Copinsay lies 4 km off the east coast of Orkney mainland in northern Scotland. It consists of the island of Copinsay and three islets (Corn Holm, Ward Holm and Black Holm). The three holms are vegetated and a storm beach connects them to Copinsay at low water. The islands have good examples of unimproved sub-maritime grasslands and coastal inundation grasslands with a number of distinct vegetation zones. Copinsay is formed of Old Red Sandstone with the largely horizontal bedding planes providing ideal breeding ledges for seabirds (auks and Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla), especially on the sheer cliffs of the south-east of Copinsay which reach to over 60 m. The seabirds feed outside the SPA in the nearby waters, as well as more distantly.