This and the Breta Ness promontory are highly reminiscent of the Loch of Wasdale in Firth where an island and promontory were seen as a kirk and its burial ground.
The remains of the Crannog are easily seen from the B9064 as a grass covered island
Canmore states:
'This large island site was examined; it supports a large walled enclosure of unknown date, which is divided into two by a cross wall. The larger of the two enclosures is completely overgrown by salmon berry undergrowth and cannot be accessed. The smaller enclosure is less overgrown but still had a significant amount of undergrowth when examined.
The water around the island was snorkelled. The edge of the island had a largely artificial appearance due to the stones from which it is formed. Mostly they are the common slabs from the area, and there was no evidence of them having been systematically laid underwater. However, around the edge of the island, just above the water, there are places where walling could be recognised and it is likely that many of the slabs in the water have fallen from this possible revetment. It was difficult to distinguish in most places where the stones met the loch bed silts as there was a substantial cover of weeds growing on the loch bottom.
The one area where stones could be seen in situ was the remains of a substantial causeway leading to the shore on the W side of the loch. This is very similar in appearance to the causeway noted in the Loch of Stenness and is made up of large stone slabs. It stops just before it reaches the present shore. The loch has a dam on the E side leading to the nearby sea, and the loch level is higher now than in the past. Aerial photographs, not available until after the present underwater survey had been carried out, show a number of features in the shallow water along the shore where the causeway joins it. Although this area was crossed by the team during the survey, there was no obvious evidence of the features and they may now be buried under loch bed silts'
N Dixon and B Forbes 2004
NMRS record no HY33SE 13 - the 1880 Namebook confusingly names this as the loch chapel site as well as Bretta Ness, with finds of deer remains and coins and reference to possible earlier building. In 1912 "The Orcadian" tells us that this island was still connected to the west shoreline by the remains of a bridge (then a foot underwater) with a fault half-way. Later underwater features were observed where it met the shore but these are apparently buried now. A 1972 report tells us that the stepping stones start midway along the north-west side of a ?modern wall on the island and continued visibly in that direction for some thirty metres. This wall running around the island is sub-divided into two unequal enclosures, but salmonberry hides any internal remains there might be. There may be traces of sections of an earlier wall a metre or two outside this, and just above the waterline walling has been noted.
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