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Birsay: ancient capital of Orkney
Welcome to Birsay, home to Neolithic peoples, Picts, Vikings, Scottish Royalty and a cosmopolitan cross-section of people today.
Birsay – in fact, all of Orkney – has been settled continuously since Neolithic times more than 5000 years ago, and Birsay has remains and reminders from every chapter of this long history. Earliest are the chambered cairns and standing stones; in the Iron Age tall stone towers called brochs were built for reasons still unknown. Later, the Picts lived here, as archaeologists have found from their house sites and workshops. Most famously, the Norse swept all before them, as place names and the ruins of buildings testify. The Norse blended with the incoming Scots leaving a record of activity up to the present day.
Now a parish of Orkney, Birsay was already ancient when it became the centre of Viking power in the days of Earl Thorfin of Saga fame. Orkneys’ first cathedral was in Birsay, and St Magnus was buried here following his foul murder, c1116. St. Magnus Church now stands on these foundations. Centuries later Earl Robert Stewart, bastard brother of King James V, built his palace here, testimony to the richness of the area. Today peace reigns over good farm land, fishing grounds, bird colonies, convenient services and quiet, beautiful scenery.
Birsay Heritage Trust
The Birsay Heritage Trust was established in 1998 by the citizens of Birsay concerned that historically interesting sites are rapidly decaying or disappearing, and that living memory of these will soon fade.
Barony Mills
Orkney’s last remaining working watermill, producing stone ground Beremeal an ancient Viking Barley. Open for guided tours everyday May-September 11am-4.30pm. Find out more:
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St Magnus Church
Recently taken into the care of the Trust, the Church’s stained glass window depicting St Magnus, its graveyard and views of the sea are all worth a visit…
Birsay In Wartime
A new initiative commemorating the role of the parish during the World Wars, based at HMS Tern, a former Naval Air Station. In cooperation with ARGOS, the Aircraft Research Group, the Trust is undertaking renovation of the Control Tower and other buildings. The Trust also maintains the Kitchener Memorial at Marwick Head, in conjunction with the centenary of the loss of the Hampshire soon after the Battle of Jutland in WWI.
Birsay whalebone
The Birsay whalebone was a landmark structure at the point of Nether Queena on Birsay’s Northside. Birsay Heritage Trust is raising money to commemorate the whalebone with a bronze statue using a 3D digital model made by the archaeology department of UHI in Orkney College some years ago. The landowner, an American with family connections to Birsay, is keen to support this project.
Visiting Birsay
Absorb the sense of continuity wrought by the evidence of Birsay’s long history, walk along the sea cliffs and across the open moorland while studying the bird life, explore the archaeological treasures, or just relax in the glow of the open sea and sky.
‘Roond Aboot Birsay‘
The parish newsletter was started by Rev. Graeme Brown when he first came to the Birsay Parish. When Rev. Brown retired, the Birsay Community Council felt the newsletter was of significant interest to the parish that they continued its publication from time to time. We have nineteen editions from 2003-2020.