Easter Rova Head
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Non-marine Devonian | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
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
Geological Period: Devonian
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial
Description
EASTER ROVA HEAD Part of the coast at Rova Head, 4km north of Lerwick, including the adjacent small island of Easter Rova Head, has excellent exposures of very coarse conglomerates (rocks made up of pebbles and boulders) that were deposited during the Middle Devonian Age, about 380 million years ago. The exposures are important for an understanding of how the conglomerates were transported by rivers and streams and then deposited at the margins of the ancient Orcadian Basin. The site has examples of alluvial fan deposition and sheet flood deposition of the conglomerates.