East Sanday Coast

Protected wetland area in Orkney, northern Scotland

East Sanday Coast

Location| Orkney, Scotland
Coordinates| 59°16′00″N 2°31′00″W﻿ / ﻿59.266667°N 2.516667°W﻿ / 59.266667; -2.516667
Area| 15.15 km2 (5.85 sq mi)[1]
Established| 1997
Governing body| Joint Nature Conservation Committee

The East Sanday Coast is a protected wetland area on and around the island of Sanday, the third-largest of the Orkney islands off the north coast of Scotland. With a total protected area of 1,515 hectares, the 55 kilometre stretch of coast includes rocky and sandy sections, sand dunes, machair habitats, intertidal flats, and saltmarsh. It has been protected as a Ramsar Site since 1997.[1]

The area supports a large number of over-wintering waders and waterbirds, including internationally important populations of purple sandpiper and ruddy turnstone. It is also important for breeding populations of great black-backed gulls and common seals.[2]

As well as the East Sanday Coast being recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,[1] the whole of the island of Sanday has been designated a Special Area of Conservation.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "East Sanday Coast". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
2. ^ "East Sanday Coast 13013 RIS 2005" (PDF). Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
3. ^ "Sanday - Special Area of Conservation - SAC - Habitats Directive". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.