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Overview
This large area of undulating moorland lies in the west of the island of Yell between Whale Firth and the A968 road. The extensive heather moors are broken by lochs and many small acidic pools, boglands, stretches of grassland and ruined crofthouses, and the Burn of Lumbister which flows through a gorge to the steep-sided sea-gully known as the Daal.
There are also rugged, grass-topped cliffs with stacks and caves and , in the south, the more sheltered shores of the Whale Firth. An excellent site combining moorland, bogland and cliff-nesting species.
Birds
Notable Species
The lochs and sheltered firth have breeding Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Eider while these waters are visited by the moorland-nesting Great Skua and Arctic Skua for bathing. Also present on the moors and bogs are Golden Plover, Dunlin, Eurasian Curlew and Common Snipe. Twite, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Skylark and Northern Wheatear also breed on the moors, hunted by Merlin. The cliffs and cliff-tops hold Northern Fulmar and Shag, Atlantic Puffin and Black Guillemot, Rock Dove, Rock Pipit and Northern Raven and there are also colonies of gulls and terns in the area.
Birds
Birds you can see here include:
Red-throated Diver, Northern Fulmar, European Shag, Common Eider, Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Merlin, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Ringed Plover, European Golden Plover, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Black Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin, Rock Dove, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Shetland Wren, Northern Wheatear, Northern Raven, Twite
Other Wildlife
Otters are present but not commonly seen except along the shores of Whale Firth, Grey Seal and Common Seal are often present offshore.
Plants of interest include Butterwort, Sundews and Heath Spotted Orchid in the acidic bogs, Lesser Twayblade in the heather and Water Lobelia can be seen in the lochs. The cliffs have Roseroot, Moss Campion and Lovage and the sheltered Daal has dwarf Juniper.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
The reserve can be viewed from the A968 road and pedestrian access is gained from the lay-by 6km north of Mid-Yell.
A car-ferry operates between the Mainland of Shetland and Yell. Shetland can be reached by car-ferry from Aberdeen or Orkney, or by air from Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness or Orkney.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
