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Sanday, Buryan
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Sanday, Buryan
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Point Of Buryan
Canmore ID 3593
Site Number HY74SE 2
NGR HY 77258 43401
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/3593
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Lady
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY74SE 2 7724 4340.
(HY 7724 4340) Pict's House (NR)
(Site of) (NAT)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 1st ed., (1879).
The fragmentary remains of a broch, 50' to 60' overall. Most of it has been eroded by the sea, but a section of the foundation still survives on the north side. The walls have been 13' thick and at one place the curve of the inner face still remains to a height of about 3'.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 1928.
The remains of a broch surmounted by a sea-marker cairn as described by the RCAHMS.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 12 July 1970.
Orkney Smr Note (July 1970)
Fragmentry remains of broch, most of it eroded by sea but
enough survives on N side to confirm identification. Walls 13ft
thick, at one place curve of inner face remains 3ft high, overall
broch diameter was 50-60ft. [R1], cf OR 280.
Remains of broch, surmounted by sea-mark cairn, as described
RCAMS. OS visit Jul 70.
Field Visit (August 1979)
As described, definately a broch, both wall faces visible in
parts, about 30 degrees of total arc survives. Wall is about
1.5m high (inner face) under the marker carin, but may be partly
rebuilt here to support cairn. Sea erosion will eventually
destroy this site, but in the short term it is protected by
rugged rocky outcrops and a storm-beach of large stones.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) Aug 79.
Note (1980)
Buryan, Sanday HY 7724 4340 HY74SE 2
Substantial remains of a broch, half of which has been destroyed by the sea.
RCAHMS 1980
(RCAHMS 1946, ii, p. 166, No. 437; OR 279)
Field Visit (1999)
On coast edge.
Part of a broch survives on the coast edge at the Point of Buryan; the remainder has been eroded away by the sea. Antiquarian investigations carried out in 1880 were briefly reported by Cursiter; at this time the structure had already been damaged by erosion and it was then estimated that up to 50% had been removed. The broch is estimated to have measured between 15m and 18m in diameter, with walls up to 3.96m thick. Remains are now visible in a coastal exposure some 80m in length and up to 1m in height. The upper part of the coastal section is covered by overhanging turf, while the base is obscured by a storm beach. The visible archaeology comprises both structural stone and substantial anthropogenic deposits. The inland extent of the remains was not inspected. A modern marker cairn has been built at the head of the banks, above the broch remains.
Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, 1999
Refs.: RCAHMS (1946) #437; Cursiter, J W (1923) 'The Orkney Brochs' PSAS, 57 (1922-23); RCAHMS (1980) #60; Hedges, J W (1987) 'Bu, Gurness and the Brochs of Orkney' part 3 #42.
Publication Account (2002)
HY74 4 POINT OF BURYAN ('Burrian, Lopness', 'Buryan')
HY/77244340
Probable broch in Lady parish on Sanday, standing on a promontory and close to the rocky shore. It was apparently explored in 1880 by J W Cursiter and Mr Barnett but even then most of the building had been washed away by the sea [4]. Some foundations remain on the north side which suggest that the overall diameter was 15.3 - 18.3 m (50-60 ft.) and that the wall was 3.97 m (13 ft.) thick; the curved inner face of the dry stone wall remains to a height of 91 cm (3 ft.) at one point.
Sources: 1. OS card HY 74 SE 2: 2. RCAHMS 1946, 2, 166, no. 437. 3. Hedges et al. 1987, 118: 4. Cursiter 1923, 52: Lamb 1980, 15.
E W MacKie 2002
