Keen of Hamar is a nature reserve on
Unst
Unst (; sco, Unst; nrn, Ønst) is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third-largest island in Shetland after Mainland and Yell. It has an area of .
Unst ...
, in
Shetland, Scotland, managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. The reserve is primarily of botanical interest, for example for populations of ''
Cerastium nigrescens'', a plant unique to Unst.
Keen of Hamar was designated a
special area of conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
on 17 March 2005. It is also a
site of special scientific interest. The site is of outstanding interest for the interaction of plants with the thin, chromium metal-rich soil.
Scottish Natural Heritage
NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...
provides further information on its SSS
site management statement
The geological features at the site are a highlight of
Geopark Shetland.
See also
*
Geology of Scotland
The geology of Scotland is unusually varied for a country of its size, with a large number of differing geological features.Keay & Keay (1994) page 415. There are three main geographical sub-divisions: the Highlands and Islands is a diverse area w ...
*
Hagdale Chromate Railway
The Hagdale Chromate Railway was a narrow-gauge railway on the Isle of Unst, in the Shetland Islands.
Built in 1907, it connected the chromite quarries at Hagdale with a pier at Baltasound
Baltasound (or Baltasund) is the largest s ...
References
External links
The Story of Keen of Hamar National Nature Reserve Scotland's National Nature Reserves, Scottish Natural Heritage
The Reserve Plan for Keen of Hamar National Nature Reserve 2009 - 2015 Scotland's National Nature Reserves, Scottish Natural Heritage
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Shetland
Protected areas of Shetland
Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland
Unst
{{Shetland-geo-stub