Yell, Birrier Of West Sandwick
Monastic Settlement (Early Medieval)
Site Name Yell, Birrier Of West Sandwick
Classification Monastic Settlement (Early Medieval)
Canmore ID 1262
Site Number HU49SW 1
NGR HU 4385 9135
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1262
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Yell
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
Field Visit (28 July 1970)
(HU 4385 9135) Ancient Ruins (TI)
OS 6" map, Shetland, 2nd ed., (1900)
'The ruins of a number of Picts Houses'
(Name Book 1878)
Birrier, a cliff-girt promontory in a very exposed situation on the W. coast of Yell, encloses a roughly oval area some 95m NE-SW by 55m transversely which slopes quite steeply from a maximum height of about 40m on the landward side to about 16m towards the sea. It is joined to the mainland by a narrow ridge with a rocky boss halfway along rendering access difficult, but it may have been easier when first occupied. The promontory is sealed off by a substantial drystone wall facing landwards, now much reduced and turf-covered. Within the enclosed area are the footings of 14 buildings of which 7 form a compact central group. They are rectangular on plan with slightly bowed sides and rounded corners, and measure from 3-6m in length and from 2.5-3.0m in width internally, with faced walling 1.3m thick. Although clearly of some antiquity, no indications of their date or purpose were found. However, the site bears a strong resemblance in all respects to Brough of Deerness, Orkney, an early Celtic monastic settlement (HY50NE 14), and also to Kame of Isbister, immediately opposite on the W. coast of Yell Sound (HU39SE 4).
Surveyed at 1/10000; enlargement at 1/1250
Visited by OS (AC) 28 July 1970
Note (16 February 2001)
Nine unroofed buildings, one of which has four compartments, are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Orkney and Shetland (Shetland) 1881, sheet xv). Eight unroofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 16 February 2001
Note (3 March 2016 - 18 May 2016)
This dramatic promontory enclosure, which is inaccessible to casual visitors, is situated on the W coast of Yell some way N of West Sandwick. Generally considered to be an early medieval monastic site (Lamb 1973; 1976), the presence of a grass-grown wall extending along the crest of the promontory overlooking the razor-backed neck linking it to the mainland on the NE is sufficient to include it amongst other promontory fortifications in the Northern Isles. From the wall on the crest, at some 40m OD, the surface of the promontory slopes steeply down towards the sea, before dropping over a cliff about 15m high at the SW end. The interior, which measures about 95m from NE to SW by up to 50m transversely (0.42ha) is thus screened from the neighbouring cliffs on the NE by the crest of the promontory. The footings of at least thirteen sub-rectangular buildings are disposed across the slope within the interior, six of them in two contiguous row that meet at right-angles to form an L-shape on plan. Though no entrance is visible, the narrow neck on the NE provides the only practical access.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC4189
