Lochs of Spiggie and Brow
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The Lochs of Spiggie and Brow are located west of Boddam, Shetland, Boddam in the parish of Dunrossness, in the South Mainland of Shetland, Scotland, about 6 km north of Sumburgh. They are designated as a Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest for wildlife conservation purposes.


Loch of Spiggie

The Loch of Spiggie was historically a voe (Shetland dialect, Shetland Dialect: fjord or inlet) in which a sand bar formed, cutting off the sea. It is considered "the only moderately large loch" in the South Mainland of Shetland, and is the fourth longest loch in Shetland. It is roughly rectangular, with the longest dimension approximately north–south, and the maximum width is almost ; its area is roughly 1 km2. The loch is an RSPB nature reserve. The loch supports many species of birds, including northern lapwing, lapwing, tufted duck, Common redshank, redshank, common snipe, snipe and whooper swan. Additionally, various seasonal visiting birds also make use of the loch – in spring, long-tailed duck and Eurasian skylark, skylark; and in summer, Eurasian oystercatcher, oystercatcher, Eurasian curlew, curlew, mallard, arctic tern, black-legged kittiwake, kittiwake and great skua. The birds breed in the marshes and farmland next to the loch.


Loch of Brow

The Loch of Brow is a smaller loch, about 0.25 km2 in area, lying to the south-east of the Loch of Spiggie, into which it outflows. The remains of a broch can be found on a small island in the loch. It used to be accessible by a number of stepping stones which formed a "rough causeway", however these now lie under water. The remnants of a circular hollow approximately in diameter can be seen, which is thought to have been the interior lining of the broch. A small portion of an outward-facing wall was excavated at the north end that suggested the broch's walls may have been between thick.


References


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External links


Special Protection Area designationRSPB Loch of Spiggie website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lochs Of Spiggie And Brow Special Protection Areas in Scotland Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Scotland Lochs of Shetland, Spiggie and Brow Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Shetland Protected areas of Shetland Mainland, Shetland