St Ninian's Isle
Island in Shetland, United Kingdom / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about St Ninian's Isle?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
St Ninian's Isle is a small tied island connected by the largest tombolo in the UK[2] to the south-western coast of the Mainland, Shetland, in Scotland. It is part of the civil parish of Dunrossness on the South Mainland. The tombolo, known locally as an ayre[3] from the Old Norse for "gravel bank",[4] is 500 metres long.[5] During the summer the tombolo is above sea level and accessible to walkers. During winter, stronger wave action removes sand from the beach so that it is usually covered at high tide, and occasionally throughout the tidal cycle, until the sand is returned the following spring. Depending on the definition used, St. Ninian's is thus either an island, or a peninsula;[6] it has an area of about 72 hectares.
Scottish Gaelic name | Unknown |
---|---|
Old Norse name | Unknown |
Meaning of name | Unknown |
Location | |
OS grid reference | HU365210 |
Coordinates | 59.97°N 1.35°W / 59.97; -1.35 |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Shetland |
Area | c. 72 ha |
Area rank | Unknown [1] |
Highest elevation | 53 m |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | Shetland |
Demographics | |
Population | last inhabited 1796 |
The nearest settlement is Bigton, also in the parish of Dunrossness. The important early medieval St Ninian's Isle Treasure of metalwork, mostly in silver, was discovered under the church floor in 1958. Many seabirds, including puffins, visit the island, with several species nesting there.