Muckle Ayre

Beach in Shetland

Scotland

Muckle Ayre

Sand Voe Sand Voe is an inlet at the north of the Northmavine area of Mainland, Shetland.
This view is of the sandy / shingly beach at the southern end of the voe near to the eponymously named settlement of Sandvoe (see <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2713084">HU3690 : Sandvoe settlement</a>) — Sand Voe Credit: Rob Farrow

Muckle Ayre is a picturesque beach located in the northernmost region of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. The name "Muckle Ayre" translates to "big beach" in the local dialect, which is fitting as it is one of the largest sandy beaches in Shetland.

Situated on the west coast of the island of Yell, Muckle Ayre boasts stunning natural beauty and is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. The beach stretches for approximately three miles, offering visitors ample space to explore and enjoy the tranquility of their surroundings. The sand is soft and golden, contrasting beautifully with the turquoise waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Muckle Ayre is renowned for its captivating coastal landscape, with towering cliffs and rocky outcrops adding to its rugged charm. The beach is surrounded by rolling hills and heathlands, providing a stunning backdrop for those who appreciate the great outdoors.

Due to its remote location, Muckle Ayre remains relatively unspoiled and secluded, making it a perfect destination for those seeking peace and solitude. It is also a popular spot for birdwatching, with a variety of seabirds including puffins, fulmars, and kittiwakes nesting in the cliffs.

Access to Muckle Ayre is relatively straightforward, with a well-maintained path leading down to the beach. However, it is important to note that the water can be cold, and swimming is not advised due to strong currents and unpredictable weather conditions.

Overall, Muckle Ayre is a captivating beach that showcases the rugged beauty and natural splendor of the Shetland Islands, providing a truly unforgettable experience for visitors.

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Muckle Ayre Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 60.584878/-1.3337329 or Grid Reference HU3689. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Sand Voe

Sand Voe is an inlet at the north of the Northmavine area of Mainland, Shetland. This view is of the sandy / shingly beach at the southern end of the voe near to the eponymously named settlement of Sandvoe (see HU3690 : Sandvoe settlement)

Rob Farrow

Sandvoe settlement

The few houses that make up the settlement of Sandvoe at the north of the Northmavine area of Mainland, Shetland as seen from its little beach on the voe (see HU3690 : Sand Voe), with the burn seen nearest the camera about to flow into the sea.

Rob Farrow

A lost plane

There was an explanation of how this plane got half way up the hill but it was so wet that I didn't read it.

Graeme Smith

Traditional Haystacks

Some good old fashioned haystacks at Isbister

Graeme Smith

The end of the road

The end of the road at Sandvoe

Graeme Smith

Alpacas, Isbister, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Irisbeds, Isbister, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Sandvoe, North Roe

Mike Pennington

Beach at the head of Sand Voe, North Roe

Mike Pennington

East shore of Sand Voe, North Roe

Looking towards Orrwick Taing.

Mike Pennington

Beach at the head of Sand Voe, North Roe

Not it's sandiest aspect.

Mike Pennington

Land Rover on the beach at Sand Voe, North Roe

The crofter has just been to feed sheep on the far end of the beach.

Mike Pennington

End Of The A970

Isbister is the end of the A970 and where we parked for our walk to Lanchestoo trig point.

Rude Health

North Roe: alpacas

The food tub has just been rattled and the alpacas respond as expected, making a bee-line for their owner. This is the only group of alpacas in Shetland; they have been here for four years, having been born in Hazelbury Bryan in Dorset. Some of the youngest in the picture are only a fortnight old.

Chris Downer

The end of the road

The A970 just comes to a dead stop here at Isbister. Looking south, for the first ten or a dozen miles it is "single track with passing places", but there is so little traffic that it is hardly a problem. After that, and all the way to Sumburgh HU4009, 80km away, it is a splendid road, upgraded (like other main routes in the Shetland Islands) when the oil money was at its peak. It is, of course, possible to walk further north for nearly 5 kilometres, to the Point of Fethaland (though I did not have time to do this). Only two inhabited islands, Yell and Unst, get even further north and into Myriad HP.

David Purchase

Shetland Potez

This French 'Potez' plane crash-landed at Sumburgh in 1981, and was brought here, 80km north, to its final resting place. One has to wonder why anyone would wish to do this, but also admire the tenacity that he must have shown. There is a descriptive plaque, which is just in the next square west. I have submitted a photo - see HU3690 : The "Shetland Potez" plaque. It is of poor quality (the moderator must have been feeling generous), partly but not entirely because the plaque itself is in bad condition. However I submitted it because there was no other image on site, the plaque will continue to deteriorate, and with judicious zooming you can make out most of the story behind this extraordinary scene.

David Purchase

The "Shetland Potez" plaque

The "Shetland Potez" is a French plane which crash-landed at Sumburgh in 1981. The plane itself is in the next square east - see, for example, HU3790 : 'Plane Daft or HU3790 : Shetland Potez. This is not a very clear photo, but I submitted it as there is nothing better on site, and the plaque itself is deteriorating. I think that, if you zoom in, most of the text can be read, though possibly with difficulty. Above the plaque is a sign which reads "Land's End 747 miles". Well, Land's End is in SW3425, and I make it 748 miles. But these things depend on your exact basis of calculation, and 747 is close enough - to say nothing of being a number with much more resonance to aircraft fans!

David Purchase