Villians of Hamnavoe
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Coastal Geomorphology of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2013-01-25 |
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
Rock Type: Andesite, Sandstone
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial, Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Villians of Hamnavoe Villians of Hamnavoe Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located along the coast at Tingon, to the north of the Esha Ness peninsula on the west coast of the Shetland Mainland. It extends from Gorsendi Geo in the north to Whalwick Taing in the south. Inland, the boundary follows the limit of storm wave reach. The site is notified for its assemblage of rocky cost landforms. Villians of Hamnavoe SSSI provides some of the best examples of the power of high energy storm waves in Britain. The cliffs comprise Old Red Sandstone volcanic rocks, mainly andesitic tuffs (volcanic ash) overlain by andesite lavas (fined-grained intermediate igneous rocks). The irregular shape of the landward plateau produces further variations in coastal form. The site is fully exposed to the west and north-west and drops sharply into deep water. The high-altitude scour features and associated wave-moved slabs and boulders together with the step-like cliff profiles are of outstanding importance, as is the system of arches, caves, overhung ledges, staircase waterfall and blowhole.