Orkney Smr Note

Date 2001

Event ID 619957

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Orkney Smr Note

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/619957

'...George Graham, the last Bishop of Orkney, to build a

house here, where he resided some part of the year. This house is

yet standing. The episcopal arms, and the date (1633), are cut in

free stone above the door'. [R1]

A newel staircase leads from the first floor to the upper

stories and is so placed to give easy access to the three

apartments into which the upper floor would naturally be divided.

The doorway is in the form of a slightly projecting porch

with mouldings round it, surmounted with a panel containing the

arms and crest of the Bishop. On the apex was originally carved

the date 1633 now reduced to the last three figures. [R2]

It stands fairly entire to the height of two stories, the

wallhead, where this is left, bearing the remains of a moulded

eaves-course, and it may be presumed that there was an attic in

the roof, although the traces of the newel-stair leading to it,

which seems to have been visible fifty years ago, have now

disappeared. The main block lies E and W and measures 22.5ft by

41.5ft externally. The wing projects 22.5ft N in alignment with

the E gable and is 23.75ft broad. The masonry is of rubble,clay

built and harl-pointed, with dressings of freestone. [R3]

As RCAMS. Modern farm steadings have been built to the W side

of N wing. OS visit September 1964.

Scheduled with chapel and burial-ground (HY 2246 0929), for which see HY20NW 6.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 1 December 2000.

In July 2001 a runestone was found in the rubble of one of the adjacent ruined croft buildings. The stone is now in the Orkney Museum. Photograph in SMR.

Information from Orkney SMR July 2--1