Back in the Pickaquoy camp site in Kirkwall. I discovered that the campsite does have laundry and washing up facilities, tucked away behind the Lounge so I spent Friday 27th doing chores including a big wash and the rain held off long enough to dry everything.
J & H’s eldest daughter Shona and here 7 month baby Lexie had joined them. We went to the tidal island of Birsay which is north of Marwick Head, accessible on foot at low tide. Weather not brilliant – stormy. On Birsay there are significant Norse remains, a monastery as well as a village. There are sophisticated drainage systems.
There is a village called Twatt but all the road signs seem to have disappeared. Have they been stolen? Have they been removed to save embarassment? However I did find a bench for your entertainment. Then we went to the village of Harray where there is a potter and he claims he is the real Harray Potter. I bought a pot which I now used for my morning coffee.
We moved on to Maes Howe. This is a Neolithic chambered tomb and ditch (“finest in Europe”), 2900BC and inside there is Norse runic writing (“largest known collection”). You can only go in in guided groups and you are not allowed to take photographs.
The entrance is a long (about 6 or 7m) low (crouch to get in) passage of about 6m beneath enormous flagstones. It is aligned with the winter solstice sunset which is between two of the hills on Hoy.
Maes Howe entrance is aligned with sunset on 21 December which strikes the stone at the back of the central chamber of the tomb . They put in a webcam so you can see it.
Each of the 3 chambers off the central chamber are of identical size, the central chamber is about 4m high and the roof is built of overlapping flagstones supported in each corner by huge slabs of stone. The original centre of the roof is missing. The runes are Norse graffiti – not dated but some of them refer to a crusade to Jerusalem.
From the top of Maes Howe you can see the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. I had thought that there was a relationship between the tomb and the two henges
Stones of Stenness (4 large stones) from Maes Howe (Ring of Brodgar is to the left and a bit further away and photo not worth pasting in)
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