Shetland

The Shetland Isles display a remarkable diversity of geology and landforms. The varied relief and topography and the indented coastline are strongly influenced by the bedrock geology and structure at a variety of scales. During the last glaciation, Shetland supported an independent ice cap that extended across the adjacent continental shelves. Landforms of glacial erosion include glacially eroded valleys, breached watersheds, roughened bedrock surfaces and offshore deeps, but depositional landforms largely lie offshore. The coastal landscape is predominantly rocky, with an outstanding assemblage of eroded cliffs, caves, stacks and arches, with inlets drowned by rising postglacial sea levels. The severe wave-energy environment, particularly on the Atlantic coasts, has produced exceptional examples of cliff-top storm deposits. Inactive and active periglacial landforms occur at a relatively low altitude on Ronas Hill (450 m), reflecting the influence of wind and frost activity.