Carefully Selected Scottish Holiday Homes in Beautiful Locations
East Mainland
Southeast from Kirkwall, the narrow spur of the East Mainland juts out into the North Sea and is joined, thanks to the remarkable Churchill Barriers, to several smaller islands, the largest of which are Burray and South Ronaldsay. As with the West Mainland, the land here is relatively densely populated and heavily farmed. However, there is one sight you should pay a quick visit to, the recently excavated Iron Age mound of Mine Howe (June-Aug daily 11am-5pm; May Wed & Sun 11am-3pm; Sept Wed & Sun 11am-2pm; £2), just off the A960 beyond the airport. Originally Mine Howe would have been a large mound surrounded by a deep ditch, but only a small section has been excavated. At the top of the mound a series of steps leads steeply down to a half-landing, and then plunges down even deeper to a small chamber some twenty feet below the surface. Visitors don a hard hat and grab a torch, before heading underground. The whole layout is unique and has left archeologists totally baffled, though, naturally, numerous theories as to its purpose abound, from execution by ritual drowning to a temple to the god of the underground.
On the south coast, just before you hit the Churchill Barriers, stands ST MARY'S, an old fishing village whose livelihood was destroyed by the building of the causeways. Just east of St Mary's, you'll find the Norwood Antiques (June-Sept Tues-Thurs & Sun 2-5pm & 6-8pm; also by arrangement tel 01856/781217; £3), a display of antiques collected by local stonemason Norrie Wood from the age of 13. Only about half of the collection is on display, but it's a fascinating and eccentric selection of bits and pieces from around the world, including pottery, painting, medals, furniture, cutlery, clocks, even a narwhal's tusk, all housed in a grand Orkney home.
back