Inner Holm of Skaw

The Inner Holm of Skaw is a small, uninhabited islet of around 15 acres off the northern tip of Whalsay in Shetland, just north of the village of Skaw. It has the ruins of a small chapel, a reminder of the early Christians who sought out remote islands for prayer and solitude.

Landscape

The Inner Holm is a low, rocky islet with a covering of grass, lying just off the headland of Skaw Taing. Kayakers can find their way through the rocks between the islet and the headland in calm weather. Further out to sea lies another rocky islet, the Outer Holm of Skaw, and beyond that only the open North Sea.

History

The ruined chapel on the Inner Holm is one of many small chapels on islands and headlands around Shetland, some of which may date back to the early Christian period before the Norse arrived, when monks known as papar lived in the Northern Isles. Whalsay itself has a long history of settlement, from prehistoric houses to the 17th-century Hanseatic trading booth at Symbister, where German merchants once traded with the islanders.

In 1955 a pair of Sandwich terns nested on the islet, a notable record for Shetland, where these elegant terns are rare.

More about the Inner Holm of Skaw

In 1955 a pair of Sandwich terns nested on the islet, a notable record for Shetland, where these elegant terns are rare. Whalsay is known as one of the most successful fishing communities in Scotland, with a fleet of large modern fishing boats and a strong island community.

Visiting

There is no ferry to the Inner Holm of Skaw. It can be seen from the north end of Whalsay around Skaw, which is reached by road from Symbister. Whalsay has a ferry from Laxo on the Shetland Mainland. You can collect it as a landing or a sighting in your Island Passport.

Wildlife and area

Look out for Sandwich terns and Arctic Tern in summer, along with Black Guillemot, Shag and Fulmar. Grey Seal, Harbour Seal and Eurasian Otter are often seen around Whalsay’s shores. Other islands nearby include the Outer Holm of Skaw, Nista, Mooa and Isbister Holm.