St Ninian's Tombolo

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 59.9702, -1.3362

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Also within

Shetland County Shetland Scenic Area

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Coastal Geomorphology of Scotland 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

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.

Habitats

Coastal vegetated shingle, Machair sand dune

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

St Ninian's Tombolo St Ninian’s Tombolo SSSI is located in the south-west of the Shetland mainland close to the village of Bigton. The tombolo links St Ninian’s Isle with the mainland. St Ninian’s tombolo is a classic site for coastal geomorphology. It is the largest sandy tombolo currently active in Britain. It is exceptional, firstly in its composition, which is mainly sand overlying shingle, and secondly in being an active feature that is part of a nearshore sediment circulation system. Hill machair and dunes at either end of the tombolo form an integral part of the system and help to illustrate the active phases of sand deposition and erosion.

Plant communities

MC6 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Hard cliff and cliff slope

Atriplex prostrata-Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community

Daucus carota, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum officianalis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene uniflora, Spergularia rupicola, Atriplex hastata, Malva arborea, Plantago coronopus, Armeria maritima, Polygonum aviculare, Rumex crispus, Bromus hordeaceous, Catapodium marinum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra

SD1 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Rumex crispus-Glaucium flavum shingle community

Solanum dulcamara, Crithmum maritimum, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Helminthotheca echioides, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Lactuca serriola, Leontodon saxatilis, Senecio viscosus, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Crambe maritima, Cerastium fontanum, Honckenya peploides, Sagina apetala, Silene uniflora, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Euphorbia paralias, Lathyrus japonicus, Geranium robertianum, Glaucium flavum, Plantago coronopus, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia juncea, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne

SD2 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Honkenya peploides-Cakile maritima strandline community

Salsola kali, Achillea millefolium, Cirsium arvense, Eryngium maritimum, Hypochaeris radicata, Senecio vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cakile maritima, Cerastium diffusum, Honckenya peploides, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex laciniata, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. Raii, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia juncea, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua

SD3 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Matricaria maritima-Galium aparine strandline community

Bolboschoenus maritimus, Juncus bufonius, Juncus gerardii, Ligusticum scoticum, Matricaria discoidea, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Mertensia maritima, Cakile maritima, Cochlearia officinalis, Honckenya peploides, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Galium aparine, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua

SD8 — Machair sand dune, Sand dune

Festuca rubra-Galium verum fixed dune grassland

Salix repens, Rosa spinosissima, Carex arenaria, Carex caryophyllea, Carex flacca, Luzula campestris, Plagiomnium rostratum, Plagiomnium undulatum, Ditrichum flexicaule, Brachythecium albicans, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Climacium dendroides, Entodon concinnus, Homalothecium lutescens, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Kindbergia praelonga, Pleurozium schreberi, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Thuidium delicatulum, Thuidium tamariscinum, Syntrichia ruraliformis, Lophocolea bidentata, Cladonia rangiformis, Odontites verna, Peltigera canina, Peltigera rufescens, Angelica sylvestris, Daucus carota, Heracleum sphondylium, Achillea millefolium, Bellis perennis, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Leucanthemum vulgare, Pilosella officinarum, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum officianalis, Myosotis arvensis, Myosotis ramosissima, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Cerastium arvense, Cerastium diffusum, Cerastium fontanum, Cerastium semidecandrum, Sedum acre, Equisetum arvense, Anthyllis vulneraria, Astragalus danicus, Lotus corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Ononis repens, Trifolium campestre, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Vicia lathyroides, Gentianella amarella, Eriodium cicutarium, Thymus praecox, Linum catharticum, Dactylorhiza viridis, Neottia ovata, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Plantago coronopus, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major, Plantago maritima, Veronica arvensis, Veronica chamaedrys, Polygala vulgaris, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Primula veris, Primula vulgaris, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ranunculus repens, Thalictrum minus, Potentilla anserina, Galium verum, Viola riviniana, Viola tricolor, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Aira praecox, Ammophila arenaria, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Avenula pubescens, Cynosurus cristatus, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia juncea, Elytrigia repens, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Koeleria macrantha, Leymus arenarius, Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Trisetum flavescens