea caves.
A wall called the Hill Dyke separates fertile in-by land in the east of the island from the scalped or scattald health land to the north and west. Over previous centuries turf and peat were removed from the north and west and either burnt or placed on the eastern side to improve the soil. Today short vegetation grows on gravelly sub-soil. This makes for very easy walking terrain. The island is grazed by sheep. In fact the sheep must outnumber the people by at least 20 to 1.
There have been many shipwrecks off Papa Stour and Ve Skerries out to the west. The most recent ship to be wrecked on Ve Skerries was the Elinor Viking in 1977. As a result of this shipwreck a lighthouse was built on them in 1979. The island is popular with divers who come to investigate the shipwrecks and to look at the abundant marine life in the very clear waters.
The Hole of Bordie in the north west of the island is a 360 metre long sea cave, which is the fourth longest in the world. The coastline is under constant attack from the sea. An impressive sea stack called the Horn of Papa was swept away in a storm in 1953.
Papa Stour is currently experiencing a population crisis, as it now only has 8 permanent residents. It did have c20 until some of them fell out over a dead dog and moved off the island in 2005. This means that the ferry service must be hugely subsidised. In the 19th century the population was 360.
The ferry departs from West Burrafirth on the west coast of Mainland and the journey time is 40 minutes. The first round trip of the day is scheduled but the second is only available on request. I had booked it in advance but became a bit paranoid about being left on a small island with only 8 residents for 2 days, as there wasn't a sailing the following day. I checked with several members of the crew that they were doing a double run and there were a couple of other passengers anyway - 2 council workmen in a van and a man who was on a fishing trip.
There is no shop or pub on the island and although there used to be a hostel you could stay in, I think that has closed too, as the sign for it was laying on the ground. However there is a lovely waiting room in sight of where the ferry docks, with chairs, tea and coffee making facilities and information about the island, which is more than there is on Out Skerries. It is hard to see how the island could make money from tourism without a shop/café/hostel etc, as there is nothing to spend any money on apart from buying a postcard in the church or putting tea/coffee money in the honesty box in the waiting room.
The name Papa Stour means 'big island of priests' in Old Norse. It was probably called that because of Celtic missionaries who lived on the island in the 6th or 7th centuries. However the island has been settled since at least the Neolithic period. The Vikings used the island as a base and safe haven. By the 13th century it had become a Norwegian royal farm belonging to King Hakon. The rest of Shetland was given to Scotland by the Norwegians in 1469 but they kept their estates on Papa Stour until the 16th century. At Housa Voe there is a ring of 46 stones, which are thought to be the site of a Norse law Ting.
In the past 'lepers' were banished to the Hill O Fiellie/Felie in the south of the island to live in simple huts in isolation. They relied on the islanders to bring them food. However it is more likely that they were suffering from the effects of malnutrition or elephantiasis than leprosy.
Geologically most of Papa Stour is composed of pink rhyolite - a Devonian period volcanic rock. This has been eroded by the sea to form the island of today. All the indentations in the coastline mean that the island has 22 miles of coastline. There are also ridges of glacial moraines running across the island. It is not a particularly hilly island. Virdi/Virda Field is the highest point at 87 metres. The coast and sea around Papa Stour is a Marine Special Area of Conservation because of its rocky reefs and sea caves.
A wall called the Hill Dyke separates fertile in-by land in the east of the island from the scalped or scattald health land to the north and west. Over previous centuries turf and peat were removed from the north and west and either burnt or placed on the eastern side to improve the soil. Today short vegetation grows on gravelly sub-soil. This makes for very easy walking terrain. The island is grazed by sheep. In fact the sheep must outnumber the people by at least 20 to 1.
There have been many shipwrecks off Papa Stour and Ve Skerries out to the west. The most recent ship to be wrecked on Ve Skerries was the Elinor Viking in 1977. As a result of this shipwreck a lighthouse was built on them in 1979. The island is popular with divers who come to investigate the shipwrecks and to look at the abundant marine life in the very clear waters.
The Hole of Bordie in the north west of the island is a 360 metre long sea cave, which is the fourth longest in the world. The coastline is under constant attack from the sea. An impressive sea stack called the Horn of Papa was swept away in a storm in 1953.
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| Lyra Skerry with Fogla Skerry behind, North West coast of Papa Stour. The stack is apparently called Da Fit. |
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| Snolda/Snalda Stack, NW coast of Papa Stour The name means 'pinnacle' in Old Norse |
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| Lyra Skerry off the NW coast of Papa Stour |
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| Snolda Stack |
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| Kirstan's/Christie's Hole - an unusual double blowhole |
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| Kirstan's/Christie's Hole |
Remains of watermills at Dutch Loch
These horizontal mills once had turf roofs.
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| Ruined farm, Hamna Voe |
Planticrubs, centre of Papa Stour
Pier, Housa Voe
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| Maiden and other stacks, Housa Voe |
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| Aesha Stack with a natural arch incorporated into it |
Aesha Head, Fogla and Lyra Skerries from Papa Stour - NW coast
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| Papa Stour Airfield |
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| Stained glass window in the Kirk This was designed by Victor Noble Rainbird. He was a painter and illustrator from Tyneside and this is the only surviving stained glass window that he designed. |
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| Brei Holm, east coast of Papa Stour This island has a natural tunnel running right through it. |
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| Maiden and other stacks, east coast
Muckle Fru or the Maiden Stack is supposedly the location where the only daughter of a Norwegian lord was imprisoned by her father because she refused to agree to an arranged marriage. She had fallen in love with a fisherman and he rescued her with the help of this friends and they fled from the area.
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| Akers Geo |
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| Looking towards Culla Voe West Voe and Culla Voe in the east of the island provided sheltered locations for 19th century herring stations. |
Natural Arch at Aesha/Aisha Head
Kirk -
A quiet place to rest and think
Partially reconstructed Stofa at Da Biggins
A stofa is a medieval Norse house. Excavations at Da Biggins from 1977-82 revealed the site of one and in 2008 a stofa was partially reconstructed adjacent to the site by the Papa Stour History Group and the Norwegian Craft Academy using logs from Norway.
Standing Stones
I'm not sure if these are ancient or modern. They aren't marked on the OS map.
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| Ferry Waiting Room |
Snolda/Snalda Stack
Looking north towards Lyra Skerry with Flogla Skerry: on the west coast
Tuesday 23 July 2013
Island 203 - Noss, Shetland
Noss is located about 250 metres to the east of Bressay and is separated from it by the aptly named Noss Sound. The island is owned by the Garth estate but is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage and staffed by seasonal wardens. It is quite rightly famous for its seabird colonies and it has been a national nature reserve since 1955. It is open from early May to the end of August but not on Mondays or Thursdays and dogs are not allowed. The boat across to the island is a small inflatable. Lifejackets are provided and it is a bit of a scramble to get in and out of the boat. A red flag is flown on the Noss side if the boat is not running due to bad weather. Non landing trips around Noss are also available and sail from Lerwick Harbour. Noss Sound is apparently a good place to see cetaceans but we didn't see any. The island is grazed by sheep. You need at least 3 hours to walk around the whole coast but if the weather is good, it would be easy to spend much longer on Noss.
Although it was sunny and warm (for Shetland in early May) when we visited there were only 10 other visitors brought across that day and we only met one of them, so it felt like we had the island to ourselves. I don't know how many visitors it gets each year but the numbers must be limited by how many can be ferried across in the small boat and therefore it must always be quieter to visit than islands like Skomer.
The Marquis of Londonderry leased Noss from 1870-1900 to breed Shetland ponies to use in his Durham coal mines. The pony pund at Gungstie has been restored and is located next to the small visitor centre and toilets.
The seabirds nest on the sandstone cliffs on the east of the island. These have eroded to form numerous ledges and crevices, which the birds need to build their nests. Puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gannets nest on the cliffs. Great and Arctic skuas nest on the moorland in the interior. There are more than 400 pairs of great skuas here, making it one of the largest colonies in the world. We saw a couple of Shetland wrens close up around the stone walls, which were built around the island to stop the ponies from falling over the cliffs.
The name Noss means nose in Old Norse, which presumably refers to the Noup, which is the highest point on the island at 181 metres and does look a bit like a nose. The gannets nest on the cliffs of the Noup. Gannets did not next on Noss until 1914 but today Noss has one of the largest gannetries in the world.
There is a large stack off the south east coast of Noss called the Holm of Noss. Until the 1860s a large box suspended on cables was strung across to the Holm each summer to enable access for men to collect seabird eggs and for sheep to use it as grazing.
Looking south from the Noup
The white things you can see in the air are gannets
North coast of Noss
Although it was sunny and warm (for Shetland in early May) when we visited there were only 10 other visitors brought across that day and we only met one of them, so it felt like we had the island to ourselves. I don't know how many visitors it gets each year but the numbers must be limited by how many can be ferried across in the small boat and therefore it must always be quieter to visit than islands like Skomer.
The Marquis of Londonderry leased Noss from 1870-1900 to breed Shetland ponies to use in his Durham coal mines. The pony pund at Gungstie has been restored and is located next to the small visitor centre and toilets.
The seabirds nest on the sandstone cliffs on the east of the island. These have eroded to form numerous ledges and crevices, which the birds need to build their nests. Puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gannets nest on the cliffs. Great and Arctic skuas nest on the moorland in the interior. There are more than 400 pairs of great skuas here, making it one of the largest colonies in the world. We saw a couple of Shetland wrens close up around the stone walls, which were built around the island to stop the ponies from falling over the cliffs.
The name Noss means nose in Old Norse, which presumably refers to the Noup, which is the highest point on the island at 181 metres and does look a bit like a nose. The gannets nest on the cliffs of the Noup. Gannets did not next on Noss until 1914 but today Noss has one of the largest gannetries in the world.
There is a large stack off the south east coast of Noss called the Holm of Noss. Until the 1860s a large box suspended on cables was strung across to the Holm each summer to enable access for men to collect seabird eggs and for sheep to use it as grazing.
Sculpture at the back of the Pony Pund, Gungstie.
Looking towards Anderhill, Bressay
Gungstie - Visitors' Centre
Visitors' Centre from ruined chapel, Gungstie
Holm of Noss with the top of the Noup peeping up above the cliffs. Looking north
Thousands of nesting gannets. Looking north towards the Noup
Trig point on top of the Noup. Looking west towards Bressay
Gannets at the Noup
Natural Arch near Holm of Noss
I don't have a zoom on my camera but if you look very closely there are a couple of puffins in the picture!
North coast of Noss
Noup of Noss
The white blogs silhouetted against the sea are gannets
The white things you can see in the air are gannets
Looking south towards the Noup
Noss from Bressay
Bressay from Noss
Cliffs near the Holm of Noss
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