Ronas Voe, Coastal inlet in Northmavine, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom
Ronas Voe is a sea inlet on the Shetland Islands, located in the Northmavine area and one of the largest in the archipelago. It runs between Ronas Hill to the west and the Tingon peninsula to the east, with steep slopes rising on both sides.
In 1674, the English Royal Navy seized a Dutch East India Company ship called the Wapen van Rotterdam in these waters. The event points to the role this inlet once played along the trading routes that passed through the North Atlantic.
The word voe comes from Old Norse and is still used across Shetland to describe a narrow sea inlet cutting into the land. Hearing it in place names like this one is a reminder of how deeply Norse settlers shaped the language of the islands.
The inlet is most easily reached from Northmavine, where coastal paths follow the shoreline and offer open views across the water. Weather on Shetland can change fast, so warm and waterproof clothing is a good idea at any time of year.
Lang Ayre, a beach running along the shore of this inlet, is the longest beach in the Shetland Islands, which is rare given how rocky the coastline tends to be. The small island known as The Blade, sitting just inside the inlet, becomes a nesting ground for arctic terns each summer.
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