Tullibody Inch is an islet in the estuarine

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

 waters of the River Forth

River Forth

The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...

. It takes its name from the nearby town of Tullibody

Tullibody

Tullibody is a town set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The town is south-west of Alva, north-west of Alloa and east-northeast of Stirling...

, "inch" being from the Scottish Gaelic innis meaning "island" or "meadow".

The island used to be farmland but has become flooded due to mining subsidence. It is now part of the Firth of Forth

Firth of Forth

The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...

 SSSI, which also includes nearby Alloa Inch

Alloa Inch

Inch or Alloa Inch is an island in the tidal reaches of the River Forth near Alloa, just before the river opens out into the Firth of Forth....

 and the John Muir Country Park

John Muir Country Park

The John Muir Country Park is an area of woodland, grassland and coastline near Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. It is named after John Muir, a famous naturalist and geologist who was born in Dunbar and later emigrated to the USA where he developed his ideas....

. The Scottish Wildlife Trust

Scottish Wildlife Trust

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...

 owns and manages the island as a nature reserve.

Wildlife

The area is important for its extensive reed beds and for nationally important numbers of wintering wildfowl and wading birds. The inner Forth hosts populations of Common Shelduck

Common Shelduck

The Common Shelduck is a waterfowl species shelduck genus Tadorna. It is widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb...

, Red Knot

Red Knot

The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...

, Common Redshank

Common Redshank

The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...

, Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...

, Eurasian Teal and Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....

. A Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

The Western Marsh-harrier is a mid-sized harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier....

, of which only a handful of pairs nest in Scotland, was seen on the island in September 2006.