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Lochs of Spiggie and Brow

Coordinates: 59°55′58″N 1°20′10″W / 59.93273°N 1.33622°W / 59.93273; -1.33622
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Lochs of Spiggie and Brow
Sunset over the Loch of Spiggie
Lochs of Spiggie and Brow is located in Scotland
Lochs of Spiggie and Brow
Lochs of Spiggie and Brow
LocationDunrossness, Shetland, Scotland
Coordinates59°55′58″N 1°20′10″W / 59.93273°N 1.33622°W / 59.93273; -1.33622
Max. width0.5 miles (0.80 km)

The Lochs of Spiggie and Brow are located west of Boddam in the parish of Dunrossness, in the South Mainland of Shetland, Scotland.

They are designated as a Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest for wildlife conservation purposes.[1]

Loch of Spiggie

Bathymetrical Survey of the Lochs of Spiggie and Brow, Shetland from a survey in 1903

The Loch of Spiggie was historically a voe (Shetland Dialect: fjord or inlet) in which a sand bar formed, cutting off the sea.[1] It is considered "the only moderately large loch" in the South Mainland of Shetland, and is the fourth longest loch in Shetland. It is roughly the shape of an oblong, with the longest dimension running approximately north–south, and the maximum width is almost 0.5 miles (0.80 km).[2]

The loch is an RSPB Nature reserve. The loch supports many species of birds, including lapwings, tufted ducks, redshanks, snipes and whooper swans. Additionally, various seasonal visiting birds also make use of the loch – in spring, long-tailed ducks and skylarks; and in summer, oystercatchers, curlews, mallards, arctic terns, kittiwakes and great skuas. The birds breed in the marshes and farmland next to the loch.[1]

Loch of Brow

The Loch of Brow is a smaller loch, triangular in shape, lying to the south-east of the Loch of Spiggie, into which it outflows.[2]

The remains of a broch can be found on a small island in the loch. It used to be accessible by a number of stepping stones which formed a "rough causeway", however these now lie 2 feet (0.61 m) underwater. The remnants of a circular hollow approximately 8.5 metres (28 ft) in diameter can be seen, which is thought to have been the interior lining of the broch. A small portion of an outward-facing wall was excavated at the north end that suggested the broch's walls may have been between 3.5–4.0 metres (11.5–13.1 ft) thick.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c RSPB.
  2. ^ a b Murray, Pullar & Chumley 1910, pp. 244–245.
  3. ^ Canmore.

Sources

  • Murray, John, Sir; Pullar, Laurence; Chumley, James (1910). Bathymetrical survey of the Scottish fresh-water lochs. Vol. 2. Surveyed by T. N. Johnson and R. C. Marshall. Edinburgh: Challenger Office. pp. 244–245. Retrieved 2020-03-15 – via archive.org.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • "Loch of Brow". Canmore. Retrieved 2020-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  • "Loch of Brow". UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 2020-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  • "Loch of Spiggie". UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 2020-03-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  • "Loch of Spiggie". RSPB. Retrieved 2020-03-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)


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