“Situated on a gentle declivity, under the brow of Wideford Hill, it looks towards the North Isles.” Rev George Barry. The History of the Orkney Islands. (1805) By Sigurd Towrie The Quanterness passage grave is...
“In the Bay of Firth, Wideford and Cuween were set into the side of the hills that frame the area. In fact, they look across the bay at each other, their combined gaze taking in...
“Set some way upslope, they also looked down on land where settlements had been established for some time. Held at a respectful distance, the spirits of each place kept an eye on the living. They...
‘Expedient architecture’ and the Neolithic long cairns of Orkney Part one available here By Sigurd Towrie Point of Cott, Westray, Orkney Under threat of destruction, due to coastal erosion, the long cairn at the Point...
‘Expedient architecture’ and the Neolithic long cairns of Orkney Part One By Sigurd Towrie Visitors to the Ness of Brodgar dig will probably have heard “surface over substance” used to describe the construction of some...
“A slightly different form of expansion may be present at Howe, Stromness, Mainland, where two buildings initially interpreted as a stalled tomb and mortuary house, due to the presence of hearths, can be confidently re-interpreted...
By Sigurd Towrie At some point in the Neolithic a small, multi-chambered structure was built on high ground at the north-western end of the Ness of Brodgar. Today the Bookan chambered cairn is a dilapidated...
By Sigurd Towrie (Part One here) Based on shared architectural elements, Maeshowe has given its name to a specific class of chambered cairn. Characterised by side cells branching off from a central chamber accessed by...
“But the most remarkable tumulus in Orkney is situated to the north-east of the Ring of Stenness and is called M’eshoo or Meashowe (sic).” Lieutenant F. W. L. Thomas. Account of some of the Celtic...
By Sigurd Towrie In the late 19th century, a grassy mound on a headland jutting into the Stenness loch attracted the attention of one of the many antiquarians with their sights on Orkney’s suspected ancient...
By Sigurd Towrie Most visitors to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site will be familiar with Maeshowe. Few, however, will know that what appears to be an equally large chambered cairn stands by...
In 2012, Jim Richardson visited the Ness to capture images for a planned National Geographic feature article. The resultant images were truly awe-inspiring and today, thanks to Jim’s generosity, we’re able to share a selection...
Do we have evidence of ritualised violence at Cuween? A video lecture from Dr Rebecca Crozier, well-known in Orkney for her work at the Quanterness Chambered Cairn, released as part of the University of...
The presence of two styles of Neolithic chambered cairn in Orkney has led to years of debate on their dates, use and development. Here, Sigurd looks at current thinking on Orkney’s cairns, particularly in light...
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