Island 19 - Muckle Roe, Shetland

Muckle Roe is an island linked to Shetland Mainland by a bridge. Until 1904 it was accessed by stepping stones.  Then a narrow bridge was built.  This was widened to 5 feet in 1947 and the current road bridge was opened in 1999.   It is a pleasant island but only the east coast is accessible by road and it has a scattering of houses all the way down it to Little Ayre.  Tracks from there lead to the lighthouse at the south end of the island via the delightful beach of Muckle Ayre and westwards to the Hams, where the cliffs are composed of pink granite. 

The name Muckle Roe means Big Red Island in Old Norse and the island is composed of red granite.  The highest point on the island is South Ward, which is almost in the centre of this circular island and is 169 metres above sea level.  Around 100 people live on the island and there is a Community Hall.

I visited the island on a rainy afternoon in August 1978 and a sunny afternoon in May 2013.  I have not been able to find much written about the island.  Maybe the residents want to keep quiet about it, so they can keep it to themselves!

 Muckle Ayre, Muckle Roe

 Muckle Ayre, Muckle Roe

 Muckle Roe from Shetland Mainland

 Muckle Roe Bridge looking east towards Shetland Mainland

 Typical landscape on the east coast of Muckle Roe

 Ruins of an old horizontal water mill behind the beach at Muckle Ayre in the south east of Muckle Roe

I spent 20 minutes looking for a geocache here without success.

Plaques commemorating the official openings of Muckle Roe bridges on 22nd October 1947 (by W. Thomson)  and 3rd April 1999 (by Councillor Drew Ratter)