Bark Stack

Island in Shetland

Scotland

Bark Stack

Fethaland (1) This is Fethaland, a long-abandoned haaf fishing settlement located at the extreme north of Shetland&#039;s mainland. (See <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/shetland-blog/haaf-fishing-in-shetland/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/shetland-blog/haaf-fishing-in-shetland/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> ) — Fethaland (1) Credit: Carroll Pierce

Bark Stack is a small uninhabited island located off the coast of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is situated in the North Sea, approximately 1.5 miles east of the larger island of Papa Stour. The island is part of the Shetland archipelago and falls under the jurisdiction of the Shetland Islands Council.

Bark Stack is a rugged, rocky island with steep cliffs rising up to 70 meters above sea level. The island spans about 4 hectares and is primarily composed of exposed rock and grassy slopes. It lacks any significant vegetation and is devoid of any permanent human habitation.

The island is known for its diverse birdlife, serving as an important breeding ground for various seabird species. Visitors may spot colonies of Atlantic puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes nesting on the cliffs and rocky ledges. Birdwatching enthusiasts often visit Bark Stack to observe these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat.

Access to Bark Stack is restricted due to its remote location and lack of facilities. While it is possible to view the island from certain points on Papa Stour, there are no organized boat tours or visitor facilities available. Therefore, for those who wish to explore the island, it is essential to arrange private transportation.

Overall, Bark Stack is a small but captivating island, known for its rugged beauty and abundant birdlife. Its remote location and lack of development make it an ideal destination for those seeking solitude and a chance to observe nature at its finest.

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Bark Stack Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 60.632723/-1.3086004 or Grid Reference HU3794. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Fethaland (1)

This is Fethaland, a long-abandoned haaf fishing settlement located at the extreme north of Shetland's mainland. (See Link

)

Carroll Pierce

Fethaland (2)

This is Fethaland, a long-abandoned haaf fishing community at the very extreme north of Shetland's mainland (see Link

). The stone-lined hollows in the foreground are boat-shaped storage spaces used to house the fishing vessels outside season.

Carroll Pierce

The Isle of Fethaland

This is the most northerly point on Shetland Mainland. It is usually 'not an island', but it can become one if the winds or tides are adverse. It is a walk of about 3.5 km from the nearest road, the north end of the A970, but the track must be reasonable as the lighthouse is clearly reachable by some vehicles. The pyramidal rock to the left is Yellow Stack. (Perhaps they used Pepsodent?) Beyond it is Gruney, an island with a lighthouse (centre) not recorded on OS maps, with the Ramna Stacks on its left. To the right is the northern part of Yell.

Michael Earnshaw

Fethaland

Ruins at the north tip of Mainland Shetland.

Alan Reid

Isle of Fethaland

The 'Isle' beyond the isthmus is currently a peninsula. No doubt spring tides and storm force winds would make it seem more island-like.

Alan Reid

Sheep pens at Breibister

And the pens were in use. The shepherd said that after the prolonged dry spell his sheep "were scouring and he needed to drench them." His two sheep dogs worked beautifully to gather the flock. The following day they were all to be on the ferry to Aberdeen for sheep dog trials.

Gordon Brown

Sheep pens at Breibister

And the pens were in use. The shepherd said that after the prolonged dry spell his sheep "were scouring and he needed to drench them." His two sheep dogs worked beautifully to gather the flock. The following day shepherd and dogs were all to be on the ferry to Aberdeen for sheep dog trials.

Gordon Brown

The Point of Fethaland light

This is a white/red sector light flashing white/red every 15 seconds. The black 'boxes' seen in the photo control the direction in which the light shows red and the direction in which it shows white. A full description is here Link

Gordon Brown