Orkney Smr Note

Event ID 619417

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Orkney Smr Note

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/619417

Gentlemen's Hole - A cave near the top of a broken cliff on

the E coast of Rapness . . . Here several Orkney Jacobites lay

concealed for several months in 1745, and while in the cave they

depended for food upon a single person's stealthy visits to the

retreat. [R1]

This cave was the main refuge in 1746 of four Jacobites

lairds - William Balfour of Trenaby; Archibald Stewart of Brough;

John Traill of Westness and John Traill of Elsness. [R2]

The tradition regarding this event are strong and were

recorded in 1778 by George Low. There are references to it in

the Balfour papers of the early 1800's. [R3]

Information from Orkney SMR [n.d.]