Muckle Roe

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Muckle Roe

Shetland

Main settlement: Roesound
Location
Location: 60°22’12"N, 1°25’12"W
Grid reference: HU317650
Area: 6.8 square miles
Highest point: Mid Ward, 564 feet
Data
Population: 104

Muckle Roe is an island in Shetland, in Saint Magnus Bay, to the west of Mainland, Shetland. It has a population of around 100 people, who mainly croft and live in the south east of the island [1][2][3] It is not near Little Roe.

The island was known in Old Norse as Mikla Rauðey, which means "Big Red Island".

History

The island is referred to in the Orkneyinga saga.[4]

In 1905, a bridge was built between Muckle Roe, and the Shetland Mainland, over Roe Sound.[3]

Geography and geology

Muckle Ayre Beach

Muckle Roe is approximately 3 miles in diameter, with high cliffs in the south. Its highest point is Mid Ward which reaches 564 feet.

The island's rock is red granite[1] and the dominant feature is an ancient extinct volcano, which together give the island its name; Old Norse for "Big Red Island".[1][3]

There are crofts in the east and south east. The rest of the island is lochan-studded moorland.[5]

Outside links

References

  1. Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 1-84195-454-3. 
  2. Fraser, Allen (2002) The Edinburgh Geologist: Old Norse and Norn names in Shetland. Issue 39 Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  3. Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 3.2 Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland. London. HarperCollins.
  4. Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
  5. "Overview of Muckle Roe". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1102.html. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 
Islands of Shetland

Inhabited islands:
Mainland  •
Bressay  • Burra (East & West)  • Fair Isle  • Fetlar  • Foula  • Muckle Roe  • Out Skerries  • Papa Stour  • Trondra  • Unst  • Vaila  • Whalsay  • Yell

Other islands:
Balta  •
Bigga  • Brother Isle  • Colsay  • Hascosay  • Hildasay  • Lamba  • Linga, Muckle Roe  • Linga, Yell  • Mousa  • Muckle Flugga  • Noss  • Oxna  • Papa  • Papa Little  • Samphrey  • South Havra  • Uyea, Northmavine  • Uyea, Unst  • Vementry  • West Linga