Westray, Gentlemen's Ha'
Cave (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Westray, Gentlemen's Ha'
Classification Cave (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 3227
Site Number HY54SW 10
NGR HY 51675 41927
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/3227
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Westray
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
Note (1983)
Gentlmen's Ha' HY 5165 4191 HY54SW
A cave about half-way up the cliff on the E side of Rapness, and accessible by descending a precipitous grass slope, was used as a place of refuge by four North Isles Jacobite lairds for several months during 1746.
RCAHMS 1983.
(Low 1915 (account 1778), 142-3; Name Book, Orkney, No. 26, 277; Fereday 1980, 115-21; OR 918).
Desk Based Assessment (1998)
A cave that lies half way up the cliff face on the eastern side of Rapness is said to have been used as a refuge by Jacobite lairds from the North Isles in 1746 (see also WT171 HY34NE 2). The site is accessible in good weather but was not visited on this occasion due to windy conditions.
Moore and Wilson, 1998
Coastal Zone Assessment Survey
Orkney Smr Note
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.]
