Shetland Local Landscape Designation Review: Final Report

7 Evaluation
7.1 This section discusses the findings of the landscape evaluation. The landscape
evaluation process is largely quantitative, and is described in Section 3.
Evaluation sheets for each individual LCU are included in Appendix 2.
RESULTS BY EVALUATION CRITERIA
7.2 The findings have been mapped separately for each of the twelve criteria,
resulting in the series of maps presented in Figures 7.1 to 7.9. The key to
these figures is given below:
Very High
High
Medium
Low
Representativeness
7.3 Many areas were ranked highly against this criterion (Figure 7.1). The
coastal areas were generally rated high, since the varied coastline of Shetland,
whether wild and rugged or settled, is distinctive of the islands. Shetland’s
sense of place depends strongly on its coastal character, which is expressed in
the majority of LCUs. The only area to be ranked very high was Sandness
(LCU 29), where a range of representative landscape elements are all
present. Moorland areas were generally ranked medium, since these inland
areas are less representative. Unusual landscapes such as Ronas Hill (LCU
20) and the serpentinite landscape of Hill of Colvadale (LCU 4) were also
ranked medium (though they were rated higher for rarity, see below).
Sullom Voe (LCU 15) was the only area to be ranked low, since the largescale
industrial installation does not represent the wider landscape.
Rarity
7.4 The map of rarity rankings (Figure 7.2) indicates a mixed picture. Very high
rankings were assigned to the dramatic cliffs of Esha Ness and Hillswick (LCU
22), Ronas Hill (LCU 20) and the unusual geology of Unst (LCU 1 and 4).
High rarity value was assigned to uncommon landscapes and landscape
features, such as the rugged hills of Vementry (LCU 26), the cliffs of Noss
(LCU 47) and the scattered small islands around Burra (LCU 43). Many
coastal areas were ranked medium, and settled, less dramatic coasts were
rated low, along with many areas of moorland which are not distinguished
from one another.
Intactness
7.5 The most settled and developed areas of Shetland can be discerned from the
map of intactness rankings (Figure 7.3). Areas of the South Mainland, where
the majority of settlement is located, and around Sullom Voe, were generally
Shetland Islands Local Landscape Designation Review
Land Use Consultants
Final Report 28 October 2011