Skip to content
Archipelago

    Sule Stack

    Sùla-Stac, Stack Skerry

    59°01′N 4°30′W

    Sule Stack or Stack Skerry is an extremely remote island or stack in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland. It is formed of Lewisian gneiss.

    “Sule Stack” view on route from NW to SE in shortest distance about 1 nautical mile.
    “Sule Stack” view on route from NW to SE in shortest distance about 1 nautical mile.

    SergeiSEE / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Terrain

    59°01′N 4°30′W

    Terrain exaggerated for relief. Drag to look around.

    Overview

    Sule Stack or Stack Skerry is an extremely remote island or stack in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland. It is formed of Lewisian gneiss. Sule Stack lies 49 kilometres (26+1⁄2 nautical miles) north of the Scottish mainland, and 66 km (35+1⁄2 nmi) west of the Orkney mainland, at grid reference HX561179. Sule Stack's sole neighbour, Sule Skerry, lies 10 km (5+1⁄2 nmi) northeast and the remote islands of Rona and Sula Sgeir lie further to the west. Sule Stack and Sule Skerry are home to thousands of gannets and as a result are listed as a special protection area; the island falls within the administrative region of the Orkney Islands. The island (along with Sule Skerry) has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding populations of several species of seabirds.

    Bird species nesting on the stack include:

    Razorbill Alca torda Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Great black-backed gull Larus marinus Common shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea Northern gannet Morus bassanus Common guillemot Uria aalge

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    Nearest islands

    Also in Orkney

    • Mainland

      531 km²▲ 275 m

      Major islands

    • Hoy

      144 km²▲ 481 m

      Major islands

    • Sanday

      49.7 km²▲ 65 m

      Major islands

    • South Ronaldsay

      49.7 km²▲ 118 m

      Major islands

    • Westray

      48.6 km²▲ 169 m

      Major islands

    • Rousay

      47.2 km²▲ 250 m

      Minor islands

    • Stronsay

      33.9 km²▲ 45 m

      Minor islands

    • Eday

      27.7 km²▲ 102 m

      Minor islands

    Also in British Isles

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Talus
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs