South Whiteness
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Saltmarsh | Favourable | — | 2013-10-11 |
| F2 | Shetland mouse-ear-hawkweed (Pilosella flagellaris ssp bicapitata) | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Limestone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Description
South Whiteness South Whiteness Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located on the west coast of the Shetland Mainland, 12 kilometres north-west of Lerwick. White Ness is a peninsula lying between Whiteness Voe and Stromness Voe. This site lies on the largest continuous outcrop of crystalline limestone in Shetland. It is not influenced by drainage from other rocks and represents the best example of limestone grassland in the islands. The flora of South Whiteness includes the Shetland mouse-ear hawkweed Pilosella flagellaris subsp. bicapitata, one of only three sites for this endemic subspecies. Although not notified features of the SSSI other species of note include the locally rare stone bramble Rubus saxatilis and maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes as well as species more typical of Shetland limestone flora such as fairy flax Linum catharticum, moss campion Silene acaulis, hoary whitlowgrass Draba incana, lady’s-mantle Alchemilla filicaulis, common milkwort Polygala vulgaris, meadowsweet and long-stalked yellow-sedge Carex lepidocarpa. The site also includes one of the best saltmarshes in Shetland with a varied flora, notably narrow blysmus Blysmus rufus, and a large mixed colony of common and black-headed gulls.
Species mentioned
Show the 10 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| maidenhair spleenwort | Asplenium trichomanes | LC | fern | aspleniaceae |
| lady's mantle | Alchemilla filicaulis | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| hoary whitlow grass | Draba incana | NT | herb | brassicaceae |
| fairy flax | Linum catharticum | LC | herb | linaceae |
| a hawkweed | Pilosella flagellaris subsp. bicapitata | Not listed in GB list | herb | asteraceae |
| common milkwort | Polygala vulgaris | VU | herb | polygalaceae |
| moss campion | Silene acaulis | NT | herb | carophyllaceae |
| saltmarsh flat sedge | Blysmus rufus | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| slender sedge | Carex lepidocarpa | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| stone bramble | Rubus saxatilis | VU | shrub | rosaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria |
Endangered | Linum catharticum |
| Red carpet Xanthorhoe decoloraria |
Near Threatened | Alchemilla spp. |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.