Den Wick
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Quaternary of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2017-10-19 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Coastal, Glacial
Description
DEN WICK Den Wick, on the north coast of Deerness, East Mainland, represents one of the best examples of a multiple till section in Orkney. The site demonstrates: 1 striated bedrock; 2. brown till; 3. red till. The lithological and sedimentological characteristics of the till demonstrate close relationships with the source bedrock traversed by the ice and provide significant evidence for reconstructing changes in former ice flow directions. The contact between the two tills provides no conclusive evidence for deposition during more than one glacial stage and the superimposition of the two units indicates significant changes in ice dynamics during the last main glaciation of Orkney.