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h Sand Fiold, the area of sand advised that the kirk was a g i r

y dunes at Skaill has been the liability, and recommended p o

c site of several cist graves, demolition even though it n w

o the most recent and spectac- was an A-listed building. It r

C ular excavation being in was acquired for £1 in 1998 1989. A rock-cut hole 2m by the Scottish Redundant deep and over 3m square Churches Trust, which has contained a large flagstone completely renovated the cist, one side of which could building. Today the church be opened. Inside were the is open to visitors and hosts remains of three burials. In concerts, weddings and one corner a large urn con- other events. tained cremated remains and grass, while a mother and The nearby Knowe of foetus had been placed in Verron (HY231198), an another corner, but not cre- Iron Age site with evidence The and from the southeast mated. Finally more cre- of metal working overlooks be known, was soon in the chambered cairn which has mated remains lay in the the north side of the Bay of hands of the state, and was been almost completely centre and had been covered Skaill. This is probably a transferred to Edinburgh, robbed out. in something like matting. small broch, which has been where it remains. SANDWICK (ON Sand Nearby dates dug into in the past to reveal Kierfiold House overlooks Vik, sandy bay) The Bay of from the 17th century, The burials were made about a flagstone floor, a central the from the Skaill has a beautiful, if although there was almost 2000 BC, and so far this hearth and internal divi- north, and has a large walled variable, beach. This is one certainly a large Norse farm- tomb is unique, other cists sions. A vitrified stone, garden which is open to the of the best places on the stead near here long before being much smaller and not thought to be the base of a public in the summer. Apart west side of the Mainland that. The Loch of Skaill has re-used. The fact that not furnace, has disappeared. from the displays of flowers for wave-watching, and many wintering wildfowl, very much tangible evidence and shrubs, this is an excel- depending on winter storms, while in summer waders are of the Bronze Age in In 1858 David Linklater was lent place to seek out butter- it may be very sandy or all abundant around its edges. has so far come to light may digging above the shore near flies and bumblebees. rounded pebbles and large The banks beside the road well indicate that much the kirk, when he came boulders. At low tide the past the loch are particularly remains to be discovered. across some silver items. The Stones of Via sand is exposed, while in beautiful in May with prim- Before long 9 brooches, 14 (HY260160) near the Loch westerly gales a spectacular roses in flower, while later St Peter’s Kirk, at the north necklets, 27 armlets and a of Clumley is a pile of large surf breaks here. The inter- the loch shores are a sea of end of the Bay of Skaill was large numbers of coins, stones in a shallow depres- nationally renowned prehis- Meadowsweet and Irises in built in 1837 as the ingots and small pieces of sion about 80m in diameter. toric village of Skara Brae bloom. Sandwick Parish Church silver amounting to 7kg in This enigmatic site may pos- is at the south end of the bay. under the Reverend Charles all had been found. The Clouston, a forebear of Skaill Hoard, as it came to sibly be the remains of a Skaill hoard brooch (replica) Excavating the Sandfiold burial cist Storer Clouston the author St Peter’s Kirk, Bay of Skaill The interior is original and dates from 1837 and historian. It is a rare sur- vival of a 19th century Scots Presbyterian kirk in its most austere form. By the 1960s, St Peter's was used occa- sionally for worship and by the 1970s, only for funerals, the last being in 1984. A 1988 a report by the Presbytery of Orkney

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place to live! other hand in a winter s storm the cliffs become dark Yesnaby is one of the most and brooding as clouds attractive places anywhere streak past and the sun in Orkney to visit. The less comes and goes on huge energetic can admire the waves. view from their car, or from the shelter of the World War Just north of the car park II military buildings, which there is an exposure of stro- were used for gunnery prac- matolites, which are fos- tice. Primula scotica, Grass silised cyanobacteria (blue- of Parnassus and Spring green algae) which lived in Aerial view of the Brough of Bigging, Yesnaby Squill can be seen from the the Devonian period, about side of the road here. 350 million years ago. These primitive photosyn- South from the car park is thetic organisms fixed car- the Noust of Bigging bon and released oxygen (HY220159), where fisher- into the environment. Some men used to pull up their of these stromatolites are boats, sheltered by the said to resemble horses Brough of Bigging, another teeth. It should be noted that excellent place to watch these and all other fossils are huge Atlantic waves smash- protected by law. ing into the cliffs on a rough Row Head, on the south side of the Bay of Skaill day. Few places give a bet- The Castle of Yesnaby South from Skaill The There are good views from ter impression of the power (HY218153) stands in its own Brough of Bigging, Yesnaby Hole o'Row (HY224190), here both to North and South of the sea than this spot dur- bay, Garthna Geo. The Old on the south side of the bay, along the coast, and the walk ing a northwesterly gale! Man of Hoy can be seen is a large cave which has from here to Yesnaby is very from here, dwarfed by the pierced right through the fine. Passing the Ness of The relatively low cliffs, higher St John’s Head. headland, and through Ramnageo, we reach with their dramatic shapes Yesnaby Castle has often which the sea breaks in Borwick (HY224168), with and warm colours, take on been used as practice by rough weather. Care should its ruinous broch, perched different aspects depending those about to climb its be taken on the slippery precariously on the edge of on the weather and season. larger brother. On a clear rocks. the cliffs. This can provide On a fine summer s evening day the Sutherland hills in Row Head (59m) is the start excellent shelter for wave- all is peace and the colours the distance extend all the of one of the finest stretches watching, but must have of the rocks are enhanced by way to Cape Wrath. of cliff scenery in Orkney. been a damp and draughty the evening light. On the Yesnaby Castle with Thrift Broch of Borwick, north of Yesnaby, has a settlement on its east side The Hole o'Row is a natural arch Spring Squill Primula scotica Stromatolite at Yesnaby

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SANDWICK ATTRACTIONS Bay of Skaill Skara Brae Skaill House Hole o'Row row Head Ramna Geo Broch of Borwick Yesnaby Brough of Bigging Yesnaby Castle Primula scotica The Loch of Stenness from Upper Voy, looking southeast towards the Orphir Hills Aerial view of Skeabrae from the northwest with the Loch of Harray Voy Veron Point Ancient igneous rocks out- Nearby, at Vestrafiold, walling, which includes World War II In World important throughout the Broch of Stackrue crop at Yesnaby from monoliths still lie on the hill- many large stones. In the War II, two airfields were war and although there were Ring of Bookan beneath the flag- side awaiting transport. field opposite the outline of built in the West Mainland. only a few actions latterly, Burrian Broch stones. Uranium occurs in There are more on the an ancient chapel and grave- Much of the area has now this underlines the effective- Loch of Clumley and Broch Stones of Via these basal beds which are Northdyke hill above Huan. yard can be made out. been cleared, but some of ness of the system. There Skeabrae also exposed at Stromness the buildings, including the was also a Ground Control Cruaday Quarry and on Graemsay. A vigor- Voy There are good vantage Several brochs and burnt control tower at Twatt, have Interception Station at Vestrafiold monoliths St Peter’s Kirk ous campaign was fought in points near Voy to watch mounds line the shores of so far not been destroyed. Skeabrae. Broch of Verron the late 1970s to prevent waterfowl on the Loch of the Loch of Stenness, There are plans to turn this Loch of Skaill exploratory drilling of these Stenness, as the road passes including those at the Ness into an Interpretation Centre Kierfiold House gardens deposits. Few issues have close by the shore. From the of Voy and Redland. There in future. Walk south to Stromness Walk north to Birsay so galvanised the local com- road above the farm of are also broch sites below munity as this and a sign in Upper Voy the view takes in Tenston and Burrian on the These airfields were impor- Stromness saying, "NO URANI- a lovely combination of west side Loch of Harray. tant as staging posts and UM - Keep Orkney Green and fields, hills, water and sky Ruins on the Holm of training bases later in the Attractive, Not White and with the greens, browns and Kirkness may be a chapel. War, and a large variety of Radioactive" has only recently blues so typical of Orkney. aircraft types used them. been replaced by a “Welcome to The Broch of Clumley is Twatt (HY265230) was Stromness” one. The Broch of Stackrue unusual for Orkney in being commissioned as HMS Tern (HY271151) near Lyking is situated on a small inland on 1st April 1941 and was Monolith quarries? Cruaday cut through by the road, and loch on an islet with step- greatly used for disembark- Quarry (HY247218) has often was no doubt used as a quar- ping stones. Although none ment of carrier-borne air- been suggested as a possible ry. Much of the surrounding of the Sandwick brochs are craft of many types. source of the stones at ditch and rampart remains, very large, most have of Dramatic summer sky over the Loch of Skaill Brodgar and Stenness. as well as substantial structures around them. Skeabrae (HY270205) was commenced by the Winter light over the Loch of Skaill The Broch of Stackrue, near Lyking The Ness, Voy, at the northwest of the Loch of Stenness Admiralty, but handed over to the Air Ministry in May 1940. The first active serv- ice units arrived in August 1940, but it was not until January 1941 that Hurricanes of No3 Squadron RAF were based here.

Air defence remained

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The name Skara Brae is a S M

th H

recent 20 century corrup- A C

tion of Skerrabrae, as it is R still known locally, (perhaps from ON Skjaldbreiðr, “broad shield”, or perhaps ON Skerabreiðr, referring to the large nearby skerry which protects the site from the west). In former times the settlement was probably separated from the sea by sand dunes and dune slacks, which have since been erod- Aerial view of Skara Brae ed away. Skara Brae (HY232188), Four houses were cleared by the south shore of the out in the 1860s, but no fur- Having been protected with- Bay of Skaill, is virtually ther work was done until the in a large dune for over unique. This remarkably site was taken into state care 4,000 years, the village is well-preserved Neolithic in 1925. In the meantime remarkably preserved. The village is one of very few further storms washed away group of seven houses is Excavator’s plan of the village archeological sites where it most of hut 3 and part of hut connected by a covered system of stone-lined drains, wide, and very carefully tom course, which would is actually possible to imag- 1. A sea wall was built to close, all of which were which connect to several of constructed. There was pro- have worked as well as poly- ine the life-style of the protect the site from further buried to the tops of the the side-cells, serves the vil- vision to fasten the doors thene does today. inhabitants. It was first damage and Professor walls by midden. This clay- lage, to remove rainwater, from the inside. The revealed after a severe Gordon Childe was brought like mixture of refuse con- and no doubt domestic waste dressers are prominently The earliest houses resemble northwesterly storm and in to supervise its recording sists of ashes, shells, bones, of various types. Childe placed facing the entrance, those at Barnhouse, with extremely high tide in 1850. and conservation. The com- sand and other domestic describes “green slime” while stone box beds stand beds recessed in the walls, Recent work has shown that plexity of the ruins and the detritus and together has being found in the drains, beside the sidewalls. The while the later ones are larg- this prehistoric community need to preserve the struc- been a major factor in pro- but unfortunately none was interiors are surprisingly er with freestanding was occupied for at least 500 tures made a proper strati- tecting the site from erosion. kept for later analysis. spacious with a floor area of boxbeds. During the 500 years, from before 3100BC graphic excavation impossi- It seems that the occupants up to 36 square metres. years of primary occupation to about 2500BC. ble, but clear evidence of built the midden around Each house has a central Damp-proof courses had the buildings were repaired, Secondary usage continued several phases of occupation their houses intentionally as fireplace and a doorway also been invented over modified and rebuilt, apart until about 2200BC. were revealed. an integral part of the con- exiting to the main passage. 5,000 years ago. The foun- from hut 7, which is built on Professor Gordon Childe with visitors in the 1930s struction. It appears to have These doorways were small, dations of the houses have a a clay base directly on the been stored and used delib- about 1.1m high by 0.6m layer of blue clay in the bot- sand. Two older women erately rather than simply piled round existing houses. Carved stone object Hut 1 before being taken into State care

The houses vary in size from over 6m square to barely 4m square, with a maximum surviving wall height of 2.4m. The designs are quite similar with beds, dressers, tanks in the floor, cupboards in the walls and cells off the main room. A

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was probably a central hole of the Maeshowe-type to let out the smoke and let chambered cairns (but not in in some light. House 7 has Maeshowe). holes in the top courses of stones, which look like they The porch on the east end are for the fitting of joists. has opposing doors and has As whales were much more been interpreted as an area abundant, strandings would for winnowing of corn, have been more frequent while the building was prob- 5,000 years ago. ably also a grain storage and processing area, and may One blue whale ashore in the have been used to malt bar- Bay of Skaill would have ley. The large pots could Hut 1 is the most complete apart can be studied from all angles provided enough rafters for hold at least 100 litres and Hut 7 is covered with a glass roof and is the lowest level a village much bigger than would have been used for were buried under one wall, There is no evidence of fab- this. Since the “street” and storage, but may well also perhaps before the house rics being used and no entrances to the houses are have functioned as contain- was built. It has been sug- remains of anything to do narrow, there may easily ers for making ale. Apart gested that this was a “foun- with weaving. No spindles have been roof entrances to from this usage, malted bar- dation burial” and that the or whorls were found. facilitate the moving of large ley is very nutritious, and hut had a different use to the However fibres from Nettle objects like pots. There may much more palatable to peo- others. Although no drains stems were probably used to well also have been a gallery ple and ruminants than the have been found leading make fishing lines and nets, for storage and sleeping. grain. Once dried, malt from hut 7, two of the com- and perhaps clothes. stores very well. partments had thick layers of Heather stems would have “The Workshop” One “green sludge”. provided ropes and wool building, hut 8, was appar- Lifestyle The inhabitants Cells in the southeast corner of hut 1 showing quality of construction was undoubtedly used to ently the workshop, as it has kept cattle, pigs and sheep. What remains today is like make cloth, perhaps by felt- no beds and is differently They grew barley and some an animal skeleton. There ing rather than weaving. arranged. It is to the south wheat, fished the nearby would have been driftwood of the houses and was not waters, caught birds and from America available for The roofs would have been surrounded by midden. gathered shellfish. Bone was furnishings and materials supported by couples made Many fragments of chert, much used for tools and jew- such as animal sheepskins, of driftwood or whalebones which had been heated, were ellry, but wood was also leather and eider down, as and covered with skins or found on the floor. In the used. Red ochre made from well as caisies, cubbies and turf, and using heather ropes absence of flint this stone haematite was found in the original Orkney chairs. and straw simmons. There was used to make cutting small stone and whalebone Hut 8 is different and was probably the workshop, kiln and barn and scraping tools. containers, suggesting that decoration was also used. The north entrance to hut 8 There was a kiln probably The porch of hut 8 from “The Street” Burnt stones in hut 8 for firing pottery, and for drying grain and malt. Large pots were made in sizes up to 60cm diameter, which were often decorated with geometric patterns. This is classed as Grooved Ware, which was also found at Barnhouse, the Standing Stones, Rinyo and in some

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lozenges, chevrons, crosses today. The inhabitants of and triangles, these motifs Skara Brae were well-estab- resemble those on Grooved lished farmers, who proba- Ware pots and similar bly lived comfortably in inscriptions from Brodgar their substantial houses in a and Barnhouse as well as manner not dissimilar to that Maeshowe, Quoyness, of many Orcadians until Cuween and Wideford Hill quite recent times. cairns. Perhaps the most famous is the unique spiral Abandonment of the settle- decoration much used by ment was very likely caused 20th century jewellers. by encroaching sand, per- haps because of a great Hut 5 is earlier and has the beds built into the walls “The Street” is built from large stones and covered by lintels storm which set the sand The soil conditions were not carved stone objects were dunes in motion and partial- favourable for the preserva- also found, similar to others ly overwhelmed the village tion of wood and thus very found in Orkney and else- and surrounding farmland in little has survived. However where in . It has a short time. However some there would have been plen- always been assumed that of the houses continued in ty of driftwood from North these “special objects” had use for some time after this, America and it is very likely some significant purpose as there were multiple occu- that it was used for many associated with “ritual” and pation layers in the sand purposes. The villagers that somehow the inhabi- which filled them. must have had reasonably tants were “totally different” Modern “Skara Brae” ear ring Incised design in hut 8 good boats to go fishing as to people today. No evidence has been found Visitor Centre The nearby they did. No doubt these of anything which could not Visitor Centre has a good craft had wooden frames Neolithic art also appears in have come from Orkney, introductory video and inter- with leather covering, sown the many motifs which have suggesting a self-sufficient pretative displays with sev- and strengthened with nettle been scratched on stones at life-style. This does not eral hands-on things to do. fibre. Skara Brae, especially in exclude contacts with other The replica of house 7 gives huts 7 and 8 and in the groups, or even with a good idea of just how cosy Many interesting artefacts “street” near hut 2. They Mainland Scotland, which and spacious they were. were discovered at Skara may be seen by visitors on can be seen from Sandwick. There is also a café and Brae including numerous the east side of hut 8 and at Boats good enough to fish interesting shop. Carved stone ball (replica) Carved stone ball (replica) circular stone pot lids, bone the south entrance to the off to the west of Orkney are tools and jewellry. Four “street”. Made up of certainly adequate to cross Pendants with incised markings Doorway to hut 1 from inside Replica of hut 7 at the Visitor Centre the Pentland Firth. S M N The design of the “houses for the living” echoes that of the “houses for the dead”, the chambered cairns, with their entrance passages, main chambers, stone furni- ture and side cells, all cov- ered with turf. There is no doubt that the ancestors were important to Neolithic society, just as they are

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Malcolm Macrae, restored The Countess Temple of and opened it to the public Stowe attributed this to the as a museum and visitor ghost of “Ubby”, who many attraction. During the reno- years ago built the small vation the house, fifteen island in the middle of Skaill skeletons were discovered Loch by rowing out and next to the south wing and dumping stones which can under the gravel in front of still be seen there. He is the east porch. reputed to have died on the island. Two recent tenants These are from early of the flats have also had Christian, possibly 7th centu- strange experiences, one ry Pictish, times. No tradi- swearing someone sat on his Skaill House and Skara Brae from the east The Dining Room features some of Captain Cook’s dinner service tion predicted this discovery, bed beside him, the other Skaill House is just inland tower and wing which gives or that of the skeletons that their dog went berserk from Skara Brae and the Bay the house its characteristic found under the hall in the one night. of Skaill. It was first built profile seen today. 1930s, so it can only be sup- for Bishop George Graham posed that the first builders And one day cleaners saw a in about 1620 on the site of Visitors can now enjoy this of Skaill were either woman with a shawl over an older hall. There are Laird’s family home. The unaware of or indifferent to her head standing inside the stone fragments from Dining Room with Captain this ancient burial ground. doorway of the top flat - Breckness House at Cook's dinner service from only later did they discover Stromness, including an his ship the Resolution and Skaill House abounds with that there was no-one in the armorial panel of the the Library with its circular ghost stories. The present flat at the time. But all of the Graham family. The Bishop window are downstairs. The Laird, a winner of the Sword stories agree that the ghost in 1638 due to alleged irreg- large Drawing Room and of Honour at Sandhurst, and or ghosts of Skaill are ularities, but the Breckness Bishop Graham's bedroom, no believer in the supernatu- friendly. The spacious upstairs Drawing Room Estate still ended up in the with his bed are upstairs, ral, swears that he and his hands of his youngest son. while the Gun Room and dog heard footsteps late one The house makes an fasci- Hall have sporting and mili- night when he was doing up nating visit, with its diverse SKAILL HOUSE It has been added to by suc- tary memorabilia as well as the flats around the court- exhibits and historical asso- cessive Lairds over the cen- many other items collected yard. His dog raised her ciations. The shop stocks a turies, with major building during the lives of the past hackles and, barking loudly, good variety of interesting work in the 1770s, 1880s lairds. ran out of the room. But things, mostly local and and 1950s, culminating in there was no one there. some unique to Skaill. the addition of the north The present Laird, Major

Bishop Graham’s Bedroom with his original bed Skaill House from the southwest Graham armorial panel

Skaill House is open from April to September from 9.30am to 6.30pm every day. Joint tickets for Skara Brae and Skaill House are available from the Visitor Centre. Visits out of sea- son can be arranged by appointment. [email protected] www.skaillhouse.com Tel (01856) 841501 Fax (01856) 841668

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