Island 478 - Holm of Mel, Bressay, Shetland

The Holm of Mel used to be a tidal island linked to the west coast of the island of Bressay at low tide but it is now linked permanently to Bressay by a 75m long stone causeway.  This was built when Bressay Marina was created (I have not been able to find out the year this happened but it was after 1974) and the island now forms part of the protective breakwater for the marina.  The original island was approximately 50m from east to west by 100m from north to south but there is now a stone breakwater attached to the south end of the island.

I tried to visit the Holm of Mel in June 2017 but there was a fence with a notice on it at the Bressay end of the causeway saying that the island was out of bounds during the bird breeding season.  In late August 2019 the fence was still there but the notice had gone and bird breeding season was over, so I stepped over the fence and paid the island a short visit (it was pouring with rain).

Holm of Mel was home to a surprising variety of wild flowers when I visited it in late summer, including devil's bit scabious, silverweed, red & white clovers, red campion, thrift, bird's-foot trefoil, iris, ragwort, buttercup and sea mayweed.

Cruise ship in Bressay Sound from Holm of Mel

Looking north up the west coast of Holm of Mel

Looking east towards Bressay Marina from Holm of Mel

Looking south up the breakwater

Looking north towards the causeway

Cruise ship in Bressay Sound from Holm of Mel

Wildflowers on Holm of Mel

Causeway linking Holm of Mel to Bressay - looking east from Holm of Mel

Cruise ship in Bressay Sound from the north coast of Holm of Mel

Holm of Mel from Bressay