Helliar Holm facts for kids
 The West Coast of Helliar Holm low tide on a rainy day and the wave-cut platform is exposed. |
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| OS grid reference | HY484153 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 59°01′23″N 2°54′04″W / 59.023°N 2.901°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Orkney |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Orkney Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Helliar Holm is a small, empty island located near Shapinsay in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It's a special kind of island called a tidal island. This means you can sometimes walk to it from Shapinsay when the tide is very low!
Even though no one lives on Helliar Holm today, it has a tall lighthouse that helps ships navigate. The island also holds clues about people who lived there long ago, with ruins of ancient buildings like a broch, a cairn, and a chapel.
About Helliar Holm
Helliar Holm is part of the beautiful Orkney Islands, which are off the northern coast of Scotland. It's an uninhabited island, meaning no people live there permanently.
What makes Helliar Holm unique is that it's a tidal island. This means it's connected to the larger island of Shapinsay by a strip of land that gets covered by the sea at high tide. When the tide goes out, this land bridge appears, and it's still possible to walk across it during very low tides.
The Lighthouse
One of the most important features of Helliar Holm is its lighthouse. This lighthouse stands about 42-foot-tall (13 m). It was built in 1893 to guide ships safely through the waters around Orkney.
In 1967, the lighthouse became automated. This means it no longer needed people to live there and operate it. Instead, machines and technology took over the job of keeping the light shining. Today, it runs on solar power, using energy from the sun to keep its light working.
Ancient History
Helliar Holm might be small, but it has a long history! People lived on or visited the island many centuries ago. You can still see the remains of ancient structures there.
- A broch is a type of Iron Age stone tower, unique to Scotland. These were strong, defensive homes built by early communities.
- A cairn is a pile of stones, often built as a monument or to mark a burial site from prehistoric times.
- A chapel suggests that there was once a small church or place of worship on the island, likely from later historical periods.
The island is even mentioned in old stories! In the Orkneyinga Saga, which is a collection of stories about the history of the Orkney Islands, Helliar Holm is called "Hellisey" and "Eller Holm." A Scottish historian named John of Fordun also wrote about it, calling it "Helene-holm." These old names show that the island has been known and important for a very long time.
Gallery
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Saeva Ness lighthouse on the tip of Helliar Holm
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Cliffs and chambered cairn on Helliar Holm.
