Buckquoy spindle-whorl, Birsay

#6 among attractions in Birsay

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Facts and practical information

The Buckquoy spindle-whorl is an Ogham-inscribed spindle-whorl dating from the Early Middle Ages, probably the 8th century, which was found in 1970 in Buckquoy, Birsay, Orkney, Scotland. Made of sandy limestone, it is about 36 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick. It is the only known spindle-whorl with an Ogham inscription. ()

Coordinates: 59°8'3"N, 3°19'25"W

Address

Birsay United Kingdom

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Day trips

Buckquoy spindle-whorl – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Earl's Palace, Brough of Birsay, Loch of Boardhouse, Loch of Swannay.

0.4 miSE
Forts and castles
Earl's Palace, Birsay
11 min walk • The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
0.6 miW
Lighthouse, Vernacular architecture
Brough of Birsay, Birsay
15 min walk • The unmanned Brough of Birsay Lighthouse lighthouse was built in 1925 by David A Stevenson. It is located on the Brough of Birsay, an uninhabited tidal island off the north west coast of Mainland in Orkney, Scotland, in the parish of Birsay.
2.1 miSE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Loch of Boardhouse, Birsay
55 min walk • The Loch of Boardhouse is a freshwater loch in the parish of Birsay in the north west of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It acts as a reservoir for public water supply and is popular for trout fishing.
4.2 miE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Loch of Swannay, Mainland
107 min walk • The Loch of Swannay is the most northerly loch on the mainland of Orkney and lies within the parish of Birsay in the north west of the island. It is an elliptically shaped, freshwater loch and is close to the lochs of Hundland and Boardhouse.
3.4 miE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Loch of Hundland, Birsay
87 min walk • The Loch of Hundland is a shallow freshwater loch in the parish of Birsay in the north west of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. The loch lies between the larger lochs of Swannay and Boardhouse and acts as the main water catchment for Loch of Boardhouse.
6.1 miSE
Watermill
Dounby Click Mill, Mainland
155 min walk • Dounby Click Mill is a mill located on the Mainland of Orkney, in Scotland. It is the last of the horizontal or "Norse" watermills of Orkney still in working order. The mill is constructed with drystone walls and roofed with flagstones and turf.
0.4 miNW
Island
Brough of Birsay
12 min walk • One of the main attractions on the Brough of Birsay is the remains of a Norse settlement, dating back to the 8th century. Visitors can wander around the well-preserved ruins of a Norse church and dwellings, gaining insight into the lives of the early settlers in this...