Visiting Birsay

Brough of Birsay

Archaeological field sites – a selection

Ordinance Survey Map references begin HY. Text references are to:

• Orkney, Anna Ritchie, 1996. Edinburgh: HM Stationery Office
• Bu, Gurness and the Brochs of Orkney, Vol III. John W. Hedges, 1987. Oxford: B.A.R. British Series 165.
• The Chambered Cairns of Orkney, Davidson and Henshall, 1989. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Broch remains

• Oxtro, (Hedges #3, HY254268) between the main road A986 and the Loch of Boardhouse.
• Skogar, (Hedges #1, HY264234), on land of the WWII Twatt Aerodrome, about 400m east of the Loch of Isbister. Completely ruined.
• Knowe of Taft (Hedges #2, HY284223) near the Loch of Sabiston. Ruined.

Other possible brochs are questionable: Savar Howe, sites on Loch of Hundland & of Isbister. The so-called Picki-house, the Knowe of Nesthouse is another possibility. (map references)

The Birsay Bay Project

During 1976-1982 major archaeological work was done around Birsay Bay, including Links, Saevar Howe, Point of Buckquoy and the Brough. Except for the scheduled monuments, the sites have covered, but it well worth a visit to gain a feel for the landscape and environment and to see the relation to the present village. St. Magnus Church and the Earl’s Palace are in the village. The archaeological findings are reported in The Birsay Bay Project by C.D. Morris, et.al., in two volumes published by the University of Durham, 1989

Chambered cairns

• Newan (Davidson & Henshall #39, HY271277),
• Holy Kirk (Davidson & Henshall #65, HY249216) and Vestra Fiold (#79, HY240218) are now in Sandwick, but they are on the Birsay road.

Chapel sites

• Marwick Bay (HY230241) remains of a Norse Chapel
• Spurdigrove (HY255244) Standing Stone and probable chapel/burial ground
• Manse Well is not a chapel, but waters from this well were formerly said to have healing waters attributed to St. Magnus
• Kirbuster Hill Barrows (Ritchie #68, HY284263), Queenafiold

Standing stones

• Quoybune (Ritchie #66, HY252262) prominent standing stone, said to drink from the nearby loch on New Year’s Eve
• Stanerandy, (HY267276), a mound and two standing stones

Rural life and industry

• Click Mill -the last working example of a horizontal water-mill left in Orkney. The ‘click mill’ was so named because of the sound it made whilst running, and it is the most primitive type of water-powered mill known in Britain. It is a simple, mechanised version of the hand quern, and is turned by the water acting on a wooden wheel or ‘tirl’, which is connected directly to the topmost of the two stones.
• Sabiston Mill, not open to the public but right on main road A986 to the Palace.
• Sand Geo (Marwick) and Northside Fishermen’s Huts & nousts
• Peat Workings (Dounby – Evie Road)
• Kelp burning

Wartime memorials

In addition to HMS Tern significant sites include:

• Kitchener’s Memorial Tower, Marwick Head.
• Twatt & Skeabrae Aerodromes (see Gregor Lamb “Sky over Scapa 1939- 1945” publisher: Byrgisey, 1991)

Scenic walks

Northside and the whalebone

From the carpark for the Brough there is good walk eastward along the north coast of Birsay, past the Fishermen’s Hut and boat nousts where fishermen kept their boats over winter at Skiba Geo, sometimes called Skippi Geo. A little further on is where the whalebone was erected c. 1876 from the remains of a beached whale. The whalebone is no longer there, having blown down in 2023 in a storm – a commemorative statue will be sited here in due course. The path goes all the way to Longagleeb, an impressive geo or cleft in the cliffs, and even beyond, up much higher, to Costa Head.

Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is a tidal island, accessible by foot at low tide, famous for extensive remains of Norse settlement which had a major church, probably a monastery, and a complex of buildings that are thought to have been the headquarters of Earl Thorfinn (c.1005-1065), who ruled much of northern Scotland and the Western Isles.  Beyond the settlement the island rises to sea cliffs atop of which is the Brough Lighthouse built in 1925 and converted to solar power in 2001.  It is a fine walk to the Light and along the cliffs.

Marwick and the Kitchener memorial

Start from the car park for Marwick Bay, walk north along the Choin (tidal pool) then up along the cliffs as they rise to 86m (280 ft) above the sea.  Near the top is a stone tower memorial to Lord Kitchener, Minister for War during World War I.  He was on a mission to Russia in June 1916 when his ship, the HMS Hampshire, was sunk with the loss of more than 650 men. Because these high cliffs are home to numerous bird colonies in spring, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds owns considerable land here.

Marwick and the Fishermen’s Huts

Start from the car park for Marwick Bay, walk south along the coastal path for 600m to Sand Geo. You’ll find the Fishermen’s Huts (or Houses or Cottages) and a fairly steep path down to a rocky beach, from which boats were once winched up into nousts on the cliff top. A lovely sheltered place to watch the sea, with picnic tables.

The Loons and the Loch of Isbister

The Loons is a RSPB Reserve located in the wetlands of the Loch of Isbister.  A bird hide is conveniently placed along the Marwick to Twatt road.

Fresh water fishing

The Loch of Boardhouse, some two miles long, is one of the main reservoirs for the public water supply.  Fishing is permitted, and boats are available for hire. Swannay and Hundland are two other lochs of considerable size.

Otherwise…. for groceries nearby but outwith Birsay, Isbisters in Quoyloo and Mistra in Evie are great, and there’s a small Asda in Dounby.