Pierowall: Difference between revisions
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==Archaeology== |
==Archaeology== |
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A Viking-age cemetery has been excavated, and finds include a [[penannular brooch]] which combines the styles of [[Celtic art|Celtic]] and Scandinavian art.<ref>Curle, ''A Find of Viking Relics in the Hebrides'', p. 241</ref> |
A Viking-age cemetery has been excavated at Pierowall, and finds include a [[penannular brooch]] which combines the styles of [[Celtic art|Celtic]] and Scandinavian art.<ref>Curle, ''A Find of Viking Relics in the Hebrides'', p. 241</ref> |
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In a chambered cairn near the village, complex carving can be seen on a stone which was probably a lintel. This is thought to originate in the same culture which produced similar carvings at [[Newgrange]] in [[Ireland]].<ref>M. MacDonald, ''Scottish Art'' (London: Thames and Hudson, 2000), ISBN 0500203334, pp. 10-11</ref> |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 04:38, 30 April 2013
Pierowall is a village and harbour of Westray in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland. The island's largest settlement, the village lies near its northern end, on Pierowall Bay.
Present day
The Westray Heritage Centre stands at the heart of the village, which also has an art gallery. Away to the west are the ruins of Noltland Castle, built by Gilbert Balfour in the 16th century, notable for its massive spiral staircase "second only to Fyvie Castle, while its triple tiers of gunloops are without parallel in Scotland, if not Europe".[1]
Nearby stands the Category B listed Lady Kirk, a ruined church built in 1674 on the foundations of an older 13th-century church, one of two ruined churches on the island of Westray. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of Historic Scotland.[2] Other listed structures include Trenabie Bere Mill and the Gill Pier of Pierowall Harbour. Some seven miles to the south is the Rapness ferry terminal, on the southernmost tip of Westray, linked by ferry with Papa Westray and Kirkwall.[3]
Pierowall has a maritime climate, with cool summers, mild winters, strong winds, and above average rainfall. Visitors can stay in the centre of the village at the Pierowall Hotel.
Archaeology
A Viking-age cemetery has been excavated at Pierowall, and finds include a penannular brooch which combines the styles of Celtic and Scandinavian art.[4]
In a chambered cairn near the village, complex carving can be seen on a stone which was probably a lintel. This is thought to originate in the same culture which produced similar carvings at Newgrange in Ireland.[5]
Notes
- ^ J. Keay, Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (London: HarperCollins, 1994)
- ^ "Pierowall, Lady Kirk, Including Boundary Wall". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ Pierowall at visitscotland.com, accessed 30 April 2013
- ^ Curle, A Find of Viking Relics in the Hebrides, p. 241
- ^ M. MacDonald, Scottish Art (London: Thames and Hudson, 2000), ISBN 0500203334, pp. 10-11