Rumble

Rumble is a small, uninhabited skerry of around eight acres in Shetland, about four kilometres east of Huxter on the south-east coast of Whalsay, and around 1.2 kilometres south-west of East Linga. The main island, also called Rumble Holm, rises to just over 8 metres. It is surrounded by smaller rocks: the Flaeshans of Rumble, a string of islets and stacks to the north, and the Burlastack of Rumble to the east.

Landscape

Rumble is a low, rocky island, exposed to the full force of the North Sea. On its northern side is a small inlet called the Voe of Rumble, where lobsters and prawns are said to shelter. The many rocks and stacks around it make the waters here hazardous for boats, and it lies among other small islands off Whalsay, including East Linga and Grif Skerry.

History

Rumble has no record of settlement, but it has been known to Whalsay’s fishermen for centuries. It is said that a ship named the Griften, of unknown nationality, was wrecked either here or on the Holm of Sandwick in 1611, one of many wrecks around Shetland’s rocky coasts. Like most of Shetland’s place names, the names of Rumble’s rocks show the influence of Old Norse.

More about Rumble

Whalsay, its nearest inhabited neighbour, is home to a proud fishing community, with one of the most successful fishing fleets in Shetland, and to the Pier House at Symbister, a restored trading booth from the days of the German Hanseatic merchants.

Visiting

There is no ferry to Rumble. It can be seen from the south-east coast of Whalsay, near Huxter, which is reached by ferry from Laxo on the Shetland Mainland. You can collect Rumble as a landing or a sighting in your Island Passport.

Wildlife and area

Look out for Black Guillemot, Shag, Fulmar, Arctic Tern and great skuas, and for Grey Seal, Eurasian Otter and Harbour Porpoise. Other islands nearby include East Linga, Grif Skerry, Isbister Holm, Mooa, Nista and Whalsay.