Muckle Flugga

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The Muckle Flugga lighthouse.

Muckle Flugga is a small rocky island north of Unst in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is often described as the northernmost point of the British Isles, but the smaller islet of Out Stack is actually farther north.

The name comes from Old Norse, Mikla Flugey, meaning 'large steep-sided island.'

According to local folklore, Muckle Flugga and nearby Out Stack were formed when two giants, Herma and Saxa, fell in love with the same mermaid. They fought over her by throwing large rocks at each other, one of which became Muckle Flugga. To get rid of them, the mermaid offered to marry whichever one would follow her to the North Pole. They both followed her and drowned, as neither one could swim.

Muckle Flugga is home to a Muckle Flugga lighthouse, built by Thomas and David Stevenson in 1854, originally to protect ships during the Crimean War. The lighthouse was automated in 1995. Until then Muckle Flugga had been the northernmost inhabited point of the British Isles.