Switha

Switha

Cantick Sound, from South Walls, with Switha beyond
Location
Switha Switha shown within Orkney
OS grid reference	ND365905
Coordinates	58°47′53″N 3°05′53″W / 58.798°N 3.098°W / 58.798; -3.098
Physical geography
Island group	Orkney
Area	41 hectares (0.16 sq mi)
Area rank	217=
Highest elevation	28 metres (92 ft)
Administration
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Council area	Orkney Islands
Demographics
Population	0
References

Switha is a small uninhabited island towards the south of Orkney, Scotland, approximately 41 hectares in area.

Switha lies 2 km to the south of the island of Flotta and 2 km east of the South Walls area of Hoy. South Ronaldsay lies about 5 km further east. The island is roughly rectangular in shape, about 1 km by 0.5 km in size and is aligned in a NE to SW direction. The maximum elevation is 28m, found on the small cliff on the south coast, to the west of which is the only appreciable beach at The Pool. Geologically, the island is wholly of Old Red Sandstone, from the Devonian period, specifically Rousay Flagstones, dating from about 375 mya, laid down by a cyclical series of lakes and containing many fish fossils.

The island is predominantly maritime grassland with small areas of heath and bog.

Switha is very important for wildlife and has been designated both as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an EU Special Protection Area. The primary reason for this is the wintering population of Greenland barnacle goose. About 1000 of the birds are thought to spend the winter months roosting on the island and feeding on nearby South Walls. This population is not only the most northerly in the UK but also the third largest after Islay and North Uist. Common seabirds known to frequent the rocky coast line include black guillemot, great black-backed gull, Arctic skua and great skua. In addition, Haswell-Smith records that there are many European storm petrel burrows. However, several surveys since the late 1960s have only revealed a small number of pairs on the island, probably never more than 10. The burrows are probably more likely to belong to the puffin, which are reported to be resident on the island in some numbers, with about 250 pairs.