Scheduled Monument

Brough of Birsay, settlements, church and related remainsSM90034

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
12/03/1929
Last Date Amended
03/03/1999
Type
Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church; claustral remains; enclosure, Secular: settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships
Local Authority
Orkney Islands
Parish
Birsay And Harray
NGR
HY 23922 28496
Coordinates
323922, 1028496

Description

The monument comprises the area of late Iron Age to medieval settlements and ecclesiastical remains in the care of the Secretary of State and a contiguous area to the NW and west, structures on the Little Brough, and an area containing a wall running between the latter and the area in the care of the Secretary of State. Parts of the area are already scheduled, but this proposal consolidates and extends the protected area to include all of the known remains.

The monument includes remains of late Iron Age (or Pictish) settlements, Norse settlements and a church and monastic buildings. It also includes, outwith the area in the care of the Secretary of State, works associated with the springs above and to the west of the settlements, and a small structure (of which two slabs are visible) which lies about 40m NW of the fence bounding the area in the care of the Secretary of State and between 6.5 and 9m to the NE of a line running from the centre of the site interpretation centre through the westmost corner of the area in the care of the Secretary of State. It also includes the buildings and other remains on the Little Brough and a wall running along the cliff edge from the area in the care of the Secretary of State to the Little Brough.

The area to be scheduled is irregular in shape. Its most northerly point is the strainer post of the fence at the northernmost point of the area in the care of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The area has maximum dimensions of 540m between its NE-most point and its SW-most point by 170m WNW-ESE. The central part of the W side runs parallel to the fence marking the western side of the area in the care of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The strip along the SE side of the Brough of Birsay is up to 26m wide along the cliff edge to the Little Brough and includes all of the Little Brough. The E and S sides of the area, plus the N side of the Little Brough, are defined by the high water mark of ordinary spring tides as shown on the Ordnance Survey map, excluding only the area of shingle stretching towards the tidal causeway. The area to be scheduled is marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

References

Bibliography

No Bibliography entries for this designation

Historic Environment Scotland Properties

Brough of Birsay

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/rthuns

Find out more

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

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Printed: 19/04/2024 08:07