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GLEANINGS FROM THE ORKNEY COLLECTION

One day I set out for a walk. Almost immediately the rain was too much. So I went to the Orkney Collection of the Kirkwall library to check a few things. Over a fortnight I went there most days, often for several hours. If you are rained out in Orkney this is the place to come. Most of what I present here started with a 1920's set of the "Proceedings of the Society of Orkney Antiquaries", more specifically papers by John Fraser on the various parishes. It is amazing what transformations names have undergone since even the last century, I had to spend many additional hours at home on the RCAHMS website to track some down. The distances and angles that he gave often felt as much a hindrance as a help.


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HARRAY

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
Upperbrough HY31361790 Marykirk (Russland) HY29511774 Upperbrough is Harray Churchyard
Nettletar HY32321741 Knowe of Bosquoy HY30931864
Marykirk (Russland) HY29511774 Knowe of Gullow HY30691629
Knowe of Bosquoy HY30931864 Burrian (Netherbrough) HY30821680 is Knowe of Burrian/ Garth

HOWE

used to be a stone on the Howe lands in Harray. The Fallstone or Fa'an/Faal Stane o'How was a large prostrate stone before it was broken up and carted away in the late 1800s. The Howe itself is natural. The remains of 'Howan', a turf-covered barrow are at HY34211652 and on NMRS under Winksetter roughly 1km from Howe Farm itself.


QUOYS OF THE HILL UPPER CORSTON

Roughly 1.2m broad 0.5m high stone 1/2 mile N of Corston and due north of Haewin, aligned approx. SSW, from which most of the local brochs would have been visible. Until the last couple of centuries a Johnsmas bonfire was held annually somewhere below the stone to frighten off trows and other huldu folk.
(3/4 mile N of) Nether Corston HY31832301 is 0.8x1.4x0.13 with major axis ENE/WSW but distances to sites match up.



KNOWE OF HAEWIN HOWEN BROUGH HOWAN BROCH

prob. broch at HY318191 by left bank of Corrigall burn. S side of Burn of Corston roughly 100m south of Nether Corston .

HOWAN MOUND 200m E of Winksetter HY342165


MARYKIRK KIRKQUOY

At HY29511774, now only slight rise in field, Possibly a broch Christianised.


KNOWE OF BOSQUOY

Heavily quarried broch on the N side of the Loch of Bosquoy, explored in 1862.


HANDEST

'Broch' in Knarston township. A settlement of circular buildings excavated 1929 HY30232074. On an exposed wallface is/was a 2'6" by 8-9" thick block with five cup marks.



KNOWES OF INGACOUP MITTENS RANTAN

In one a cist was found in 1877. HY296282


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BIRSAY

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
Stanerandy Stones HY26742761 Curcum/Kirkholm site HY28412845 is Abune-the-Hill Chapel
Makerhouse Knowe HY29352114 North Bigging Broch HY30802000 Makerhouse is a burnt mound
Brenda Knowe(s) HY26612381&76 Forsakelda Knowe HY28302314 Brenda knowes are burnt mounds
Knowe of Smirrus HY29142156 Wassam (Sandwick) HY28881538


KNOWE OF TAFT GREEN(A)Y BROCH

Now gone. 15-20" square cists. Lintelled passage 0.97x0.84 and at least 10m long. HY28362226


KNOWE OF SAVEROUGH SAEVAR HOWE

cists


KNOWE OF FORSAKELDA/FURSAKELDY

meaning 'waterfall-well'. Now a scatter of burnt stones & earth on a natural mound.


SMIRRUS/SMIRRANS/SMIRRENS/SMIRONS

A barrow at the head of the north end of the Loch of Harray.


WASSAM/WUSUM BURRIAN (SANDWICK) see under Sandwick


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FIRTH

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
The Hillock HY361142 Loch of Wasdale HY34321473
Burness Broch HY38821557 Redland Broch/Steeringlo HY37801715 site
Burrien Hill poss. Redland Broch/Steeringlo HY37801715 site
Redland Chapel HY37151713 Settiscarth Chapel HY3719 is Kirk o'Cott

REDLAND KEEK REDLAND NORTH

Further details for Redland standing stone : HY3824 on W side of Vinshall Hill near Keek smallholding in the meadow of Quoys, 1 nautical mile from Broch of Gurness and about 400 yards from the public road to NE of Schoolhouse. Aligned ENE/WSW like Quoys of the Hill and Staney Hill. Was complete till the end of the 19th century, but now remains only - the stump is 16" high 3' wide x6" thick, and the broken off section nearby 4'8"x 2'7"-3'10" x6". 2nd stump a few feet away. Also in the 1946 RCAHMS volume for Orkney a Redland chambered cairn was listed, and now this and the standing stone have become one item , the Redland North Chambered Cairn. An 1882 map showed the site of a 'Pictish House' fractionally to the west of the standing stone - possibly this was Quoys Chambered Cairn.
HY37182000 BLUBBERSDALE mound & cists (gone)
HY3724 REDLAND 1981 Slab about 0.5m by 0.25m by 18cm bearing 4 concentric rings
HY37822507 QUOYS chambered cairn
HY38002484 REDLAND SOUTH chambered cairn
HY38012502 REDLAND NORTH chambered cairn
HY389248 'ARWICK' cist w/o contents reported by teacher to RCAHMS 1973


BROCH OF REDLAND STEERINGLO/STIRLINGLO

Now only a grassy mound at the E side of the Finstown-Redland road HY37801715


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EVIE

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
Howana Gruna HY3366 2631 W of Broch of Burgar HY34802782 is Burgar Chambered Cairn aka Brough
Broch of Gurness HY382268 Redland Standing Stone HY3824


KNOWE OF MIDGARTH

In the Proceedings a grassy mound on the shore at Woodwick with ' sailor's graves ' bringing to mind the Brough of Bigging and the Covenanters Graves. Now there are two sites - a cairn at HY39872360 and a settlement HY39872361 that is also labelled a souterrain variant !

Birsay-Evie boundary ran through Crismo farmhouse, perhaps 'marked' by the Chrismo Mound at HY315289 either side of the road.


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HOLM

MASS HOWE

this is another name for the fairly large enclosure marked on a map as the site of St. Nicholas Church HY49090181, about 0.5km E of Graemeshall and close to the shore. In 1929 there were no church remains and the present Holm parish church is the only Holm church (doesn't rule out a chapel of course). Not thought to be a broch now.
semi-amorphous mass on rectangular structure on hillock. Also a Mass Gate.
BUT also in St. Mary's parish a 6d land called Masseter that was Marsetter from sometime after 1595 till at least 1627 but before that was Morsetter with the first element meaning moor. From which Mass Howe and Mass Gate are most likely to have been Moss names originally ( religious mass becomes mess as in Messigate).


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ST.OLA

HOLLAND

mounds and enclosures between Holland Farm and the north shore of Inganess Bay. Two 0.5m high mounds 4.8 and 5.1m across, about 100m to the NE a 7.5m diameter 1.1m high mound mainly earth. To SW and SE two enclosures, one 10m diameter and the other 12m, each being enclosed with somewhat hollowed stony banks having spread of 2.3m and no sign of entrance gaps.

CROMWELL'S FORT THE MOUNT


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ORPHIR

HILLOCK OF BREAKNA/BRECKNA

cist-like structure only foundation for a pole HY35330508


HALL OF CLESTRA(I)N

standing stone brought up from beach HY29350739, now 300m SSW of Hall of Clestran against fieldwall HY29360729. 3.4m high by 0.3-0.5m wide and av. 0.2m thick, with small packing.


LOCH OF KIRBISTER

On the holm the walls of a circular building with an entrance were traced in 1870, said walls being close to the shore HY37170814


SOWER CAIRN HILLOCK OF HOO(R)SE-HA

Castle, Sower. Roughly 24m E-W by about 19m and 2m high, more likely a rectengular cairn than a broch HY29400620. A pity as there are no brochs from Swanbister house all the way around to Cumminess (unless there had been one in the vicinity of the Hall of Ireland - The Cairns are several stony hillocks by the shore HY29050987).


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ST.ANDREWS & DEERNESS

STEMBISTER/STEMBUSTER

HY54130239 N/S aligned standing stone was at the very edge of a steep bank above the beach a few yards E of the farm.


BROUGH

about half-a-mile ENE of Tankerness Hall a 30m diameter mound with circular bank, broken through at SE & SW. Dug out to ground level - no broch-type pottery or outbuildings. A promontory fort HY54501005 near slab structures Covenanters Graves HY54461005


THE HOWIE HOWAN GREENIE

above Roan Bay and immediately S of Roanabay Castle rock-stack HY58850550


HOWIES OF BOSSACK FIVE HILLOCKS

five clay mounds removed from beside a quarry near Upper Bossack, at approx. HY50460844

BROUGH OF DEERNESS BAIRNES OF BRUGHE

the supposed church vallum on the landward side of the chapel began as an Iron Age defensive structure HY595087


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SANDWICK

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
Holy Kirk HY24952163 Loch of Isbister Broch HY25722334
Sandwick Kirk HY23451987 centre of enclosure HY237217 Sandwick is St. Peter's Kirk
Burrian (Wasbister) Lyking Chapel site HY27071505
Kirkness Chapel site HY28001878 Marykirk (Russland) HY29511774



HOLY/HALEY KIRK HILL OF CRUADY

Chambered cairn and secondary structure HY24952163. 150m to the west higher up the top of the hill was the standing stone.

HILL OF CRUADAY

standing stone at HY24792162 now gone, was 4-5m E of slight mound at summit. Comprised 0.75m stub that with broken portion alongside would have been 1.5x0.5x0.2m


VESTRAFIOLD ENCLOSURE

On the soth slope of Vestrafiold all that is now visible is the ovoid 300x250 yards that in 1851 was believed to have been a camp or assembly HY237217. It enclosed stones on edge, some of which were 2'x4'.


LYKING

formerly standing stones at HY264154 NE of group of mounds at Linga Fiold. Set about 16m apart E/W, one 0.55x0.6x0.3m upright the other at least 1.1m high by 0.6x0.2m fallen. No trace or knowledge of


HACKLAND

a) 150m SSE large mound HY27881933 considerably cut up for farm buildings, so likeliest source for singleton at Hackland itself
b) 300m NE 1.5m high mound 31m diameter cut through by road but probably part of a natural ridge HY27921961
c) cist found about 50m SE in 1873


KNOWE OF ANGEROW/ANGCROW
Turf-covered barrow HY23521720 with slab at NW side possibly remains of the cist , Another probable barrow, mutilated, at HY23471715


CASTLE OF SN(O)US(E)GAR

remains visible 1795 and could have been made out at end of 19th century HY23611960


ROSSEL HOWE

its stones heaped up in pile at site then made into a large wall at the SE end of which may be two stones from the chamber HY24842016


WASSAM/WUSUM BURRIAN (WASBISTER)

Used to be in Hourston township, 50m from shore near by Cru of Howabeck, till stones removed.


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SOUTH RONALDSAY

STEWS

Low saw 2 stumps (now gone) making a triangle with this ND46568900. To the E a rectangular patch is a mediaeval church and is the location of a Pictish settlement too.


BROUGH OF ONTOFT

disturbed mound about 15m diameter on top of a hill about 1/4 mile SW of Smiddybanks HY44229359


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STENNESS

NAUTICAL MILE APART :
Kethesgeo Stone site HY30351136 Maes Howe HY31821277


FRESH KNOWE

in 1851 book only Orcadian long barrow known to author



in 1851 book Stenness and Vestra Fiold both had 4 barrows contiguously in a straight line



hill on which Bookan sits is Black Hill of Warbuster


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SITE ALIGNMENTS


30 DEGREES E OF N

Knowe of Bosquoy HY30931864 Quoys of the Hill HY31832031 is Nether Corston

Marykirk (Grimeston) HY31091426 Staney Hill Stone HY31951567


42 DEGREES E OF N

Marykirk (Russland) HY29511774 Quoys of the Hill HY31832031 is Nether Corston

Barnhouse Stone HY31271217 Maes Howe HY31821277


50 DEGREES E OF N

Burrian (Russland) HY29641835 Quoys of the Hill HY31832031 is Nether Corston

Staney Hill Stone HY31951567 Appiehouse Stone HY32621620


NORTH , SOUTH

Cummina Howe HY28241039 Knowe of Onston HY28291172 Ring of Bookan HY28341450

Kethesgeo Stone HY30351136 HY30551263 Watch Stone

Stones of Stenness HY30671252 HY31091426 Marykirk (Grimeston)

Barnhouse Stone HY31271217 HY31361790 Harray Churchyard

Howen Brough HY31801914 HY31832031 Quoys of the Hill is Nether Corston
Nettletar HY32321741 " " " " " "
Burrian (Corrigall) HY32351937 " " " " " "



77 DEGREES W OF N

Ring of Brodgar centre HY29451335 Maes Howe HY31821277

Burrian (Russland) HY29641835 Harray Churchyard HY31361790


60 DEGREES W OF N

Ring of Brodgar centre HY29451335 Watch Stone HY30551263 Barnhouse Stone HY31271217

ce
wideford Posted by wideford
22nd September 2004ce
Edited 22nd February 2005ce


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