Skervalie tunnel/Natural Arch (S entrance)

E side of Bu Ness, Fair Isle, Shetland.

NGR:	HZ 22701 72467
WGS84:	59.53750, -1.60038
Length:	54 m
Vert. Range:	Not recorded
Altitude:	0 m
Geology:	Bu Ness sandstone Formation - sandstone
Tags:	Cave, SeaCave
Registry:	main

Tunnel through rocky promontory of Skervalie (was Skarv Lee in 19th century).

'Viewed from cliff tops 18/8/21. A complex of arches / tunnels appears to be present running SW to NE through Skervalie. The passages are in the form of tall rifts inclined to the NW. The position indicates the location of a large SW opening of a tunnel. This site is thought to connect to CI68. Daylight can be seen through the tunnel. The floor is composed of large intertidal (upper shore / supralittoral) boulders. Two possible entrances are present to the right (SE) of the main tunnel. The first is probably a parallel tunnel. The second appears to be a rock alcove. ' [Report 1145]

Alternative Names: Skarv Lee Natural Arch, CI70

Notes: Early OS maps record this as a single natural arch but later maps say natural arches.

Links and Resources:

1st Ed OS 6 in has 'Natural Arch'. Current OS has plural arches and indicates a tunnel right through the promontory. But the direction shown - which from aerial must clearly be SW/NE is more SSW/NNE and the north end is Report 1145 site NS03.
OS namebook for Shetland Isles vol 11, Dunrossness has 'Skarv Lee: A small rocky promontory on the east side of Boness, immediately N. (North) of Slaagarr.'
Rpt 1145 Harries, D.B., Purcell, A., Moore, C.G., Lyndon A.R., Porter, J.S., Saunders, G.R. and Hume, C.L. 2024. Distribution mapping and baseline monitoring survey of sea caves around Fair Isle. NatureScot Research Report 1145.
Photo 1 the south entrance to this tunnel is marked CI70. A small triangle of light can be seen from the NE end. FI Caves (GSG version) p13 is an annexe to Report 1145.

This entry was last updated: 2025-04-08 19:06:20

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