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Westside

Outer Westness Survey


A Post Medieval Survey of Outer Westness, Rousay

by

Rousay Archaeological Rescue Group


Brough and Skaill farms, St Mary’s Kirk & The Wirk
1980

Orkney has a wealth of Archaeological remains dating from c. 3,500 BC. These are mostly well known, published sites covering the period up to and including the Vikings. Post Medieval sites are however crumbling away whilst attention is turned toward sites which are earlier, but no more important. A very great deal is known about the early sites, due to the concentration of manpower and resources in relatively recent times; the same cannot be said of sites dating from only 500 years ago.

It is not the object of the Rousay Archaeological Rescue Group to preserve the sites discussed in this report, but to record and gain as much data as possible, so that a complete picture is recorded for the future.

The survey took a long time, (about 5 years) and during this period many of the buildings changed their outline, due to wind, rain, storm-waves and sheep. The drawings each show the earliest form presented to RARG members during this survey.

BROUGH and SKAILL Farms.

l. Historical Background.
2. Past Owners and Tenants.
3: Survey of Buildings.
4. Discussion.
5. References.
6. Acknowledgements.

1. Historical Background.

From circa 1000 until 1415 AD the land of Outer Westness was in Earldom hands, and exactly how it came into private possession is not known. We may draw our conclusions from the fact that the first private owner married the daughter of the last Earl – however the land was not owned by the Earl, but put in his trust. The actual owner in this case was the King of Norway.

Information from AD 1415 is less vague, and a total record of owners has been traced. The list of tenants is less complete.

The early part of these times was troublesome, and in some cases violent. Sails on the horizon would more than likely result in the inhabitants of Outer Westness taking to their defensive tower, or Fortalice. One record exists of an early owner selling Brough Farm with the Fortalice, as if to add value to his property. Inhabitants of Brough fought in the battles of Flodden and Summerdale and all survived.

Later, peace came to the area, and prosperity too, for many of the owners held important positions in the County.

Lastly, during the times of the Lairds, poverty again returned and eventually the entire area was cleared for the grazing of sheep. Fortunately, most of the tenants were resettled in crofts and farms in neighbouring districts, but one or two families left Orkney. None of the families discussed in the report left Rousay.

2. Past Owners and Tenants.

Outer Westness held by the Earls of Orkney;

Norse Earls 1000 – 1231
Angus Earls 1231 – 1312
Earl Magnus V 1312 – 1320
Earl Malise 1320 – 1350
Earl Erngisl Suneson 1353 – 1379
Earls of St Clair 1379 – 1471

The Earls of St Clair;

Earl Henry St Clair I 1379 – 1400
Earl Henry II 1400 – 1418
Earl William 1418 – 1471

The Exchange of Crowns. – Earl William having no male heir, and being of extreme age, decided to exchange his rights for those of Ravenscraig in Fife. Norway sold Orkney to the Scottish Crown and Orkney (along with Shetland) became part of Scotland and subject to Scottish Law.

The Charter of Feu. – Proprietors who had held land under the Norwegian Earls had no security of tenancy or undisputed proof of ownership of their lands. The granting of this charter in 1471 rectified the situation.

Owners of Brough Farm;

c1380 – 1415 Brethren of the Cragys
1415 – 1424 Sir James of Cragy (m Margt St Clair)
1424 – 1455 John of Cragy
1455 – 1480 William Cragy
1480 – 1509 John Cragy m. Christin Halcro
1509 – 1546 James of Cragy (m. Mgt Stewart)

1546    David Cragy held wadset

1546 – 1556 Master Magnus Craigie
1556 – 1571 Meister Magnus Halcro
1571 – 1576 Henry Halcro
1576 – 1584 Magnus Halcro (again) dies 1584

1584    Lands confiscated and sold to:-

1584 – 1586 Earl Robert Lord Stewart
1586 – 1593 {Marjory Sandilands his mistress
1586 – 1593 {George Stewart, his son – half each

Earl Robert Stewart was an illegitimate son of James V, and a half-brother of the later King James VI and I. Therefore upon his death, the lands reverted to the Crown.

1593 – King James VI holds lands
1593 – 1615 Earl Patrick Stewart disputes ownership
1593 – In September John Sinclair given lands and sells to:-
1593 – 1675 Hugh Halcro. He built up his estate by buying more and more property, so that by his last rental, he owned about a quarter of Rousay.
1675 – 1679 Sold to James Traill
1679 – 1707 William Traill of Westness
1707 – 1733 George Traill of Westness
1733 – 1781 John Traill of Westness & Woodwick
1781 – 1792 James Traill of Westness
1792 – 1801 George Craigie of Saviskaill
1801 – 1845 William Traill of Westness & Woodwick
1845 – 1847 George William Traill of Viera
1847 – 1905 General Sir Frederick William Traill Burroughs
1905 – 1922 Trustees of the above
Brough and Skaill Farms have been included with Westness Farm since this date, and are at the present [written in1980] held by Mrs K Scarth of Breckness.
1997 – 2003 Jim Marwick
2003 –          Russell Marwick

Owners of Skaill Farm;

Skaill land owned by the Church
1558 – 1584 Magnus Halcro “obtains land”
1584 – 1653 Confiscation prevented by Bishop
1653             Land bought by Hugh Halcro

from here, as Brough Farm owners.

Tenants of Brough Farm 1564-1900
1564-1584 William Halcro of Aikers
1584-1593 George Stewart
1593-1609 Henry Halcro
1609-1626 Robert Elphingstoun
1626-1638 Roland Ingisgar
1638-1639 Empty ?
1639-1653 Robert Stewart the younger
1653-1659 Empty
1659-1675 James Traill
1675-         Roland Mowat & William Arcus
1774-1781 Magnus Harcus & Nicol Robertson
1781-1785 Magnus Harcus & William Corsie
1785-1796 William Harcus and others
1796-1809 Hugh Craigie (d. 1809)
1809-1823 Widow Craigie and son Hugh
1823-1859 Magnus Craigie (leaseholder)
1859-1861 Farm empty
1861-1881 Peter Reid
1881-1887 Widow of Peter Reid
1887-1900 Alexander Reid

The Reids were shepherds to Westness Farm, and Brough was used as a bothy until about 1900. It has been empty since.

Tenants of Skaill Farm;

1584-1586 Farm empty
1586-1593 Marjory Sandilands
1626-1651 Hugh Craigie
1651-1679 Magnus Craigie
1781-1785 James Donaldson & William Marwick    
1785-1793 Hugh and Henry Craigie
1793-1796 James Yorston & Hugh CraigieRental of Lord Dundas
1796-1801 James Yorston
1837-1858 William Corsie (leaseholder)

Empty since 1858, although since used as farm outbuildings and possibly also as a workshop. There are no records to show usage after 1858.

3. Survey of Buildings; Reference numbers () are those shown on drawings;

Brough Farm:- See drawing below

Room 1. This is a shed or outhouse of 18th Century date, built against the main building complex, and has neither doors nor windows. The access must have been through room 2, but no sign of this door exists. The roof seems to have been flagstones set on four couples. At the northern end the later field-dyke is butt-jointed to the wall at its lowest part, but the junction is partly obscured by the very sweeping fillet.

Room 2. By far the most interesting room from the Brough complex. It seems originally to have been built as an Orkney longhouse, containing the But, Ben and the Oot-by, but later (possibly during the 16th Century) it saw much alteration, including the removal of the baak wall. The site of the Oot-by then became the present room 3. The present door has survived all alteration work and is still centrally disposed, if rooms 2 and 5 are taken as the original structure. This unit would have formed the dwelling house and the byre for the milking cow and her calf. The rough cattle at this time were never brought in to byres, but roamed the hill all year. The later uses of rooms 2 and 3 were for corn drying and storage. The main area was probably for storage of Bere sheaves which had been dried in the kiln. Fuel for the kiln was stored in the alcove (35), whilst secondary access, necessary due to blockage by storage, was gained by door (3l) which seems to have been blocked at a late 18th Century date. This tends to suggest that a different system or product was adopted, perhaps kelp. Further 18th Century alterations include the wall (32) and the boxed hatches (33) and the shallow pit (34).

Most probably these boxed hatches were converted from existing windows, but remain something of a puzzle. They consist of a small window for half the thickness of the wall, whilst the outer half is enlarged but contains a box constructed of two upright slabs of  stone set parallel to one another. The joints are by no means water or even grain-tight and their use must remain a mystery. Excavation of the pit area below may show light on this matter. (Possible sheep-dip).

Room 3. The kiln is a massive structure and is dry built with tight joints that must have been almost smoke-proof. The walls at the base are 1.3 metres thick and average 450cm. at the top. The kiln access door (37) is at 1.1 metres from ground level and probably had steps but as none remain today, they may have been wooden. The internal profile of the kiln is shown dotted on the drawing. The main firebar sat in a socket (39) and traversed the fire smoke chamber to another socket (a) by the door. The stoke hole (38) is 300 mm square in section and 1.5 metres long. One stone on the west wall of the kiln has a masons mark (36) but is now very faint. The roof seems to have been turf for most, if not all of the life of the building.

Room 4. This room dates from the l7th Century and is expertly butt and lap-jointed to the kiln. The eaves height of 1.5 metres is low and can have only been used for animals. No windows are present.

Room 5. An 18th Century addition to the foregoing, and butt-jointed to it. It is of similar size, but with the addition of a small window.

Room 6. The complex comprising rooms 6,7,8 & 9 form the second phase dwelling house. Room 6 is rather small, and judging by the two small wall cupboards may have been a bedroom with a wooden box-bed at its northern end. Entrance was through the east wall via room 7.

Room 7. This was the living room of the 16th Century dwelling house, and at 4 by 4.5 metres is quite large. It is not clear where the original door was, although there has been one in the eastern wall, later blocked and used as a cupboard. The roof was probably turf at this stage.

Room 8. When rooms 8 & 9 were added on in the early 18th Century, they were butt-jointed to room 7. The west wall was modified to form a fireplace and another cupboard. The entrance was evidently in the south wall, although very little remains of this entire wall. The eaves height of the new house was increased by 29 cm, a difficult process of which the reasoning is not clear. The old eaves height was quite adequate for most persons, and this may suggest a new owners ideas.

Room 9. This room is slightly larger than the others, and also contained a door in the south wall. There had at one time been a door between rooms 8 & 9, but this was later blocked and re-used as a cupboard. The gables of this later part of the house are all of equal height, which tends to suggest a flagstone roof. The floors in all 4 rooms are of earth, and each is near level and in the same plane.

Saint Mary’s Kirk, Swandro.    

Perched on the edge of the low cliffs at the Geo of Skaill is the old Parish Church, known locally as Swandro Kirk. The present building, measuring 16 by 4.4 metres is roughly aligned East-West, and dates from the Reformation year of 1560. It remained the Parish Church until 1815, when the new U.P. Church was built some 4 miles to the South-East. The whole land area is slipping to the west, due to coastal erosion and to prevent the gables from collapsing, two buttresses have been built in recent times. These are not shown in the drawing. The building is a unicellular type, at one time containing a first floor gallery. It will be noticed that the entrance to the Kirk is at 1.2 M from the present ground level. This, together with the Kirkyard style, suggests the presence of sheep at an early date. This entrance together with three windows is in the South wall. There are two aumbrys present, one in the North wall, and the second in the South wall. The latter was for Holy water, the former now blocked. There is a lot of evidence that the present church stands on the footings of an earlier Church of similar size. This earlier building seems to have been a Church dating from possibly the 12th or 13th Centuries. The kirkyard contains about 100 graves, many now becoming illegible, and a survey of these is being carried out by the RARG.

The Wirk.

The building known traditionally as the Wirk stands near the shore, close to Skaill Farm. It consists of a two storey, almost square tower built over some earlier footings of indeterminate dimensions. Of this second storey, however, little remains today, but Mr J. Storer Clouston made notes and sketches a long time ago, and the whereabouts of these is unknown. The tower remains in a good state of preservation to a height of 2.25 metres, probably due to the good workmanship in its construction. The walls average over 1.5 m in thickness although each wall is of varying dimension. A drain runs obliquely through and under two walls, and this was presumably to prevent flooding. We believe that this building was the old “Fortalice” sold in 1556. This would mean that it was a defensive structure or fort; the translation of Wirk (Virki) from Old Norse is “fortified place”. Under the whole structure is a cellar or well-pit, partly excavated from living-rock; this can best be seen via the hatchway in the East wall. The building has been repaired in the l6th Century using some of the imported red sandstone blocks of a type brought to the Island by Magnus Halcro. This stone was intended to be used in the construction on the Cathedral of St. Magnus in Kirkwall, but was surplus, and Mr Halcro obtained it by some means and brought it to Rousay. At the time Mr Halcro was sub-chanter of the Cathedral and also a land-owner in Rousay. It is possible that he was the motivating force in the building of Swandro Kirk. Several pieces of this red stone can be seen in Rousay, perhaps the best known are those that are now incorporated into an archway at Trumland House. There is a low turf dyke partly surviving and clearly part of this structure, as too is the western-most extension shown in the drawing.

Skaill Farm.

Room 12, Corn Drier. This is drystone built and tied-in with the rest of the rooms, although various dates apply to various parts of the complex, An early 16th Century date is suggested for the corn drier which predates rooms 13 & 14. The sectional plan shows the drier to be almost circular, but narrower than the rest of the complex. This was probably to allow a small heated alcove (13) for fuel storage. A little to the North is the doorway which is 1.2 metres from the present floor level. There would have been a simple wooden ladder fitting into the socket (28) with possibly five steps. Continuing Northwards we come to the small stokehole (14) which is a little smaller than its counterpart at Brough Farm. Immediately above this is a mural cupboard (15) for an unknown use. As at Brough Farm the elevation of the drier is cylinrdo-conical, whilst the interior contains a similar step (17) for firebars a short distance from the floor (16). In this case the main firebar socket (12) is exactly opposite the door (27). It can be seen on the wall-head that special provision of under eaves slabs have been laid at a slight angle to the horizontal (3). This was to provide some form of guttering, and may be found on crofts of a much later date. Further water-proofing is evident from the soaker (29) present over the alcove (13). Lastly, it can be seen that this alcove has at its entrance, one rebated wall and one half-undercut wall (30), for if these features were not present the entranceway would be very narrow.

Room 13. This is the rebuilt Croft later to be used for grain storage, when the new house was built. The slab roof (2) shown in the drawing, no longer remains and was drawn from an early photograph. Originally the roof would have been turf covered. Similarly, the flat flag roof (10) no longer remains.

The early entrance to the house was at (5). There are no windows at present in this room and it is possible that there never were; The floor has some flags of a later date, and was probably originally an earth floor.

Room 14. Separating room 135 from 14 is the original baak wall (6) between the ben and the oot-by. This wall shows that door (19) was blocked at a probable 18th Century date. This action would have meant that access to the room could only be effected by climbing over the low baak wall. Included in this wall are the two yarphs (18) neither of which seem to have been altered since their original construction. These were used to heat the house using a few peats heaped either side of the hole, whilst one lit peat was pushed into the hole. The smoke swirled around the roof area and also the room before eventually leaving through a hole some way from the fire. As shown in the drawing a small window (20) with splayed ingoes has been incorporated into the south-west corner of the room. This shows wooden dukes so that a window frame must have been fitted, and thus a late date must be suggested. Facing North is the low wide door (7) as is usual with these old crofts. On the inside of this doorway is a small recess (34) for oil lighting.

Room 15. Possibly a workshop of 19th Century date, the new walls being butt-jointed to the West gable (8) and clay and dung plastered inside. The South wall contains a three level cupboard (22) and when seen in conjunction with the stone pillars (23) suggests a cobblers workshop. This may account for the plastered walls, dampness would be detrimental to the leather. The door to the workshop (11) is slightly smaller than that at (7). The roof was supported on each of the two east-west walls and on seven wooden couples each fitting into socket holes hewn into the West gable. The floor seemed to be well paved with flags, but was so overgrown at the times of our visits that little of it could be seen. Permission to excavate was not granted.

Moving to the second and larger complex at Skaill, we have a long building containing five rooms of unequal size, all with flag floors.

Room 16. This is the southernmost room, containing a hearth and a large window (40). The building seems to date from the early 18th Century, although the South wall has been rebuilt circa 1800. This gable now has an out-of-character chimney of mid l9th Century date. It seems likely that the tenants of Brough Farm made use of rooms 16 and 17. There is a door (41) leading to room 17. The gable (50) is in danger of falling due to subsidence which is probably the reason for its rebuild.

Room 17. This is a small room, again with a hearth in the gable and a window (42) in the West wall. Access was by the previously mentioned door (41) and also by the main door facing East. Leading off the room is a door (46) which – has been blocked, possibly at a similar date to window (42). when this was done room 18 fell into disuse, possibly due to roof collapse.

Room 18. There is no door from the East to this room, access was via the above mentioned door (46). There is still a hearth present, and a window (43) to the West. During the survey the gable (47) fell but had been fully recorded. The gable is thus shown as complete in the drawing.

Room 19. This is the largest room at Skaill and seems to have been used as a living room. There is evidence of a door to the East, but little is left of this wall. The west wall contains two windows (44) and (45). In the gable (51) there is a hearth and a wall cupboard (48).

Room 20. This room has no hearth, but a small window (49) to the 7 North. The upper half of this North gable has fallen, as too has most of the East wall. Enough of the East wall remains to show the position and size of the door, but little more.

South Howe Well.

This well is today overgrown and care should be taken when near. It is a simple unlined well of medium size and was used from uncertain times by the occupants of Brough Farm for domestic water supply.

Mary Well.

This well is known locally as a holy-well, and as its name implies, is connected with St. Marys Kirk. It lies about 200 metres North of the Kirk on a path leading to Brough Farm. It is also possible that the occupants of Skaill Farm used this water as their supply.

4. Discussion.

The Urisland. For at least 500 years the unit of land measurement was the urisland. For taxation purposes this unit was too large, and so we find it divided into 18 pennylands. Each pennyland could if required, be further divided into four farthing-lands. A farthing land equalled 1.322 English acres in 1850 and there is little to suggest that it equals any other figure today. The term has completely vanished now and thus we cannot be certain of its accuracy. From the Rental of Rousay in 1503, we see that Brough Farm was a six pennyland, and Skaill was a five pennyland. The remaining seven pennylands were composed of various small crofts, the exception being the Farm of Tofts, the subject of a future survey. From the various sources of reference material available we may visualise a fair picture of the times and lifestyles of Outer Westness, hard times, good and bitter times are all recorded. Few can visit the site today and fail to notice that the site is soaked in history. A few metres to the North is the Broch of Brough, a little further the Mid Howe Cairn and Broch, the latter two being magnificent examples of their type. About a kilometre South is the house of Sigurd, a vassal of Earl Paul Thorfinnson, here too is the Viking boat noust and cemetery. This small area of land then has been an important part of the Island for at least 3,000 years, our coverage of the last 600 of them, although the easiest to access, will be, we hope, both useful and enjoyable to the reader.

Categories
Westside

Ha’gate, Cott, Cliver, Gairhouse & Eastaquoy

Ha’gate was an old house-site on the Westside, way up and virtually out of sight from the public road. In the census of 1841 the house was spelt Hawgate, and in 1851 Haa-gate. Living there then was Christian Flaws, a 50-year-old widow, and her daughter Mary Louttit, who was an eleven-year-old scholar. (A woman sometimes resumed her maiden name when she became a widow. Christy Flaws is a case in point. She was the daughter of James Flaws and Helen Flett and was christened on September 16th 1798. She married William Louttit on February 18th 1836, and daughter Mary was born in 1840.)

William Mainland was the son of David Mainland and Margaret Sinclair of Tratland. Born on January 25th 1795, he married Jane Sinclair in 1822. They lived at Clook, Frotoft and raised a family of six children before moving to Eynhallow where they lived in what was called the East House, part of the old monastic building there. A malignant fever broke out on the island in 1851, and caused the death of several members of the four crofter families who lived in the thatch-roofed houses. It claimed the lives of two of William’s children, Janet and William. Their mother Jane died in 1852, and they were all laid to rest in the Westside kirkyard. Eynhallow was evacuated and the survivors moved back to Rousay.

William later married Christy Flaws and they lived together at Highgate, as it was called in the census of 1861. He was then a 65-year-old agricultural labourer and Christy was in her 61st year. William died in 1870 and he was buried beside his first wife and two children.

The census of 1871 tells the sad story of Christy Mainland, widowed for the second time in her 72 years and living alone at Hallgate, as it was then called.

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Map dated 1841, showing the location of the now vanished houses of Cot, Cliver, Gairhouse, and Eastaquoy

Cot was the name of an old cottage that stood near the public road above Skaill and Brough on the Westside. In 1851 it housed two tenants. Firstly there was 45-year-old farm labourer George Henderson, his wife Jane, who was 33, and their children Isaac, Helen, John, Robert, and George. Their ages ranged from 12 years to 12 months. The other tenant was Donald Sutherland, a 27-year-old shepherd, who lived there with Betsy Shearer, a 40-year-old house servant.

Ten years later there was just one tenant, a 22-year-old shepherd named James Oliver, born in Berwick, who lived there with his 19-year-old wife Eliza and 12-month-old daughter Elizabeth.

In 1871 Cot was occupied by unmarried sisters Marion and Betsy Logie, who were 42 and 44 years of age respectively, and they were employed as day labourers. They were the daughters of Alexander Logie and Isabel Harrold of Quoygrinnie. Betsy’s seven-year-old son, William, who was a schoolboy, lived with them and they occupied Cot for more than 20 years.

Cliver was an old cottage at the foot of the Sinian Hammers, a steep rocky hillside near the curve of the public road close to Cot on the Westside. This was the home of Peter Louttit who was born in 1778. He married 18-year-old Jean Craigie in 1808, and they had seven children; Peter and Jean were born in 1815 and 1816 at North House, James and Mary were born in 1818 and 1821 at Upper Quandale, Charles and John were born in 1824 and 1827  at  Garson, and the youngest, David, was born on June 29th 1835, at Cliver.

Gairhouse, also spelled Garhouse, Guardhouse and Guarhouse in Rousay birth records in 1827 and 1855 respectively – is a vanished house on the Westside, below Quoygrinnie. In 1841 it was occupied by twenty-five-year-old fisherman David Craigie, his wife Jean Louttit and their twelve-month-old son James.

Eastaquoy was an old farm above Skaill on the Westside, occupied in 1737 by Magnus Bichan. In 1851 the head of the household was 53-year-old farmer James Marwick. James’s parents were Hugh Marwick and Betsy Sinclair of Scockness and he was one of their ten sons or “ten devils” as their mother used to call them.

He married Jean Marwick and they had five children, all born when the family was living at Pow, Sourin. William was born on October 1st 1827, James, on November 3rd 1829, Robina, on January 9th 1832, Ann, on June 18th 1834, and another Ann on April 14th 1836. James then married Janet Craigie on August 5th 1836, and she also bore him five children when living at Eastaquoy; John was born on March 31st 1838, Eleanor Traill on August 27th 1839, Hugh on January 21st 1842, Craigie on July 16th 1845, and David who was born on July 11th 1853. During the clearances the Marwick family were evicted from the Westside and they moved to Sourin, taking the name Eastaquoy with them. Between 1856 and 1866 James was paying an annual rent of £2.

Categories
Westside

Garson

Garson was a farm on the Westside, now forming part of Westness farm. The house stood on a slope below Quoycare, and was the home of the Reid family in the 1840’s and 50’s. George Reid was born in Westray in 1755, and married Barbara Logie, daughter of Gilbert Logie and Helen Scott in Westray. George came to Rousay as a servant at Westness, and lived at nearby Pow where he and Barbara raised a family of six children between 1801 and 1819; Barbara was born in 1801, George in 1807, Peter in 1810, Jean in 1813, Elizabeth in 1815, and Mary in 1819. George and Barbara moved to Garson, and their son George stayed at Pow with his family and continued farming the surrounding land.

The view the Reid family would have had from Garson

Peter Reid, born in 1810, was a fisherman. He married Mary Louttit, daughter of Drummond Louttit and Betsy Flaws, who was born in 1807, and they had three children, Elizabeth Traill, Mary and Peter.

In 1862, daughter Mary had a son, and he was christened Alexander Learmonth Reid. He married Harriet Logie, a daughter of shepherd Robert Logie and Mary Murray, and they had two sons, Alexander, and Harry.

Harriet died of haemorrhage three hours after Harry’s birth at Brough, on 26th November 1894, her husband Alexander later moving to Melsetter on Hoy, where he was employed as a gardener. Come World War 1 Harry joined up, and served with the 3rd (Reserve) Seaforth Highlanders, and his brother Alex served in a Canadian artillery unit and survived the war. Harry was not so lucky though, for he died of measles and pneumonia on May 14th 1917 at the age of 22.

The following has been extracted from The Orcadian newspaper of May 23rd 1917:-

ROUSAY MILITARY FUNERAL:- On Thursday last the remains of Pte. Harry Reid, of the Seaforth Highlanders, the son of Mr. Alexander Reid, gardener, Melsetter, Longhope, was brought to the island by patrol boat and interred in Westside churchyard. The bearing and firing parties were of the O.R.G.A. Territorials, and they accompanied the remains from Kirkwall. There were present also a number of relations and friends from Longhope. They were met at Westness by a large number of inhabitants, who followed the cortege to the graveyard. The service, which was most impressive, was conducted by the Rev. Duncan Maclaren of Evie, who kindly officiated in the absence of the Rev. J. Deas Logie, who is now attending the assembly. The greatest sympathy is felt for Mr. Reid, father of the deceased, which was evidenced by the number of mourners who accompanied the remains to the churchyard. Mr. Reid’s other son joined the colours in Canada, and is now serving with the Canadians.

Categories
Westside

Quoygrinnie

Quoygrinnie was a cottage at the side of the road on the Westside, above the old farm of Brough. A rental of 1740 records Gilbert and James Flaws as the tenants. One hundred years later its occupant was James Smith, though it was not long before he moved to No 3. Frotoft [Brough].

By 1841, the census tells us Helen Yorston took over the tenancy. A few years later, in 1846, Alexander Logie from nearby Windbreck, lived at Quoygrinnie. He was a merchant and lived there with his second wife Barbara Murray.

Alexander was born in 1796 and his first wife was Isabel Harrold. Their first three children, James, Charles, and Betty were born when they were living at Cott, Westside, between 1819 and 1823. They had three more daughters, Betty, Maria, and Mary, when living at nearby Windbreak, between 1825 and 1831. Alexander then married Barbara Murray, and they had five children born between 1839 and 1850; Magnus, Eliza, Margaret, Alexander, and John.

By 1881, the youngest of all these children, John Logie, who was born in 1850, was the tenant of Quoygrinnie. He was a shepherd and later a cattle dealer, and in 1872 he married 33-year-old Mary Gibson, daughter of John Gibson and Barbara Craigie of Vacquoy. They had three children; Mary, born in 1873, John in 1880, and Margaret in 1877, but she died at the age of just 5.

Categories
Westside

Quoycare

Quoycare was a cottar house on the roadside above Brough on the Westside close to Quoygrinnie, and described in 1880 as being ‘12 chains NW from Quoygreena, one storey, built of stone, thatched, and in fair repair.’

William Craigie was the son of Drummond and Isabel Craigie of Whome, Westside, and was born on May 3rd 1798. In 1822 he married 20-year-old Janet Leonard, the daughter of Peter Leonard and Isabella Flaws, and they had two children whilst living at Whome; James, born on May 4th 1823 and Peter on November 17th 1827. They moved to Mansmasshill where daughter Janet was born on October 19th 1829, and it was not long after they moved to nearby Quoycare, where four more children, Thomas, Magnus, Mary, and William, were born between 1831 and 1838.

The 1851 census described William as an agricultural labourer, as was his son Thomas. Magnus attended the nearby school, Mary was employed at home, and 12-year-old William was described as an invalid.

In the latter part of the century Magnus, then earning a living as a fisherman, was the only occupant of Quoycare. He married 21-year-old Mary Logie, daughter of Westness shepherd Robert Logie and his wife Mary Murray. Unfortunately Mary died in February 1891, aged just 29. She was buried in the Westside kirkyard alongside her siblings: Robert who died in April 1876 aged 19 years; James, who passed away in August 1884 aged 16, and her sister Eliza, who was 21 when she died on January 12th 1886.

Categories
Westside

Whome

Whome – with Windbreck, Geurhouse, Pow and Scabra

Edited section of the first Ordnance Survey map of Rousay, showing the location of the houses named above.

Whome was a farm on Rousay situated close to the dyke which separated Westness from Quandale. Spelt Quham in the Rental of 1503, it was skatted as a 3d. land. It is recorded that the rents of two and a quarter pennylands in Quham, which had belonged to Sir Malise Sperra, were then “in Sir Thomas Cragy’s and John Cragy’s hands”; the remaining three-quarter pennyland was called Breck. The old farm-buildings stood a little way below the public road above the old houses of Brough, and were later used as sheepfolds.

Drummond and Isabel Craigie lived and worked at Whome towards the end of the 18th century. They had three children; Mary was born in 1792, William on May 3rd 1798, and James, who was born on July 28th 1801. Drummond then married Barbara Murray in 1804, and they had two children; Betty was born on July 29th 1805, and Alexander who was born at Kettlewhoam on April 25th 1808. A lady known as Giles Craigie became Drummond’s third wife in 1822.

Living at Wholme, as it was spelt in the census of 1841, was Cecilia Craigie, a 70-year-old farmer, and Betsy Craigie, though the main tenant was the aforementioned Alexander Craigie. He married Ann Murray, the daughter of Magnus  Murray  and Janet Robertson of Tofts, Quandale, who was born in 1813. They had seven children; Mary, Janet, John, and Margaret, who were all born between 1837 and 1847 at Wholme. The family then moved to Loweshouse in the neighbourhood of Feolquoy in Wasbister, where James and Alexander were born in 1850 and 1853. They then they moved into Feolquoy, where another son Magnus was born in 1856.

The farm was spelt Whome in the census of 1851, and there were two tenants; Christian Danny, a 52-year-old widowed pauper, and her daughter Betsy, then a 15-year-old agricultural labourer.

The other tenant was James Murray, a 34-year-old agricultural labourer. Having been evicted from Tofts at Quandale the Murray family moved to Whome. Magnus Murray died in 1846, and his widow Janet was now in her 68th year and described in the census as independent. James’s 25-year-old sister Mary, who was an agricultural labourer, also lived there. They were the last inhabitants of Whome before it became incorporated within Westness farm.

Windbreck, or Windbreak as it was spelt in the census of 1841, was a house on the Westside situated below the Slap of Aklar, near the bend on the public road close to the old School. At this time it was occupied by farmer Alexander Logie and his family. Alexander was originally a merchant, living at Quoygrinnie and his first wife was Isabel Harold. They had six children, the first three of whom were born at Cott, Westside – James on December 13th 1819, Charles on December 13th 1821, and Betty on August 29th 1823. The other three were born at Windbreck – another Betty, born on November 13th 1825, Maria on July 20th 1828, and Mary on May 1st 1831. Alexander’s second wife was Barbara Murray and they had a further five children; Magnus, born in 1839, Eliza in 1842, Margaret in 1846, Alexander in 1849, and John, in 1850.

The land of Geurhouse, an even older farm to the south-west, had already been annexed to Windbreck by 1841. Nearer the cliffs was another farm called Skaebrae, or Scabra, reckoned sometime as a 5d. land. Between 1733 and 1740 it was occupied  by  Ursula  Marwick. It then passed into the hands of John Couper who was married to Jean Ballenden and they had a son Magnus. In 1799 George Hercus and his wife Christian lived and worked there. The farm and its land later became part of Westness Farm.

Pow was a farm on Westside, later incorporated within Westness Farm. The old house-site was situated between Whome and Scabra Head and in the early 19th century it was occupied by the Reid family and they farmed the adjacent land.

George Reid was born in Westray in 1755 and he married Barbara Logie, the daughter of Gilbert Logie and Helen Scott of Westray. They had six children; Barbara, born in 1801; George in 1807; Peter in 1810; Jean in 1813; Elizabeth in 1815; and Mary who was born in 1819, but she died at a young age.

By the time the census of 1841 was carried out old George and his wife Barbara had moved along the Westside to Garson. In 1831 their son George married Janet Harcus, daughter of William Harcus and Christy Flaws, and between 1832 and 1844 they had eight children: firstborn was William, on April 10th 1832, but he died at the age of just ten; George, born on January 1st 1834; Mary, on March 28th 1835; John, born on November 6th 1837; Peter, on  November 19th 1838; Hannah, on December 2nd 1840; William, on December 21st 1842; and Lydia, on October 11th 1844. George was a cottar sub-tenant at Pow, and during the Westness Clearances in 1848 he was deprived of the land. Having been evicted he and his family moved to the opposite side of the island where he built a new home – Wasdale.

George Reid the younger, and his wife Janet Harcus

[Both photos courtesy of the Tommy Gibson Collection]

Categories
In Print

Knowe o’ Dale

Dancing a jig on the Knowe o’ Dale

The Knowe o’ Dale at Quandale, Rousay, is a large Bronze Age crecentric burnt mound. But did you know it is also a ‘trowie knowe’ – occupied by trows who do their best to lure strangers into their lair. I tell visitors the following story, ‘Jock in the Knowe’, and also advise them to dance a jig on the crest of the knowe so they do not fall foul of the trows’ dark intentions!

The Knowe o’ Dale, with the house of Tofts overlooking Quandale

Two Rousay men were on their way home one evening from the fishing. The road they took went past a knowe. When they got near the knowe they thought they could hear music. On coming closer they could make out the sound of bagpipes coming from inside. They went round the mound, but could see nothing. Just as they were about to go, they saw a door standing open in the side of the knowe. They went to see what was inside, still carrying their heavies of fish on their backs. The one man had his knife in his hand and he stuck it above the door as he went in. His companion didn’t have a knife, but he went in as well.

As they stepped inside, and their eyes grew accustomed to the dark, they saw a host of fairies dressed in blue and white, dancing. The one man said, “Boy, Jock, it’s time to go.” He turned around, took his knife from above the door and left. His friend did not have a knife, and without steel he had no power to escape. The door closed and he was left inside. His friend got a party of men together and went to look for the knowe, but they could not find it.

A year later the same man was on his way home from the fishing once again. His journey took him on the same road as it had done the year before. Again he heard music, and found the knowe where he had lost his friend. He ran home and got two knives and an iron hoop from an old barrel and went back to the knowe as fast as he could. When he arrived he found the door, and there he saw Jock in the same place as he had left him, still with the heavie of fish on his back. He stuck the two knives above the door, entered, and threw the hoop right over Jock. As he did this the fairies all disappeared and the door closed when the two men came out. Jock thought that he had only been in the knowe for a few minutes, and it took some time to convince him that it was not so.

The fairies all set sail in eggshells across the sea. The ones from the parish of Sourin were crossing the Westray Firth to Westray when their eggshell boats sank, and they were all drowned. From that day forward there have been no fairies seen in Rousay.


Credit goes to Orkney Museum Exhibitions Officer Tom Muir for allowing me to reproduce
this from his book The Mermaid Bride and other Orkney Folk Tales, – the original being
in Duncan J Robertson’s Orkney Folklore, published in Vol II Proceedings of the
Orkney Antiquarian Society, 1923-24.

Categories
Quandale

Inner Quandale

Inner Quandale was the smallest district in Rousay, with four farms. The divisions were the dyke at Whome and the dyke from the Sinians of Cutclaws to the main road. In the 1841 census Pow was the largest farm, with George Reid as tenant. George was born in 1808 died in 1900. He was evicted out of Quandale, so he went to Sourin, but found no houses available. He found a site and built Westdale. While he was building the house he slept in the heather. When he finished building, George dug out some the fields by hand. He originally named the house Westdale, being west of Ervadale and Brendale.

Whome with Craigies as tenants and Windbreck with Logies are the other two farms. Another house, long since empty then, called Geurhouse was taken over by Windbreck. Inner Quandale was depopulated by the l860’s.

Fishing Geo
Whisber [above left] and the sheer face of rock to the north [right]

In the days of fishing in Rousay small boats had to go out to the fishing grounds. At certain states of the tide it could be slightly hazardous. Boats used to go and shelter in the Fishing Geo, the sea never broke in the Geo and the boats rose and fell in the swell while the big rollers broke a few yards away. The Hole of the Horse is a natural sea arch to the north of the Fishing Geo. The Sinians, this is a large hole in the cliffs near to the division dyke to the north. This used to have a natural arch across. This was perhaps 15 feet across. This divided the Sinians in two. This huge arch fell down in the mid 50’s.

Spectacular seascapes either side of The Hole o’ the Horse, Scabra Head

The Sinians of Cutclaws: from the outside looking in {left], and the inside looking down [right].

Below is a Tom Kent photo, c1900, showing Scabra Head and the Hole o’ the Horse – from the Sinians interior.
[Image courtesy of Orkney Library & Archive]

In the l920’s a golf club was formed in Rousay and a nine hole course was created in Inner Quandale. This was a very popular pastime with a large membership of young and not so young men. Hugh Marwick of Moan in Wasbister was employed as the green keeper. A corrugated iron shed was bought and placed above Wholme to keep the mowers and flags. Members of the Kirkwall and Stromness golf clubs were invited and came out to Rousay and played many tournaments. This club was finished by the end of the l930’s.

The western view from ‘Golf Course Corner’: Midhowe to the left, with Eynhallow and Costa Head across the water, Scabra Head, and Quoynalonganess to the right

In the early sixties another golf club was formed. Concerts were rehearsed and performed, cards were played, dances were organised, all to make funds. This club was active till about I967-8. This was due to depopulation in Rousay.

It was said at the time, this was the best natural golf course in the north of Scotland, with its braes, humps and hollows. One man walking between the first and second holes slid, fell and broke his leg ended up in hospital for a few weeks. The club was finished by the late 60’s.

[My thanks to Tommy Gibson, Brinola, for allowing me to reproduce his story of Inner Quandale]

Categories
Quandale

Quandale Views

This cairn is at High Robbie, the name given to a huge quarry site on the hill known as Moolie. Higher up is Twelve Hours Tower, a prominent part of the hill seen throughout Wasbister, looking at which the folks who lived there knew the time of day.

An interesting feature of Quandale’s past is this ‘sheep dip.’ The structure is basically a narrowing stone-walled channel with a flagged and cobbled floor in order to direct sheep into a pond of water which was created by damming the burn. It was built in the 1800s before the time of chemicals when they hoped giving the sheep a good soak in water might help to clear them of parasites.

Above left: Entrance to the sheepfold above Quoynalonganess
Right: Lichen and Sea Pinks add colour to the shore below Quandale

Boulders and breakers on Digger Beach

Cliff edge views at Bring Head – not far from the northern-most of all the Quandale houses – North House

The ruin of Tofts dominates the skyline wherever you are in Quandale

From the road above Quandale – a great place to watch a mid-summer sunset

Categories
Quandale

Old Parish School, Quandale

The Old Parish School served the Quandale and Westness communities. At the time of the 1841 census, carried out on June 7th of that year, the population numbered 214 souls, which included 41 children between the ages of 5 and 13. The school building was centrally situated for the two communities it served, sited on high ground above the old hill dyke. Its location afforded a splendid view over Quandale and Eynhallow Sound, though because of that it took the full force of the winter weather off the sea.

The schoolroom itself measured 20×12 feet, with a 2-roomed house adjoining it. Behind lay a large walled area which was probably the schoolmaster’s kailyard. Beyond that, a 3-acre expanse of ground was surrounded by a stone dyke. Close to the house was a small byre, identifiable by its dung hole set low in one wall. For a long time it had been stipulated that a rural schoolmaster should be provided with a house, a kailyard, and enough land on which to keep a cow. The Quandale school provision appeared to correspond with those requirements.

The schoolmaster at that time, Robert Yorston, wrote to the Presbytery in 1824 complaining about his salary and scant accommodation. The Rousay minister Mr. James Paterson, was asked to investigate and to report back at the next meeting but the minutes make no mention of a report being made. The Presbytery required ministers to carry out annual inspections of the schools in their parishes and to submit reports of their findings. It appears Mr. Paterson was rather lax in these matters for it is recorded in 1832 that his neglect of his school duties brought upon him “an expression of his colleagues’ annoyance.”

In the Statistical Account of 1845 it is reported that the Rousay school-master’s salary amounted to £26 per annum and his fees to £6. There were 41 children in the parish between the ages of 6 and 15 who were unable to read, and 21 folk over the age of 15 in the same situation. The number of children in the parish, which included the islands of Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre, and Eynhallow, was between 250 and 300 so the proportion unable to read was only about 1 in 7.

This was a very high rate of literacy considering school attendance at that time was not compulsory. This level of literacy was common in Orkney and considerably higher than in most parts of Scotland. Few children stayed at school beyond the age of 13, and in the summer months attendance at school was always severely affected by the practice of keeping children at home to work on the farms, doing herding and carrying out other tasks.

Divinity student James Brotchie took charge of the school in 1832 after satisfying the Presbytery regarding his moral character and his proficiency in ‘the proper branches of education.’ After five years in the post he left to become assistant minister in Westray, and he was was succeeded by George Robson, who came from the Society School in Stenness. It is recorded that he had been elected at a meeting of the heritors and that the Presbytery ‘examined him in English, Reading and Grammar, Arithmetic, Navigation, Latin, and Greek, and having found him qualified to teach all these Branches, confirmed his appointment to the office of Parochial School-master.’ Robson, a native of Banff, came to Rousay in 1838 and a few years later married local girl Janet Murray and they had three daughters; Anne, Eliza, and Margaret. He stayed for sixteen years and was replaced by a Caithness man, Sinclair MacKay. Like his predecessor, MacKay married shortly after coming to the island, his wife being Mary Corsie from Skaill. They had three sons; John, James, and William.

The clearance of people from the main part of Quandale took place in the late 1840’s, resulting in the potential attendance of the school dropping from 41 to 33 between 1841 and 1851. In 1841 there were 41 children in the district and if a high proportion of them attended school, one wonders how they all managed to crowd into such a small classroom. The number of children dropped by half during the 1850’s when the larger holdings such as Brough and Skaill, lying nearer Westness, were absorbed into Westness Farm after the expiry of their leases. It was during that period also that those crofts which lay on the upper fringes of Quandale, such as Stourameadow and Flintersquoy, were cleared. The families remaining in the district after 1860 were mainly employed on Westness Farm.

Sinclair MacKay was still presiding over the Westside school in 1861, but by 1871 he had been transferred to a new Parish School in Frotoft, built on the high ground above Tratland.

After lying empty for a number of years the old Quandale school building became a dwelling house for Robert Logie, the shepherd looking after the Westness flocks. He was the son of John Logie and Mary Craigie of Geo, Westness, and was born on September 2nd, 1833. He married Mary Murray, daughter of Magnus and Janet Murray of Tofts, Quandale. They had a family of seven children, three boys and four girls, born between 1858 and 1871, though four of them died at an early age.

A tombstone in the Westside kirkyard records the demise of this family:

Erected in memory of
Robert Logie many years shepherd on Westness
died December 1927 aged 93 years and his wife
Mary Murray died February 1906 aged 82 years.
Their sons, Robert died April 1876 aged 19 years,
James died August 1884 aged 16 years.
Their daughters Eliza died January 1886 aged 22 years,
and Mary died February 1891 aged 29 years.

Robert Logie, with his grandson Sandy Logie c1916

[Photo courtesy of Tommy Gibson]

The last shepherd to live in the old school building was Charlie Louttit, who was killed in France in the First World War. Charles William Louttit was born in Evie on August 11th 1883. He was the son of Charles Still Louttit of Evie and Mary Ann Kirkness of Holm, and he married Mary Jemima Mainland Kirkness of Grain, Rousay, on May 17th 1906. Serving with the 1/4th Gordon Highlanders, he was killed in action during the Battle of Bapaume in France on March 25th 1918 – a fact recorded on the Evie war memorial.

The roof of Caithness slate was removed from the old school in 1921 and made use of when the new house at Bigland was built in Sourin.

[Reference was made to Robert Craigie Marwick’s From My Rousay Schoolbag for the opening paragraphs. Further information came from Tommy Gibson, and Orkney Library & Archive]