Tag Archives: Viking settlement

Brough of Birsay, Orkney, Scotland

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Mainland Orkney from Birsay

While we were on Orkney on holiday recently we decided to revisit the island of Birsay as the last time we were there we had just stepped foot on it when the heavens opened and we were blasted with horizontal torrential rain – with not one bit of cover, so we just stood there and got soaked to the skin. It took three days for our clothes to dry out! The photo above is of mainland Orkney from Birsay, as you can see the landscape is unusual with no trees to be seen.

When I took the photo below I made sure that I was at least six feet from the edge of the cliff, thinking to myself that if I did trip I wouldn’t be likely to skid more than that, but the day after we left Orkney it was on the news that some poor soul did fall off one of the cliffs, no doubt as he was trying to get a good photo! He died of course as the cliffs in Orkney are among the highest in the UK – if not the highest.

Sea, cliffs on Birsay, Orkney, Scotland

The reason why we went to what is correctly called the Brough of Birsay was to see the Pictish, Norse and medieval remains there. It’s really just the outlines of the buildings that you can see but it’s all very picturesque with the drifts of Thrift flowers in bloom.

Brough of Birsay, Viking remains

It was incredibly busy this time. Birsay is a tidal island so you have to wait until the water has drained away before you can cross over on a causeway – by foot of course. At least the first time we went there we had the entire island to ourselves.

Viking remains , Brough of Birsay, Orkney, Scotland

Viking remains, Brough of Birsay, Orkney, Scotland

We walked up to the lighthouse which is where I took the photo of the cliffs and from there you can get a good view of the cliffs at Marwick Head – in the photo below.

Marwick Head from Birsay

I’m glad we managed to see the place in sunshine this time.

Brough of Birsay, Orkney

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In June 2017 we had a week’s holiday in the Orkney Islands, a strange and amazing place full of archaeology. I did blog about quite a lot of the places that we visited, then life got in the way – and books and more travelling and such – so some blogposts fell by the wayside. So if you’re interested in seeing the Brough of Birsay have a look at Jack’s recent blogposts about the Brough of Birsay here and here.

Most of what can be seen nowadays at the Brough of Birsay dates from the Viking settlement of the place between 800 and 1200, but before they invaded the Picts built a settlement in the 600s and 700s.

To reach Birsay you have to wait for the tide to go out and then you can walk over on a narrow causeway, it’s just a short walk of a few minutes and when we set off the weather was fine. But as soon as we set foot on Birsay we were blasted by a storm of howling winds and horizontal rain which drove into us like spearheads. In seconds we were drenched and it took two days for my anorak to dry out! Jack posted about the causeway here.

I’ve recently finished reading Dorothy Dunnett’s book King Hereafter which features Thorfinn as the main character, and I was really chuffed to think that I had visited what is thought to be his home in Orkney.

Thorfinn