Unst, Sandwick

HP60SW 25 617 026.

Indeterminate traces of buildings have been exposed by storms around the Bay of Sandwick. Many objects, including sherds resembling broch pottery, whetstones and whorls, combs and pins of bone have been picked up.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1930

Mr P Moar of Lerwick, reports that remains of masonry were exposed by the storms of Jan 1937 at three points on the shore of Sandwick. One site at the extreme north end of the bay, the second being 80 yds and the third 250 yds S of it. At the northernmost site quantities of burned broken stones were observed and some fragments of steatite urns were picked up. At the central site are five perforated 'tether-stones', and here also were found two bone combs of Viking type one of which is now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS). The southern most site too yielded burned stones and steatite fragments as well as another Viking comb. All structural remains were very scanty.

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1937

In the area centred HP 617 026, a fragment of the back plate of a Viking bone comb (ARC 65495), and a Viking bone comb (ARC 65494) were found, respectively in 1960 and 1953, by A T Cluness, Rosspark, Uyeasound. Shetland Museum accessions register.

The three sites referred to by Moar are at HP 6179 0272, where midden material is still visible, HP 6171 0268, a stony knoll, and at HP6171 0253 another stony knoll where midden material is also visible. A T Cluness is now deceased.

Surveyed at 6" scale.

There are vague traces of early occupation mainly the remains of field walls, bordering the margins of the bay, but these are too indeterminate for classification (see HP60SW 9.26).

Visited by OS (AA) 7 May 1969

HP 617 025. During June-July and September-October Shetland Amenity Trust excavated a heavily eroded Norse farmstead at the sandy beach of Sandwick on the E side of Unst. A trial excavation had been carried out on the site in 1980 by Bigelow, McGovern and Butler and a date to the Late Norse period had been suggested (Bigelow, McGovern and Butler 1980).

During the excavation in 1995 fragments of stone-built house structures were examined at respectively the southern and the northern part of the site. At the southern end the very fragmentary remains indicate 3-4 phases, while at the northern end a more well-preserved structue was excavated. This structure was origionally part of a larger complex which has been eroded by the sea a long time ago. It was possible to establish the exact layout of one room measuring approximately 8m by 2.5m. This room and a well-paved pathway, leading through the complex, was totally excavated.

The artefact assemblage from the site is dominated by stone items, especially steatite and schist. They include a huge number of vessel sherds, sinkers, gaming boards, spindle whorls, baking plates and whetstones. Other objects found include bone-combs, bone-pins and a bronze stick pin of Hiberno-Norse type. The conditions for preservation of bone were excellent and environmental sampling was carried out. The bone assemblage appears to be dominated by fish bone.

The artefacts indicate a date within the 11th-13th centuries AD.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Shetland Amenity Trust.

S S Hansen 1995.