St Ninian's Isle

A small islet of the Shetland Islands, St Ninian's Isle lies off the southwest coast of Mainland Shetland to which it is linked by a tombolo of pure white sand, opposite Bigton. An early christian monastic settlement existed here and in 1958, during an excavation, a Shetland school boy uncovered a hoard of Celtic monastic silver comprising 28 objects. The St Ninian's Isle Treasure, described as 'the most important single discovery in Scottish archaeology', is now held by the Royal Museum of Scotland. A slab with a Pictish ogam inscription on one edge, found in 1876, is also in the Museum.

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