New additions to the shop and Christmas last order dates

Our online shop is vital to raise funds for the Ness of Brodgar, so we’ve been busy putting together a new range of items that we hope will tempt you to do some at least some of your Christmas shopping with us.

If you do, you can be assured that you’re helping the Ness project.

We’ve got a limited number of signed copies of Mark Edmond’s book Conversations with Magic Stones – a fine exploration of Orcadian stone tool collectors as well as a new set of five Ness of Brodgar wildlife cards featuring photographs from site director Nick Card.

Regular readers will recall the fingerprints found on pottery sherds and Robin Palmer’s beautiful thumbprint tealight holders tie in nicely with those discoveries.

[The tealight holders have proved so popular that our initial stock has sold out. Because they are handmade, by a single Orkney potter, it will be at least a few weeks before we can restock. Watch this space for updates.]

Flying off the virtual shelves, when they were launched on Friday, were the ebony spatulae carved by Orkney woodturner Michael Sinclair, based on the stone spatulate tools found on site. Although they’ve now sold out, we hope to have more around the middle of the week, so check back then.

We’ve had the hat and mitts, so now its time for the Brodgar cowl – a new knitting pattern for you crafty types.

As well as a downloadable pattern, you can also buy kits, complete with wool from Orkney Tweed, to make whatever permutation of hat, mitts and cowl you choose.

Perfect for whiling away the winter hours…

As well as seven pieces of original artwork from Jeanne Rose, we have three new cards and two new prints from Samantha Gray – inspired by the excavations and incorporating spoil from the site in their fabric.

They’re your chance to actually own a little bit of Ness! 

And last, but not least, we’ve added five new artefacts to Sponsor a Find and hope you can support us in our care and investigation of these remarkable (and unique) items.

Our last order dates, so that we have plenty time to pack and post your Christmas purchase out to you, are as follows:

• Australia and New Zealand: Thursday, November 30, 2023.
• Europe: Monday, December 4, 2023.
• US and Canada:  Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
• UK: Tuesday, December 12, 2023. 

We continue to be very grateful for all your support and hope you get pleasure from whatever you buy from us, safe in the knowledge that every purchase helps the Ness of Brodgar project continue.