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Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture; mainly grass land used to rear beef cattle. A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ...
The Mainland, Orkney shown within The Orkney Islands The Mainland is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. ...
The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ...
Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I 843 Area - Total 78...
Ancient Monuments
Two important ancient monuments are maintained by Historic Scotland in the parish, and bring many visitors to the area in summer. These are the settlement on the small tidal island of Brough of Birsay and the ruins of the Earl's Palace on the Mainland opposite, at the northern end of the village. Historic Scotland is the Scottish agency looking after historic monuments. ...
The Brough of Birsay is a small (210,000 m²) tidal island off the north west coast of The Mainland of Orkney, in the parish of Birsay. ...
Brough of Birsay The island is uninhabited, and is approached at low tide by a causeway. At its east end are extensive remains of an excavated Norse settlement and church. Archaeological investigation has shown that these overly an earlier Pictish settlement. The twelfth century church is small, but architecturally sophisticated, and the remains of adjoining buildings round three sides of an open court suggest that it may once have been a small monastery (though there is no documentation for such a foundation). The Norse settlement has been partly removed by coastal erosion, and the cliffs are reinforced by concrete 'rocks' to prevent further damage. There is a small site museum. The Pictish Strathpeffer eagle stone, Highland, Scotland. ...
The Pictish settlement is attested by a small well and an important collection of artefacts (now in Tankerness House Museum, Kirkwall and in the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh). Notable among these are a group of moulds for fine metalworking, showing that brooches and other ornaments were being manufactured on the site in the eighth century. The enclosure round the Norse church overlies a Pictish graveyard, and an important Pictish carved stone was found in pieces in this enclosure during site clearance (also on display in Edinburgh: replica on site). This early eighth century slab shows a striking procession of three Picts dressed in long robes and bearing spears, swords and square shields. Above the figures are parts of four Pictish symbols (the warrior motif was adapted as the logo of John Donald Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh). Two simple cross-incised slabs, likely grave-markers, were also found in the graveyard, and are probably Pictish or early medieval in date (displayed on site). The finds of Viking date are also very rich, forming one of the best collections of such material in the British Isles. Location within the British Isles Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland. ...
The Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a museum dedicated to the history, people and culture of Scotland. ...
Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is Scotlands capital, and its second-largest city. ...
(7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ...
Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is Scotlands capital, and its second-largest city. ...
Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is Scotlands capital, and its second-largest city. ...
The term Viking denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into British and Irish Isles. ...
[Birsay Church:[1],[2],[3]]
Earl's Palace The late sixteenth century Palace was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533-93). Though extensively ruined, it can be seen to have consisted of four ranges round an open courtyard, with small towers at the corners, an unusual form of building in Scotland at this date, and unprecedented in the north of the country. The date 1574 was formerly carved above the main (south-facing) entrance. The building has been uninhabited since the late seventeenth century. It was originally adjoined by walled garden enclosures, an archery range and a bowling green. This building, along with the Earl's Palace in Kirkwall, and Scalloway Castle on Shetland (all Historic Scotland), were the main residences of the Stewart Earls of Orkney in the Northern Isles. There are different people named Robert Stewart: Robert II King of Scots Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, Social Care 2 At Cardonald College Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Sir Robert Stewart (composer) Robert John Stewart author and occultist Robert L. Stewart (astronaut...
Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I 843 Area - Total 78...
Events April 14 - Battle of Mookerheyde. ...
Location within the British Isles Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland. ...
Scalloway Castle is a picturesque, dramatic castle at the seaside town of Scalloway in the Shetland Islands. ...
See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings. ...
Historic Scotland is the Scottish agency looking after historic monuments. ...
Near the palace is the church of the parish of Birsay and Harray (Church of Scotland; open in summer). Architectural fragments in the walls, and archaeological investigation of the foundations, suggest that this was the site of the first cathedral of Orkney in the eleventh-twelfth centuries, known as Christchurch, founded by Earl Thorfinn the Mighty (d. c1065) after his return from a pilgrimage to Rome. The seat of the diocese was transferred to St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall in the later twelfth century, though the Bishops of Orkney continued to have a residence in Birsay (known by the Latin name Mons Bellus) into late medieval times. The Church of Scotland (CofS, known informally as The Kirk) is the national church of Scotland. ...
The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ...
A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance. ...
City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) coordinates: 41°54′N 12°29′E Time Zone: UTC+1 Administration Subdivisions 19 municipi Province Rome Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni ( The Union ) Characteristics Area 1,285 km² Population 2,547,677 (2005 estimate) Density 1983...
St. ...
Location within the British Isles Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland. ...
The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ...
Latin is an ancient Indo-European language. ...
[Palace Ruins:[4],[5],[6]]
The nearby bridge may also be medieval in origin.
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