Gotta Love Those Cairns!!

 

Up this morning about 6 to a relatively clear day.  We had a tentative plan to go to the Island of Rousay today, but unfortunately, we hadn’t made any reservations on the ferry.  (It’s a half-hour ride, and of course these days it’s always advised to book.). When we got there, no space for us!  So, change of plans – today we would see those sites on the Mainland we haven’t yet seen, and we would plan the Rousay trip for Thursday.  On then, to our first site for the day, the Unstan Chambered Cairn.

 

The entrance road was, quite literally, a farmer’s driveway, and the visitor’s parking lot was immediately in front of their garage. The mound of the Cairn itself was probably 50 feet from their back door – we were wondering what it must be like to have a truly Neolithic period tomb right on your doorstep!  As the parking area had room for all of three cars, and we were #3, we figured there wasn’t going to be much of a crowd – and we were definitely right!  Car #1 pulled out just a minute or two after we got there, and car #2 folks were exiting the Cairn as we got there.  There were some Covid instructions posted, such as instructions that only one family group were to enter at a time.  As to that – truthfully, I don’t think more than 2 or 3 people would even FIT into this particular cairn at a time!  So, in we went!  Poor Robert – the entrance tunnel was SO low that he ended up on hands and knees!  Fortunately, knees wash easier than jeans, and of course, regardless of the weather he was wearing shorts.  I was able to low crawl in and out – and then we were inside and standing up!  The Cairn was missing its original roof, but the one in place now had sky lights built in, and there was plenty of light, once one scrambled (or crawled, depending) in to see the different chambers of the rectilinear tomb.  The inclusion of a side cell, in addition to interior stalls, is apparently unusual, and the communities who built the tombs were working to their own specific designs and needs.  The side cell originally contained two bodies, buried in a crouched position, a procedure not usually practiced in the Neolithic.  It seems Unstan was in use after burial traditions had changed.

 

First cairn in the background

Runic inscription

Not a very large entranceway

From Unstan, we proceeded next to Barnhouse Village.  This, oddly enough, is located very close to the Stones of Stenness, which we originally visited in the rain over the weekend.  In fact, the parking area is the same for both.  This time, though, not only did we have the Stones to ourselves for a bit, we also had the Village to ourselves!  This Neolithic village, occupied between 3200 BC and about 2900 BC coincides with the early centuries of occupation at Skara Brae, but there are important differences.  There is no evidence of linking passageways, and while each house contains a central hearth, stone beds and dressers, there are no cells of the kind found at Skara Brae.  Barnhouse may have been more than just an ordinary village; certainly, those who lived here, so close to the huge standing Stones of Stenness and those constituting the even bigger Ring of Brodgar, would have been very familiar with the uses of the great monuments nearby!

 

Stones of Stenness without people and rain!

Barnhouse Village

From Barnhouse Village, our next target was Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn.  This one, however, unlike Unstan, which was on a nice, level plot of ground, was, of course, on top of a hill; Robert’s favorite!  We parked down below, and started up what felt definitely like a Sierra skree slope!  Lots of rocks!  This Cairn contained the remains of at least eight people, together with many animal bones, including 24 dog skulls on the floor of the central chamber.  These particular skulls were deposited at least 500 years after the tomb’s construction and have been interpreted as a totemic deposit.  The views were very impressive over the Bay of Firth, and the chamber was cut into the bedrock and the side cells open from each of the four drystone walls.  The entrance passage is VERY low and narrow, but the central chamber and side cells are higher.  Each cell is raised slightly above ground level, and the openings are small, but it is possible to stand upright within them.  Poor R was forced to crawl on hands and knees again to get inside.  I was able to scramble in a low yoga downward dog – but it was tough!  Fortunately, our magical camera seems to be able to take photos in the dark; the stone work is amazing! Again, we had the Cairn to ourselves, but honestly – definitely room for two, and that’s definitely it!

View looking down toward the car and the firth

R crossing the stile

Inside Cuween

Robert of the Dirty Knees!

 

From Cuween, we figured we’d had enough for one day, and headed back to the cottage for a rest.  I was able to squeeze in a load of laundry before we went out this morning, and then when we got back this afternoon.  We also needed to find a place for dinner.  We tried the Lynnfield Hotel, which unfortunately was booked for tonight – so we booked in there for dinner tomorrow night.  Still trying to figure out what to do for dinner tonight, we decided to go into town to Judith Glue, a lovely shop with restaurant that is open until 6 pm and comes highly recommended.  We figured that if we had a late lunch/early dinner, we’d be set for the evening!  So, back into town we went!

 

As it turned out, we had (at least when we first arrived!) the restaurant to ourselves!  In fact, I wasn’t even sure at first if they were even open, but fortunately, they were!  We both ordered their soup of the day – lovely bowls of steaming hot butternut squash soup.  I ordered their quiche of the day – broccoli, leek and Orkney cheddar with salad, and R had their ham and Orkney cheddar grilled sandwich – which, you’ll see from the photo, was HUGE!  Everything was wonderful, and definitely, as my Dad used to say: “Filled the hole!”  Don’t think we’ll be looking for anything further to eat tonight, that’s for sure!  Unfortunately, while we were there, I took the opportunity to take a look around the shop … the result of which is that I found a wonderful hand-painted Puffin trivet … which I’m hoping to mail home, and R says we’ll carry home with us … we’ll see!  So, now in for the night!  The temperature tonight is supposed to get down to 38 degrees tonight!!!  BRRRRRR…. And quite a rainstorm is supposed to move in tomorrow…so we’ll see what the day brings!

Butternut squash soup

R's Orkney cheese and ham grilled sandwich

My quiche with salad

 

Lots of love,

m

xxx

 

PS – We did make reservations to Rousay for Thursday – only hoping that the weather is decent!  Seems that things move through here fairly quickly; here’s hoping!

m

xxx