Muckle Roe

Muckle Roe is a small, low-lying island off the west coast of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, famed for its warm-toned red granite which gives it the local name meaning “big red island”. The landscape is a mix of rocky shoreline, sandy bays and gentle moorland, with good opportunities for seabird watching and quiet coastal walks; it was linked to the Shetland Mainland by a causeway in the early 20th century, which changed access and life on the island.

Historically influenced by Norse settlement, the island has a long crofting and fishing tradition and its red stone was quarried locally for building. Today it remains a small, close-knit community where crofting, sheep farming and small-scale fishing persist alongside modest tourism, and the island’s character is marked by traditional Shetland culture and a strong sense of local identity.