As the Brough of Birsay is on a tidal island which can only be reached c. 2 hours either side of low water, it is essential to check the time of the tides when planning a visit.  Use the times for Tingwall on the chart here… The stony causeway can be slippery in places, so ensure that you have plenty of time when returning.

Both elements of the place-name ultimately come from the Old Norse borg (‘fort’), but their meanings are slightly different. ‘Brough’ refers to the naturally defensive qualities of the island, whereas ‘birsay’ (byrgisey) means an island accessible only by a narrow neck of land.

The Brough of Birsay is an amazingly complex site.  Excavations showed that it was settled by the Picts in the 7th century.  The Pictish symbol stone displayed on site is a cast, the original is in the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.  Pictish houses were excavated beneath the Viking Age buildings, but the only visible feature of Pictish date is a well on the east side of the churchyard.  Finds from the excavation included high quality included brooches and rings, bone combs and dress pins.

In the early 9th century Vikings settled on the Brough.  The well-preserved remains of a number of buildings of various dates within the Viking period are visible.  Of particular note are the rooms of 10th-century houses and a building that has been interpreted as an 11th-century sauna.  There are also the remains of a smithy.