Sule Stack facts for kids
| Meaning of name | Gannet Stack, from sùlaire (Scottish Gaelic for northern gannet), and Stack (originally Norse) Norse |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | HX561179 |
| Coordinates | 59°01′N 4°31′W / 59.02°N 4.51°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | North Atlantic |
| Area | 2.9 ha (7.2 acres) |
| Highest elevation | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Orkney |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Sule Stack, also called Stack Skerry, is a very small and remote island. It is located far out in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the northern coast of Scotland. This island is actually a type of rock formation called a "stack." It is made from a very old type of rock known as Lewisian gneiss.
Where is Sule Stack?
Sule Stack is quite isolated. It lies about 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Scottish mainland. It is also about 66 kilometers (41 miles) west of the main islands of Orkney.
Sule Stack's closest neighbor is Sule Skerry. This island is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the northeast. Other remote islands like Rona and Sula Sgeir are further to the west. Sule Stack is part of the administrative region of the Orkney Islands.
Amazing Wildlife
Sule Stack and Sule Skerry are very important for birds. Thousands of gannets live and nest here. Because of this, the islands are protected as a special protection area.
Many other bird species also nest on Sule Stack. These 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)
- Common guillemot (Uria aalge)
