Scheduled Monument

Brough of Deerness, chapel and settlementSM4654

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
21/03/1929
Last Date Amended
29/10/2003
Type
Ecclesiastical: chapel, Prehistoric domestic and defensive: settlement (if not assigned to any more specific type), Secular: settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships
Local Authority
Orkney Islands
Parish
St Andrews And Deerness
NGR
HY 59563 08748
Coordinates
359563, 1008748

Description

The monument consists of the Brough of Deerness, and its immediate approaches and includes the boat noust near the south-eastern corner of Large Burra Geo, the spine of ground running from the mainland towards the Brough and the stack immediately to the south of the Brough. Included in the scheduling are the chapel and foundations of other buildings on the Brough and all else within and including the wall or bank which encircles the top of the Brough.

The area to be schedule is irregular in shape and is bounded except at its western and southern extremity by the Spring Mean High Water Mark; its southern edge runs due west from the southernmost point of Spring Mean High Water Mark in Little Burra Geo for 50m; its western side runs due north from this point to meet the Spring Mean High Water Mark in the south-eastern part of Large Burra Geo, all as depicted in red on the attached map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because of its very considerable potential to inform an understanding of the early church and of Viking and Norse settlement and economy in northern Scotland.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the monument as HY50NE 14.

References:

Anderson J 1881, SCOTLAND IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TIMES: THE RHIND LECTURES IN ARCHAEOLOGY, 1879, 1st ser, Edinburgh, 101-4.

Barry G 1805, HISTORY OF THE ORKNEY ISLANDS, Edinburgh, 25, 439-40

Bateson J D 1990, 'Roman and medieval coins found in Scotland, to 1987', PROC SOC ANTIQ SCOT 119, 1989, 171.

Dryden H 1874, RUINED CHURCHES IN ORKNEY AND SHETLAND, 1867-74, (re-published collection of Orcadian newspaper articles).

Lamb R G 1974 'Coastal settlements of the north', Scott Archaeol Forum 5, 93-5.

Lamb R G 1980, IRON AGE PROMONTORY FORTS IN THE NORTHERN ISLES, Brit Archaeol Rep Brit Ser 79, Oxford, 68, 79.

Low G 1879, A TOUR THROUGH THE ISLANDS OF ORKNEY AND SCHETLAND IN 1774, in Anderson J ed., Kirkwall, 55-6.

MacGibbon D and Ross T 1896-7, THE ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND FROM THE EARLIEST CHRISTIAN TIMES TO THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, 3v, Edinburgh, Vol. 1, 101-5.

Macfarlane W 1906-8, GEOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS RELATING TO SCOTLAND, in Mitchell Sir A and Clark J T eds., 3v, Edinburgh, Vol. 3, 318.

Morris C D 1975, 'Brough of Deerness', DISCOVERY EXCAV SCOT, 34.

Morris C 1976, 'Brough of Birsay (NGR HY239285) excavations and survey 1974: interim report', NORTHERN STUD 7.8, 33.

Morris C D 1976, 'Brough of Deerness' DISCOVERY EXCAV SCOT, 44-5.

Morris C D 1977, 'Mainland/Birsay; Brough of Deerness; Birsay; Brough of Birsay', DISCOVERY EXCAV SCOT, 26.

Morris C D 1977, 'The Brough of Deerness, Orkney: a new survey', ARCHAEOL ATLANTICA Vol. 2, 65-74.

Morris C D 1978, 'Excavations at Birsay, Orkney', UNIV DURHAM ARCHAEOL REP Vol. 1, 26-8.

Morris C 1985, 'Viking Orkney: a survey', in C Renfrew ed. 1985, THE PREHISTORY OF ORKNEY, Edinburgh, 237.

Morris C D and Emery N 1987, 'The chapel and enclosure on the Brough of Deerness, Orkney: survey and excavations, 1975-1977', PROC SOC ANTIQ SCOT 116, Fiche 2: A1-4: G7, 301-74.

Morris C 1991, 'The Viking and Early Settlement Archaeological Research Project', CURR ARCHAEOL 11.7, 299-300.

RCAHMS 1946, TWELFTH REPORT WITH AN INVENTORY OF THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS OF ORKNEY AND SHETLAND, 3v, Edinburgh, HMSO, 240-1, No. 621.

RCAHMS 1987, THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND MONUMENTS OF SHAPINSAY, ST ANDREWS AND DEERNESS, ORKNEY ISLANDS AREA, The archaeological sites and monuments of Scotland series No. 27, 31, No. 153, Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Radford C A R 1962, 'Art and architecture; Celtic and Norse'. In Wainwright F T ed. 1962, THE NORTHERN ISLES, Edinburgh and London, 167.

Ritchie, A 1996, ORKNEY, in A Ritchie ed., Exploring Scotland's Heritage series, 16, 97, 116.

Ritchie J N G and Ritchie A 1981, SCOTLAND: ARCHAEOLOGY AND EARLY HISTORY, Ancient peoples and places series 99, London, 157.

Tudor J R 1883, THE ORKNEYS AND SHETLAND: THEIR PAST AND PRESENT STATE, London, 278-9.

Wallace J 1700, AN ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS OF ORKNEY, London, 69.

Webster L E and Cherry J 1976, 'Medieval Britain in 1975', MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOL 20, 175-6.

Webster L E and Cherry J 1977, 'Medieval Britain in 1976', MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOL 21, 218.

Webster L E and Cherry J 1978 'Medieval Britain in 1977', MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOL 22, 155.

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.

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Printed: 02/08/2025 07:13