Field Visit

Date June 1981

Event ID 619306

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/619306

Late Norse or High Mediaeval settlement rapidly eroding from

shoreline. Massively heavy walls of quarried stones, mostly dry

laid but one massive section has lime mortar. Near here is an

opening running about 0.8m back into section, with wall-face one

side and rubble the other - may be a doorway but could equally

well be due to walls of different buildling-periods having moved

apart through subsidence. Extending W, the heavy slab-formed

floors have drains (the OS 'passages') running out under them,

very suggestive of byres. - This settlement is clearly a high-

status one and must be associated with Cross Kirk. It is

presumably the original nucleus of the estate of Tuquoy.

Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) Jun 81.