Muckle RoeAbout Muckle Roe
Muckle Roe is a small island off the west coast of Mainland Shetland in Scotland. The island is noted for its red granite bedrock and a small, long-standing agricultural community.
A bridge links Muckle Roe to Mainland Shetland, providing road access and making it a short drive from larger settlements on the Mainland. The island’s coastline features low cliffs and machair grasslands that support grazing and local crofting activities.
Historically the island has been used for crofting and small-scale fishing, and its granite was quarried locally in the past. Today Muckle Roe is principally a residential and farming landscape with a small population and local roads connecting to the wider Shetland transport network.
Geographically it lies off the west side of Mainland Shetland within Scotland’s northern isles, exposed to the North Atlantic and North Sea weather systems.
Best Time to Visit Muckle Roe
Muckle Roe is most pleasant in summer (June-August) when the weather is mildest and daylight hours are longest, though conditions remain changeable.
Weather & Climate near Muckle Roe
Muckle Roe's climate is classified as Subpolar Oceanic - Subpolar Oceanic climate with cool summers (peaking in August) and cold winters (coldest in February). Temperatures range from 2°C to 14°C. Abundant rainfall (1275 mm/year), wettest in November.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 3° - 7° | -1° | 142 mm | overcast | 81% | 9.7 m/s | 0.0 low | 6.4h |
| February | Poor | 2° - 6° | -1° | 109 mm | overcast | 81% | 9.4 m/s | 0.0 low | 8.8h |
| March | Poor | 3° - 7° | -1° | 127 mm | overcast | 81% | 9.1 m/s | 0.2 low | 11.6h |
| April | Poor | 4° - 8° | 1° | 76 mm | overcast | 83% | 7.6 m/s | 0.5 moderate | 14.4h |
| May | Acceptable | 6° - 10° | 4° | 55 mm | overcast | 84% | 6.7 m/s | 0.9 moderate | 17.0h |
| June | Acceptable | 8° - 12° | 7° | 59 mm | overcast | 86% | 6.2 m/s | 1.1 high | 18.5h |
| July | Acceptable | 10° - 14° | 12° | 60 mm | overcast | 88% | 5.9 m/s | 1.0 high | 17.8h |
| August | Acceptable | 10° - 14° | 12° | 80 mm | overcast | 87% | 6.1 m/s | 0.7 moderate | 15.4h |
| September | Poor | 9° - 13° | 11° | 120 mm | overcast | 86% | 7.6 m/s | 0.4 low | 12.7h |
| October | Poor | 7° - 11° | 5° | 138 mm | overcast | 84% | 8.7 m/s | 0.1 low | 9.9h |
| November | Poor | 5° - 8° | 2° | 158 mm | overcast | 82% | 9.0 m/s | 0.0 low | 7.2h |
| December | Poor | 3° - 7° | 0° | 151 mm | overcast | 81% | 9.0 m/s | 0.0 low | 5.5h |
How to Get to Muckle Roe
Muckle Roe (Shetland) is connected to Mainland, Shetland by a road bridge and is reachable by car from Lerwick via the A970/A971 and local roads - the drive from Lerwick to Muckle Roe is on the order of tens of kilometres and typically under an hour. There are also regional bus services from Lerwick to West Mainland villages; once on the island the main settlements are a short drive or walk from the roadside.
Tips for Visiting Muckle Roe
- Muckle Roe is connected to Shetland's West Mainland by a short bridge, so include it as part of a coastal drive rather than as an isolated excursion; road access makes short stop-and-view visits straightforward.
- Visit in summer for the longest daylight and calmer coastal conditions; check local weather and road reports in winter when high winds can make coastal roads hazardous.
- Take time to walk the red-granite shoreline and small bays that many drive-by visitors miss-there are several roadside viewpoints where the island's distinctive geology is most obvious.