Scotland
Ronas Hill
450M
1476FT
About Ronas Hill
Forming the highest point in the Shetland Islands, this red granite massif offers a stark, sub-arctic landscape. Its summit is marked by a prehistoric chambered cairn and provides wide, unobstructed views. On a clear day, the vista stretches north to the stacks of Hermaness and south toward the distant outline of Fair Isle.
Key Statistics
Rank
1st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Outer Hebrides
Prominence
?
450m
Nearest Town
Voe
Geology
You are trekking across a foundation of Ronas Hill granite. This rock formed from molten magma that slowly cooled and hardened into a solid mass of crystals.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
HU305834
Latitude
60.5339°N
Longitude
1.4459°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse 'rön', meaning a stony scree or patch of rocks, which perfectly describes the barren, granite-strewn plateau found at the summit.
- •A Neolithic chambered cairn sits remarkably close to the summit trig point; it is a rare example of a prehistoric tomb built at such a high, exposed elevation to withstand North Atlantic gales.
- •Despite its modest height of 450 metres, the hill's northerly latitude produces a sub-arctic environment with periglacial 'fossil' features usually found only on much higher peaks in the Scottish Highlands.
- •From the top, you can look directly down into the deep, fjord-like waters of Ronas Voe, which cuts five miles into the rugged Northmavine peninsula.
- •The summit is home to a prominent telecommunications station, providing the surreal experience of standing at a prehistoric burial site while enjoying some of the best mobile signal in the islands.