Category: Further Afield

Monday, April 29, 2024

The Dwarfie Stane – talking Trolld, echoes and cliffside caves

The second in our of a two-part look at the Dwarfie Stane in Hoy. As well as finally meeting our dwarf, it considers the acoustics of the area and surveys of the Dwarfie Hamars. Read more

3D Model / Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

The Dwarfie Stane – ‘one of the wonders of the Orkney Islands’

The first of a two-part article looking at the Dwarfie Stane in Hoy - said to be Britain’s only example of a rock-cut prehistoric tomb. Read more

Further Afield / Settlements

Monday, April 15, 2024

Donated Skara Brae excavation documents bound for Orkney archives

A collection of documents relating to the excavation of Skara Brae in the late 1920s is bound for the Orkney Library and Archives. Read more

Further Afield / Settlements

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Toftsness Neolithic settlement, Sanday

Toftsness was the second Sanday settlement investigation in the 1980s - revealing a domestic and funerary landscape spanning millennia. Read more

Map courtesy of National Library Scotland

Further Afield / Settlements

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Pool Neolithic settlement, Sanday

In the 1980s, two Neolithic settlements were excavated in the island of Sanday. Today we briefly look at Pool on the island’s south-western coast. Read more

Further Afield / Links / Settlements

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Link: Skara Brae’s updated statement of significance published

Historic Environment Scotland's updated statement of significance for Skara Brae is available to download. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Monday, February 5, 2024

Taversoe Tuick – the subterranean outer chamber

The final part of our Taversoe Tuick series, this time looking at the subterranean outer chamber. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Monday, January 29, 2024

Taversoe Tuick – its double-decker design and Bronze Age remodelling

In the fourth post, we ponder why the structure incorporated two chambers and look at Bronze Age modifications to the Taversoe Tuick. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Taversoe Tuick – the lower chamber

In the third part of our series, we return to the Taversoe Tuick's lower chamber and its 1937 re-excavation. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Friday, January 19, 2024

Taversoe Tuick – the upper chamber

The second in a series of articles looking at the Neolithic Taversoe Tuick chambered cairn in Rousay. Read more

3D Model / Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Friday, January 12, 2024

The discovery of the Taversoe Tuick – a ‘most remarkable’ Neolithic cairn

The first in a series of articles looking at the two-storey Taversoe Tuick chambered cairn in Rousay. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Friday, December 15, 2023

Midhowe stalled cairn, Rousay

We begin casting our archaeological net even further afield this week, looking at the Midhowe stalled cairn in Rousay. Read more

Further Afield

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

On the lower slopes of Vestrafiold, south-west of the megalithic quarry are the remains of a large, possible prehistoric, enclosure. Covering an area of around seven acres (2.8 hectares), the oval feature was defined by a “wall” of upright flagstones running around its perimeter. Little is known about the site, which, in terms of construction, “is completely unlike any other enclosure in Orkney”. Read more

The Vestrafiold enclosure on the 1882 25-inch OS map. (Courtesy of National Library of Scotland)

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Monday, May 1, 2023

Vestrafiold – the fake horned cairn

Lying 50 metres east of the megalith quarry on Vestrafiold is an oval mound that was suggested to be the remains of a very poorly preserved stalled cairn. Excavation, however, revealed otherwise. Read more

Further Afield / Ring of Brodgar / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Vestrafiold – the megalithic quarry

From at least the early 19th century, Vestrafiold was considered to be a source of the megaliths found in the Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar. Why? Although several quarries were traditionally said to have produced standing stones, Vestrafiold had the proof in situ - quarried, but abandoned, megaliths scattered across the hillside. Read more

Map courtesy of National Library of Scotland.

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Monday, April 17, 2023

Halykirk – dolmen or stalled cairn?

As regular readers will have noted, 19th century antiquarians were very keen to find evidence of dolmens in Orkney. Haleykirk/Helyakirk/Halykirk/Holykirk lies about a quarter of a mile to the south-east of the megalithic quarries on Vestrafiold, on the hill of Cruaday. Read more