Knowe Of Redland
Broch (Iron Age), Hammerstone(S) (Iron Age), Slag (Iron Age)
Site Name Knowe Of Redland
Classification Broch (Iron Age), Hammerstone(S) (Iron Age), Slag (Iron Age)
Alternative Name(s) Arion
Canmore ID 1721
Site Number HY21SE 32
NGR HY 2659 1385
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1721
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Stromness
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY21SE 32 2659 1385.
(HY 2659 1385) Knowe of Redland (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed., (1903).
Excavations in 1866 revealed 'a circular wall built of large square stones, and of great thickness and strength, and about 50 ft. in diameter. The wall was found to have an entrance, from the east, about 2 1/2 ft. square and on a level with the ordinary surface.' Near the centre of the circle there was found a stone staircase leading downwards, spirally, to a depth of 20 ft. terminating in an apparently rock cut well which contained pure water. 'A great quantity of ashes and bones of animals were found in the interior of the circle.It is supposed to be the remains of a Brough or Picts House.'
This is the broch at Arion listed in Arch Scot Vol 5, which the Commmission could not locate (No.939) they described the Knowe of Redland (RCAHMS 1946, No. 942) as apparently natural.
Name Book 1880; J Anderson 1890; RCAHMS 1946.
The Knowe of Redland, situated in a pasture field is a vague grass-covered mound, 1.0m high so spread by cultivation as to be featureless. Mr. J. Aitken found a stone club here together with many large stones and cockle shells, and an oval holed stone, probably a hammer stone, which has since been lost.(Information from Mr J Aitken, Redland, Stromness Parish, Orkney.)
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 15 September 1964.
The stone club recorded above was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in October 1963 by Miss M Aitken of Redlands.
Formally acknowledged by National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1963, Acesssion no. 132.
(Undated) information in NMRS.
Publication Account (2002)
HY21 8 KNOWE OF REDLAND ('Arion', ‘Broch of Arion’)
HY 26591385
Site of probable broch in Stromness, excavated by Farrer and Petrie in 1866 [1]. There is nothing left to see now [3, 1].
A circular wall was found “built of large square stones and of great thickness and strength, and about 50 ft. (15.25 m) in diameter.” An entrance was found on the E. Near the centre of the court was found a rock-cut well, containing water and entered by a spiral stone stair which descended 20 ft. (6.1 m). Many ashes and bones were found in the building.
Stone finds include a pecked ‘handle hammer’, an oval holed stone and a possible macehead.
Sources: 1. OS card HY 21 SE 32: 2. Anderson 1890, 94: 3. RCAHMS 1946, 2, nos. 939 and 942, 327: 4. Hedges et al. 1987, 93-4).
E W MacKie 2002
