FIRTH MAINLAND - FIRTH T
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ogb 3 collated.qxp 26/10/2005 20:25 Page 320 WEST MAINLAND - FIRTH MAINLAND - FIRTH t h to twin islands. There are g i r y ruins on Damsay of a p o c chapel, which was reputed n w o to have healing powers. The r C Orkneyinga Saga describes church buildings and a castle there in Viking times. Binscarth plantations were created in the 19th century and this remains one of the few areas of woodland in Orkney. A good place for finding migrant birds, the woods are very colourful in springtime when the blue- Aerial view of Finstown from the west with Binscarth foreground, the Ouse centre and the Bay of Firth background FINSTOWN, on the main 1824 the two fell out and bells come into flower. and along the track to the top Kirkwall to Stromness road, Phin went to Aberdeen but Below the wood, is the pic- of Keelylang (HY378102, is Orkney's third largest set- the name stuck despite the turesque Old Mill, which is 221m) with its TV and radio tlement. It was formerly short time the Phins stayed still complete, though it no masts. There are excellent called “Toon o’Firth”, but in Finstown. longer grinds corn. views along the way of the the became “Phinstoon” Bay of Firth and a wonderful after an Irish soldier named There is a very fine The Ouse (ON Oss, tidal panorama of Scapa Flow, David Phin, who arrived in panoramic view over estuary) is open to the sea at the Mainland and the North Orkney in 1811 when he was Finstown and the Bay of the east end, where the Isles from the top. The transferred to the 9th Royal Firth from the Heddle Road bridge is a popular place to name means long keel. In Veteran Battalion. Phin (HY359133), before it pass- fish for Sea Trout. Nearby early summer many species married a Kirkwall girl in es a large quarry. The there is a large broch mound of moorland birds can be 1813 and in 1820 he made islands of Holm of with a somewhat incongru- seen from this track. an agreement with John Grimbister and Damsay ous World War II pillbox on Tinkers camping on the site of the present community hall in the 1920s Miller of Millquoy to open (ON Daminsey) lie in the On the Redland Road is a top. There is a pleasant walk premises with their animals. the 18th and 19th centuries in an ale house which was Bay of Firth. The latter well-preserved 19th century around the Ouse, which is a In 1920 John Firth of Orkney. The Farm called the "Toddy Hole", takes its name from a Celtic farmstead, Langalour good place to observe wad- Finstown published a book Museums at Kirbuster in now the Pomona Inn. In word, Dímun, which refers (HY369168), now done-up. ing birds, waterfowl and "Reminiscences of an Birsay and Corrigall in This longhouse is typical of swans. Otters are also Orkney Parish". This book, Harray allow visitors to old Orkney farms, where the Finstown and the Bay of Firth from Wideford Hill sometimes seen here. reprinted in 1974, gives a experience some of this old people slept in neuk beds in good insight into the life of farm and folk life. Longer walks A public the walls, and shared the right of way leads from Aerial view of Damsay with its ruined buildings Iron Age broch mound at the entrance to the Ouse Finstown, through the woods, to the Refuge Corner in Harray. The Loch of Wasdale has an ancient ruin on a small islet on the south- east side, and is another good place to see wildfowl. A fairly strenuous walk takes the road up past Cruan 320 321 ogb 3 collated.qxp 26/10/2005 20:25 Page 322 WEST MAINLAND - FIRTH MAINLAND - FIRTH e i Archaeology Firth has sev- r Iron Age At Rennibister w FIRTH ATTRACTIONS eral prehistoric sites. o (HY397127) there is a also an T d Cuween chambered cairn r Iron Age souterrain, or earth Finstown u g i Binscarth plantations (HY363127) dates from the S house, in the middle of the third millennium BC. The farmyard, (please park in The Ouse tomb is similar to space provided and do not Heddle viewpoint Maeshowe, with a long obstruct farmer), which was Loch of Wasdale entry passage, a large rectan- found to be full of black Keelylang gular main chamber and four earth, shells and human Redland Road small cells. When opened in bones. Earth houses were Finstown broch 1901 the remains of at least common from about 600 BC Redland broch eight burials were found as and were used as storage Burness broch well as 24 dog skulls and cellars for Iron Age Round Chapel Knowe Post holes in Neolithic building many other animal bones. Houses. Unfortunately Ingashowe broch Perhaps these buildings had nothing now remains of the Cuween chambered cairn The entry passage, cells and some “ritual” function. associated house. Stonehall settlement chamber were entirely filled Cuween chambered cairn is superbly built with a rock floor Rennibister earth house with material. The top layer The Rennibister site below Brochs Firth has a number Rennibister Neolithic site was stony debris and animal Wideford Hill revealed the of broch mounds which con- Holm of Grimbister bones, while the bottom foundations of a Neolithic tinue the series in Evie and Damsay 0.3m was filled with a house similar to the Knap of Rendall. They run from “fatty unctuous substance” Howar on Papay. Unstan Burness to the Oyce and on and human bones. The entry Ware pottery shards, stone to Ingashowe. There is also passage faces due east, axes and tools as well as an inland broch below directly towards flint were all found. The Redland. None have been Quanterness cairn and the remains of another building examined in recent times, rising Autumn Equinox sun- nearby consisted of a num- but a Pictish symbol was rise. ber of large post-holes but found at Redland in the 19th no stone foundations. This century. The Burness Broch Two Neolithic domestic was probably the site of a is called Chapel Knowe, yet substantial early wooden sites have been excavated The entrance passage is roofed by large slabs set on end another instance of a recently, one at Stonehall, building, the first of its kind medieval chapel being built and seems to have consisted est were a number of struc- and the other at Rennibister. so far found in Orkney. The beside a broch. of a loose cluster of houses, tures which did not have Iron Age Stonehall lies houses were dated to about the earliest of which dates to fireplaces, and thus were down the hill from Cuween 3900BC. 3800BC. Of greatest inter- probably not houses. Redland Pictish symbol stone Excavation work below Wideford Hill Plan of Cuween cairn showing the arrangement of chambers Ingashowe Broch Rennibister Earth House e S i r M w H o A T C d r R u g i S 322 323.