Hol O Bordie

The Holl o Bordie, a natural tunnel or subterranean passage, passes nearly E-W straight through the north-west tip of Papa Stour. The cave is 382 m long and wide enough to row through, making it one of the longest sea caves in the world. It would, according to Paul Burger's 2023 list, be the 11th longest seacave in the world. Report 102 says there are no side tunnels.

Alternative Names: Bordie Holl, Bordie Hole, Hole of Bordie, Holl O Boadie, Holl O Bordie, Hol O Bordie, Holl o Boardie

Notes: Estimates of the length of the cave vary from 300 - 500 m but 382 m seems the most accurate.

This is based on SNH Report 102 and the E entrance at HU 15329 62290. This is SE of the entrance shown on the 1st Ed 6in OS. The W entrance, based on an OS dot and Bing Aerial is at HU 14950 62336. The straight distance between these is 381 m. The Report 102 direction of the first 100 m from the E entrance is ~285 degrees (p143) and this adds another metre.

Links and Resources:

OS has a pronounced northward kink - which does not appear to be correct.
List of the world's longest seacaves now maintained by Paul Burger.
Dixon, Kevin, 2018, Descent 264, Scanning on a Swell (Hol O' Bordie, Papa Stour, Shetland).
Dixon, Kevin, 2019, Descent 265, Big (Hol O' Bordie and Calder's Geo, Shetland).
SNH Report 102: SCM: surveys of marine rocky environments in Papa Stour cSAC Jul-Aug 2003 (ROAME No F02AA409b pub 2005) has a dive survey of the first 100m from the E entrance which it locates at HU 153 623 - but it incorrectly estimates the overall length at 300m which does not accord with the map.
www.flickr.com/photos/14508691@N08/53884618259/ video of a kayak passage starting inside the east entrance. It shows that there is a slight kink NE, but that it is not nearly as pronounced as is shown on OS 1st Ed 6in.
www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/328680/britains-biggest-cave-in-shetland/.
www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst19181.html.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5bAi1cD8Hc : passage from E to W by inflatable rib.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOcf8gvgAaU. Ryan Leith's snorkel swim from E to W and back is well worth watching.
runswithaxes.blogspot.com/2012/07/shetland-mainland-part-2-speleological.html.
www.landforms.eu/shetland/cave.htm.
Information from Nigel Feilden, 26/9/2019 and 6/1/2020.

This entry was last updated: 2024-11-11 11:38:42

Errors or omissions in this information? Submit corrections/additions/comments for this entry to the registrars.

NGR:	HU 15232 62316
WGS84:	60.34459, -1.72587
Length:	382 m
Vert. Range:	25 m
Altitude:	-14 m
Geology:	Rhyolitic Lava And Rhyolitic Tuff - Papa Stour volcanic formation
Tags:	Cave, Arch, SeaCave
Registry:	main

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