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Photo by Dafi
Looking south to the light house along the cliff line. Away from the cliffs the island slopes down to flat shore line.

[edit] Overview

Copinsay consists of a rocky, Old Red Sandstone island with several islets, connected at low tide, lying 3km off the east coast of Mainland, Orkney. The islands are mainly grass-covered with 75m cliffs on the south-east of the main island.

The group has important seabird colonies and an estimated 30,000 Common Guillemot are present in summer.

[edit] Birds

[edit] Notable Species

In addition to Guillemot the cliffs have breeding Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Shag and Kittiwake as well as gulls, Rock Dove and Northern Raven. Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Common Eider and Twite also breed and Corn Crake are present inland in summer and may possibly breed.

Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillemot, Common Tern and Arctic Tern breed on the nearby islets and Great Cormorant on Horse of Copinsay, an islet about 1km to the north-east.

Passage migrants appear in good numbers in spring and autumn, especially during periods of easterly winds, and often include scarce species such as Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Barred Warbler and other eastern species.

[edit] Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Great Cormorant, European Shag, Northern Fulmar, Common Eider, Corn Crake, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Ringed Plover, Black-legged Kittiwake, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin, Rock Dove, Northern Raven, Twite

[edit] Other Wildlife

Mammals are few but Otters are sometimes present and various cetaceans have been seen offshore.

The flora is limited but Sea Aster is common and Oyster Plant grows on the beach.

[edit] Site Information

[edit] History and Use

To do

[edit] Areas of Interest

To do

[edit] Access and Facilities

Ferries run daily from Scrabster in Caithness to Stromness on Mainland Orkney, a two-hour trip. Day-trips run to Copinsay from Skaill in Deerness on mainland.

The seabird colonies can be seen well from various points on the clifftop or from a boat beneath the cliff.

Grid Ref: HY583039

[edit] Contact Details

Tel: 1856 850176 Tel: 01224 624824 (RSPB Aberdeen Office)

[edit] External Links

• RSPB: Copinsay
• Colinsay on Streetmap

Content and images originally posted by Steve