Geological Map

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

Although the map to the right is very mutch simplified and probably not according to scientific standards it allows a rough orientation about which kind of rocks you will meet in a specific area when travelling through the countryside.

You might wonder why the general landscape characteristics are changing when you are travelling from the central mainland area around Whiteness or Weisdale to the west and into the area around Tresta or Bixter. Here you will find one answer: The rocks below your feet are different.

Or compare the east coast of Northmavine and different coastal features around Ollaberry or North Roe with the west coast of Northmavine and the cliffs and stacks of Eshaness. The answer is quite the same: The rocks you are looking at are different.

Travelling to Unst and Fetlar you will make a quite similar experience: Here occurs a slice of former oceanic crust and upper mantle rocks which form the so called Unst Ophiolite next to layers of Dalradian schists as you might know them from the central mainland area. Different stones will produce different soils, different soils produce a different natural vegetation: heather and peatlands to one side, grassy patches between bare rocks on the other side.