A tidal island is a raised area of land within a waterbody, which is connected to the larger mainland by a natural isthmus or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide, causing the land to switch between being a promontory/peninsula and an island depending on tidal conditions.

Diagram of tidal island at low tide and high tide
St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, at high tide, c. 1900
Cramond Island, Scotland, at high tide: the causeway is submerged, but the anti-boat pylons are still visible

Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands, many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont-Saint-Michel with its Benedictine Abbey. Tidal islands are also commonly the sites of fortresses because of the natural barrier created by the tidal channel.

List of tidal islands edit

Asia edit

Hong Kong edit

Iran edit

Japan edit

Taiwan edit

South Korea edit

Europe edit

Denmark edit

Denmark/Germany edit

France edit

 
Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy

Germany edit

Guernsey edit

Iceland edit

Grótta in Seltjarnarnes, the Capital Region

Ireland edit

Italy edit

Jersey edit

Spain edit

United Kingdom edit

 
Rough Island opposite Rockcliffe, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
 
Worm's Head at the end of Gower, Wales
England edit
Northern Ireland edit
 
Gunns Island, connected to Ballyhornan Bay, Northern Ireland at low tide
Scotland edit
Wales edit

43 (unbridged) tidal islands can be walked to from the UK mainland.[1]

North America edit

Canada edit

United States edit

 
Bar Island in Maine, U.S.

Oceania edit

Australia edit

New Zealand edit

 
Rangitoto Island forms a backdrop to a wave-cut platform off Achilles Point, Auckland, New Zealand.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Peter Caton (2011). No Boat Required – Exploring Tidal Islands. Troubador Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1848767-010.
  2. ^ longpointisland.com Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine

External links edit