North Ronaldsay, Dennis Head, Old Lighthouse, Remains Of Keepers' Houses, East House

HY 7901 5539 The work undertaken 5 May–15 July 2008 was split into three phases. The first phase consisted of a watching brief and small trial excavation during the erection of scaffolding around the Old Beacon. The second phase took the form of the excavation of debris from within the two lighthouse keeper’s cottages to the W of the Old Beacon. Photographic recording and baseline standing building recording of the structures began and continued during the third phase, when a watching brief and recording were carried out during the removal of a substantial amount of guano from inside the Old Beacon.

During the initial works guano was removed down to a rough surface level in the passage between the beacon tower and the nearest cottage. This area has yet to be fully excavated but the surface encountered suggests secondary use of the passage after the beacon had been decommissioned. A small test trench showed an earlier, presumed original, floor level constructed from large sandstone slabs, below the later surface, layers of demolition debris and guano. It was noted that the door into the beacon had at some stage been blocked up and later re-opened

Excavation during the second phase removed debris from inside the two cottages down to floor level. The original sandstone slab floors had been robbed out. The westernmost of the two cottages was clearly a later addition to the original lighthouse keeper’s cottage to the E, and although it appears to have been intended, at least in part, for human occupation the area of cobbled floor suggests use as a byre.

The hazardous nature of the guano made protective clothing necessary and excavation inside the tower was very difficult. The layered nature of the guano suggested it had been partially cleared several times, perhaps for use as fertiliser. Little of archaeological significance was encountered during this clearance apart from shattered sandstone, which was assumed to be the remnants of the internal stairs. After the guano had been removed it was possible to examine and record the floor level of the beacon interior and it could be seen that the stone stairs had been removed.

Archive: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: The North Ronaldsay Trust

Andrew Hollinrake (ORCA), 2008