Skeo Taing

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Shetland

Scotland

Skeo Taing

Gun emplacement at the summit of Score Hill Score Hill is on Aith Ness at the north of Bressay. All previous photos of this spot (they are worth looking at!) show the gun itself. I therefore assumed, wrongly, that it had been removed between 2013 and 2018, which felt like a rather pointless and expensive operation to me.

However, I soon realised that I was wrong. In this photo we are looking almost straight down the gun barrel! (Of course the barrel had been blocked, not that it could have been used in anger anyway.) Apologies to anyone misled by that error.

Immediately ahead are Inner Score and Outer Score, with the tiny channel (Gloup of the Scores) between them. On the horizon beyond them is Whalsay, with the Out Skerries on the right.

David Purchase — Gun emplacement at the summit of Score Hill Credit: Michael Earnshaw

Skeo Taing is a prominent coastal feature located in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is a picturesque headland that juts out into the North Sea, forming a distinct point. The name "Skeo Taing" is derived from the Old Norse language, reflecting the Viking influence in the region's history.

This coastal feature is characterized by its rugged and dramatic landscape. The headland is composed of steep cliffs that overlook the sea, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding waters. The cliffs are formed from ancient rocks, displaying layers of different sedimentary formations that offer valuable insights into the geological history of the area.

Skeo Taing is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, making it a haven for nature enthusiasts. The headland provides habitat for various seabird species, including puffins, guillemots, and kittiwakes, which nest in the cliffs during the breeding season. Visitors can often spot seals and dolphins swimming in the waters surrounding the point, adding to the area's natural charm.

The location of Skeo Taing also holds historical significance. The Shetland Islands have a rich cultural heritage, and this coastal feature serves as a reminder of the islands' past. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, with evidence of ancient settlements and archaeological sites nearby. The headland's strategic position overlooking the sea would have made it an important vantage point for early inhabitants, offering views of approaching vessels and potential threats.

Overall, Skeo Taing is a captivating coastal feature that combines natural beauty, ecological importance, and historical significance. It is a must-visit destination for those seeking a glimpse into the diverse and fascinating landscape of the Shetland Islands.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Skeo Taing Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 60.177598/-1.0732194 or Grid Reference HU5144. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Gun emplacement at the summit of Score Hill

Score Hill is on Aith Ness at the north of Bressay. All previous photos of this spot (they are worth looking at!) show the gun itself. I therefore assumed, wrongly, that it had been removed between 2013 and 2018, which felt like a rather pointless and expensive operation to me. However, I soon realised that I was wrong. In this photo we are looking almost straight down the gun barrel! (Of course the barrel had been blocked, not that it could have been used in anger anyway.) Apologies to anyone misled by that error. Immediately ahead are Inner Score and Outer Score, with the tiny channel (Gloup of the Scores) between them. On the horizon beyond them is Whalsay, with the Out Skerries on the right. David Purchase

Michael Earnshaw

Skerry-hopping at Loder Head

Last time I'd been to Bressay nine years ago, we didn't even get round the corner to see Noss, as the wind was too much. On this trip, despite a spell of bad weather as we came to Shetland on the ferry, the wind had dropped dramatically by our second day, and the east side of Shetland was relatively protected from the big swells. Coming round the top of Bressay, there was still enough for rock-hopping (paddling over reefs and rocks that would be too shallow without the help of a wave and good timing) but it was unpredictable enough (the result of two separate swell directions interfering producing occasional big waves) that sport was certainly to be had. The first through this gap had been caught by a bigger set as he came over, then three of us had popped through before the next set arrived. The last paddler has dropped back a little to wait for the next calmer spell and is just about to make her way through.

Andy Waddington

Score Head, Bressay, from the sea

Mike Pennington

Score Head, Bressay, from the sea

Mike Pennington

Outer Score, Score Head, Bressay, from the sea

Mike Pennington

Pow of Cullingsburgh

This small bay curves around on the western side of the little promontory containing the remains of the village of Cullingsburgh and its ruined church of St Mary which can be seen a little way ahead on the right. (See adjacent square to east for images)

Rob Farrow

The remains of Cullingsburgh

A general view of the former village of Cullingsburgh as seen when approaching from south along the path from Setter.

Rob Farrow

Ruined cottages at Cullingsburgh

Some of the ruined former dwellings at Cullingsburgh on Bressay.

Rob Farrow

Ruins of St Mary's church, Cullingsburgh

The ruined village of Cullingsburgh on Bressay has a ruined church. It is set in a walled churchyard which contained several sheep when I visited. Whether the sheep had been intentionally let in to graze the grass of the burial ground, been let in accidentally by earlier visitors, or had worked out a method of getting in here under their own trotter power I have no idea - but they seemed to be trapped within.

Rob Farrow

Cullingsburgh - St Mary's and churchyard

Part of the former church of St Mary in the abandoned and ruined village of Cullingsburgh on Bressay. Surrounded by gravestones, many of which I'm sure postdate the ruination of the church.

Rob Farrow

St Mary's church and churchyard wall, Cullingsburgh

Part of the remaining structure of the former church of St Mary in the ruined village of Cullingsburgh with a section of the enclosing churchyard wall seen behind.

Rob Farrow

Gravestones of St Mary's, Cullingsburgh

Gravestones not only surround but are also within the walls of the ruined church of St Mary at Cullingsburgh. I'm sure this church has been a ruin far longer than the dates on many of the gravestones, suggesting that it continued as a graveyard for many decades after the ruination of the church and probably the abandonment of the village.

Rob Farrow

Table tombstone at St Mary's, Cullingsburgh

There are several gravestones set within the ruins of the church of St Mary at Cullingsburgh in addition to the numerous ones outside its walls. The one seen in the foreground here is perhaps the largest and most noticeable, being raised off the ground on little legs forming a table tomb.

Rob Farrow

Looking over St Mary's to Garth

Taken from northwest of the churchyard at St Mary's Cullingsburgh looking over a small tumulus and the site of the Pictish broch (see HU5242 : Traces of an ancient broch, Cullingsburgh) past the northeastern corner of the churchyard. In the mid-distance can be seen the walls and remains of "Garth" - presumably an old abandoned farmstead.

Rob Farrow

Traces of an ancient broch, Cullingsburgh

This semicircular loop of stones is all that remains of the ancient broch that once stood here at Cullinsburgh. Dating from about 2000 years ago it is approximately twice as old as the oldest parts of the adjacent ruined church of St Mary. The later building cut across the Pictish remains and very probably stones from the broch were "mined" for use in the construction of the church.

Rob Farrow

View across Gunnista churchyard to Aith Voe

Gunnista is a little settlement at the north of the island of Bressay. There is a walled churchyard here for the long vanished St Ola's Church. The graveyard contains a notable mausoleum and gravestones many of them quite recent. Beyond the land can be seen the landward end of Aith Voe, an inlet that curls round southeastwards from the north, and beyond that the land is the southern end of Aith Ness. For photographs of the mausoleum and churchyard, see HU5043 : Churchyard and Mausoleum, Gunnista HU5043 : Gunnista Mausoleum

Rob Farrow

Gunnista Mausoleum

This small mausoleum in the churchyard of the now vanished St Ola's Church was built for the Hendersons of Gardie. St Ola's was the parish church for the island of Bressay until the 1720s when a new church was built at Mail on the west of the island. The old church fell into ruin and was demolished. The mausoleum dates from the C18th and may stand where the old church once stood.

Rob Farrow

Churchyard and Mausoleum, Gunnista

The churchyard of the vanished St Ola's church, once the parish church for the island of Bressay contains the Henderson Mausoleum and a number of more recent headstones. Information about the Hendersons of Gardie here Link