08
natural archway. Separated from Hirta by a
narrow channel, Dùn provides Village Bay with
protection from prevailing south westerlies
and can be subject to some fierce tidal surges.
resulting in spectacular marine life situated to
take advantage of the never-ending food supply.
Jewel anemones were so numerous the sight
of entire cliff faces covered in every colour of
the rainbow was breathtaking. The walls at the
entrance were covered with incredibly dense
thickets of hydroids and even the hydroids
themselves provided shelter for what must have
been literally millions of tiny mysid shrimps.
NORTH RONA
With one day left we steamed through the night,
heading 210 kilometres northeast to our final
survey location, North Rona.
Less revered than its distant neighbour, but
with a no-less fascinating history, North Rona
has been sometimes inhabited for several
hundred years. A small population survived
during the 1600s, but were quickly wiped out
after an infestation of rats ate most of the
island’s produce. (It was these same rats that
potentially introduced the bubonic plague to the
British Isles.) Subsequently there were shepherds
until the mid-1800s, after which it has remained
generally uninhabited. Farmed by the folk of
Lewis, nowadays North Rona is owned by
Scottish Natural Heritage, who
07 An adult monkfish
manage it as a Nature reserve,
08 Mixed kelp at a cave
primarily for its grey seal and
entrance on St. Kilda
seabird colonies.
The crossing was unusually calm and 17 hours
later the island loomed out of a thick fog. The
weather was going to worsen and we still had
to get back to Orkney. Two caves were quickly
identified and the first team were quickly in the
water. The usual abundance of marine life clung
to the entrance walls, creating the characteristic
patchwork mosaics of colour. Further exploration
revealed many orange and yellow sponges and
mats of intricate bryozoans interspersed with
hydroids and anemones. Blood-red beadlet
anemones, juvenile crabs, scorpionfish and the
occasional blenny all jostled for space further in.
As we returned to the cave entrance, we found
an unusually dense patch of plankton – tiny
organisms floating just beneath the surface which
had become temporarily trapped in the current.
Bizarre creatures were among the plankton,
including rare tiny pteropods (or sea angels) and
two of post-larval monkfish.
After three weeks, against the odds, we had
managed to complete all the survey objectives.
A little more time around the outer islands would
have been welcomed but at least we got to see
these fascinating and beautiful remote outposts
that are part of our natural heritage. SDOP