Field Visit
Date 17 July 1930
Event ID 1125242
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1125242
Fort, Ness of Burgi. This interesting monument, which was excavated on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1935 (Mowbray 1936), is situated on a small headland projecting S.E. into the West Voe of Sumburgh from the rocky peninsula in which the Scatness promontory terminates. The site is admirably adapted for defence, as the peninsula is cliff-bound and accessible only by a narrow path traversing a natural arch of rock. The headland consists of a small grass-covered plateau joined to the rest of the peninsula by a somewhat constricted neck, across which stretches a rampart (Fig. 505) of earth and stones 21 ft. in average breadth by about 7 ft. 6 in. in average height, and apparently revetted on its inner side with ·a roughly built wall about 3 ft. high. Some less definite traces of revetment are visible on the other side also. The rampart is bordered by a ditch on both its outer and inner sides and end by two boulders and lined on both sides with stones for about 8 ft. inwards. From the bottom of the inner ditch the natural rock rises steeply to the level of the plateau about 12 ft. above, and here, a few feet back from the edge of the ditch, stands the building which forms the most interesting part of the remains.
This building is, in essence, a more or less rectangular block of dry-stone masonry, containing three cells and pierced by a passage. The original length cannot be stated, as part of the S.W. end has disappeared; the present mean length, however, is about 74 ft., while the breadth varies from 21 ft. to 18 ft. 6 in. The passage, which is still covered by three of its original massive lintels, is 4 ft. high and varies considerably in width, being 3 ft. wide at the entrance (Fig. 506), contracting after 6 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft. 4 in. outside two door-checks, widening inside them to 4 ft., and again narrowing to 3 ft. 6 in. at the inner end. Behind the door-checks are two bar-holes, each of which runs through the wall into one of the immediately adjacent cells.
The N.E. cell (Fig. 507) is entered by a side passage 6 ft. 6 in. long, 2 ft . wide, and 2 ft. 10 in. high, which opens out at the centre of the main passage and still carries four lintels. This cell is 18 ft. long by 6 ft. 4 in. broad at its broadest part; the walls stand about 6 ft. high and converge slightly as they rise, in a manner which suggests that the roof was formed in the usual "beehive" fashion and was completed with lintels. Several slabs that may have served as lintels were found lying on the floor. The S.W. cell is entered by another tunnel-like passage 4 ft. 4 in. long, 2 ft. to 2 ft.4 in. wide, and 2 ft. 6 in. high, the doorway in this case being in the inner wall of the building 6 ft. S.W. of the inner end of the main entrance passage. Three lintels are still in situ, but above these the walls rise for a further 18 in. as if to like aperture that is commonly found in brochs. The cell, which is of irregular shape, measures 17 ft. in greatest length and 10 ft. 6 in. in greatest breadth; the walls stand up to 5 ft.in height. S. W. of this cell, again, are the remains of a third cell, now very much dilapidated; it appears to have measured about 7 ft. by 5 ft. 6 in. and may possibly have communicated with or formed part of a cell or passage lying still farther to the S.W .
No remains of a stairway were noted, and the quantity of fallen stone was not so great as to suggest that an upper storey had ever existed. Nor, with the possible exception of a single stone sunk vertically into the ground at the N.E. corner of the building, was there any trace of an extension of the building towards the edge of the cliff on this side, although some such extension would seem to have been necessary to fulfil the defensive intention that is implicit in the plan of the work.
Hearths, indicating two periods of occupation, were found in the S.W. cell, and some fragments of pottery, of Iron Age date, were recovered. It is also to be presumed that two carved stone discs, reported in 1883 to have been found in ‘the remains of a Broch . . .on the rocky point of Scatness’ (Smith 1883, 297), actually came from this fort.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 17 July 1930.
OS 6" map, Shetland, 2nd ed., (1903).
