A short road bridge crosses Roe Sound from the Shetland Mainland near Brae, first built in 1905 and rebuilt in 1999, so no ferry is needed to reach Muckle Roe. Muckle Roe is Old Norse and Scots for ‘big red island’, named for the pink granite that runs along most of its coast.
A circular walk from the road end at Little Ayre follows the south coast past sea caves and stacks, including the Hole of Hellier, a cave with passages running back under the cliffs, out to a small lighthouse; the current solar-powered tower went up in 2001, replacing an 1897 original. Continuing round to the Hams, a run of cliffs and geos (narrow inlets) makes a half-day walk that Walkhighlands rates among the best in Shetland. Watch for seals hauled out on the rocks below. The island lies close to Mavis Grind, the neck of land near Brae just over 90 metres wide, where the Atlantic and the North Sea come closest together.
