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Knowe Of Buckquoy
Structure (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Knowe Of Buckquoy
Classification Structure (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 1799
Site Number HY22NW 11
NGR HY 2448 2820
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1799
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Birsay And Harray
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY22NW 11 2448 2820.
(Area: HY 245 282) The Knowe of Buckquoy is an oval grass-covered mound, 73 ft by 50 ft by 3 ft high, which appears to have been a domestic structure. It lies at the south end of a stone-walled field at the Point of Buckquoy.
In the centre of the mound is a heap of large flat stones of various sizes, and a partial excavation by Fraser has revealed two lines of masonry in the NW portion. The one on the west shows four courses of a straight wall-face about 7 ft long and 1 ft 6 ins high running in a NW-SE direction. The other, which lies 6 ft 6 ins to the east, consists of a single course, below ground-level, in the form of an arc with a chord of 13 ft 2 ins, evidently representing the inner face of a circular chamber.
The excavation revealed a large amount of peat-ash and partly burned animal bones, resting on what seemed to be a roughly paved surface. No implements or pottery were found.
RCAHMS 1946.
The Knowe of Buckquoy, at HY 2448 2820, is as described by the Commission. There is a quantity of stone protruding through the top but there are no signs of walling.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS(RL) 25 May 1967.
This mound is clearly a long cairn, probably stalled, as at Unstan (Knowe of Onston - HY21SE 5). It lies east and west, and a corbelled wall protrudes at the west end.
Information taken from Orkney Survey of 1960 (Wainwright-Ms notes which are in the possession of RCAHMS).
This is not a long cairn. It is a turf-covered mound 22.0m NE-SW by 16.0 NW-SE and 1.2m high. A fragment of drystone walling protrudes through the top, possibly indicating a domestic structure.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (AA) 24 May 1973.
This mound measures c. 23m E-W by 13m and is set on a platform c. 30m E-W by 22m. It is not a long cairn, as suggested by Wainwright. The walling that protrudes was presumably exposed by James Fraser's excavations in the 1930s, noted by RCAHMS (supra).
C D Morris 1989.
Orkney Smr Note
Oval, grass-covered mound, 73' by 50' by 3' high. In centre of mound is a heap of large , flat stones,and a partial excavation by Fraser has revealed two lines of masonry in NW portion. One on W shows 4 courses of a straight wall-face about 7ft long by 1ft 6in high running in a NW-SE direction. Other, which lies 6ft 6in to E consists of a course, below ground level, in the form of an arc with a chord of 13ft 2in, evidently inner face of circular chamber.
Excavation revealed a large amount of peat-ash and partly buried animal bones, restng on what seemed to be roughly paved surface. No implements or pottery. Remains suggest domestic structure. [R1] [R2]
Excavation carried out in 1970-1 over a period of 10 weeks. The long low mound had suffered considerable damage from coastal erosion. The continued threat of destruction prompted D of E to sponsor a rescue excavation of the mound. The mound was known as Sinclair's Brae, but it is proposed to call the archaeological site BUCKQUOY after the promontory on which it stands. Before excavation the mound survived to a length of 20m and to a maximum hieght of approximately 0.5m.
Full detailed description within PSAS.
This mound clearly a long cairn, probably stated as at Unstan (Knowe of Onston - HY21SE5) lies E-W and corbelled wall protrudes at W end. See sk plan illustrated card - no scale.
Orkney Survey 1960. (Wainwright MS notes plans in possesion of DoE).
Information from Orkney SMR [n.d.]
