View of drying kiln and fuel store from NE. Digital image of C 78290 CN

Description View of drying kiln and fuel store from NE. Digital image of C 78290 CN

Date 8/8/1996

Collection Scottish Farm Buildings Survey

Catalogue Number SC 738816

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of C 78290 CN

Scope and Content Drying kiln and fuel store from north-east, Start Point Lighthouse Farm, Sanday, Orkney Islands Start Point Lighthouse on the island of Sanday is the most easterly lighthouse on the Orkney Islands. Sanday is low-lying and almost treeless with only a few low hills to shelter it from the wind. Difficult to distinguish in poor visibility, the island posed a hazard for sailors. This shows the drying kiln and fuel store forming part of the lighthouse-keeper's croft or small farm, which is no longer in use. Grain needed to be dried in a kiln if it was too moist to be stored or if it had failed to ripen during Orkney's short summer season. Fuel had to be made and stored for the long winter months. The islands of Sanday and North Ronaldsay both lacked peat and wood for use as fuel. The best available fuel was dried cow dung which was baked, sometimes mixed with straw and seaweed. Such fuel was known as 'coo's scones' and was used for cooking despite its rather unpleasant smell. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/738816

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap