The pre reformation Tankerness House in Kirkwall is now home to the Orkney Museum, but has a wealth of history of it’s own.

The frontage of Tankerness House belies what lays behind

Opposite St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is Orkney’s finest town house, with the first pre reformation structures built as manses for the Archdeacon and Choir Master of St. Magnus Cathedral.

Following the reformation in 1574, it became home to Gilbert Fulzie, Kirkwall’s first Protestant priest.

The street front to the house does little to illustrate the large building that lays behind.

Built  around a rectangular courtyard with a large walled garden, it was acquired in 1641 by James Baikie and at this point was given it’s name of Tankerness House.

Baikie

Baikie, like many other names in Orkney can be traced back to it’s viking past and James Baikie, who was a successful Kirkwall merchant was descended directly from Paul Baikie, navigator to King Håkon IV in 1264, mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga’s. James’ son Arthur Baikie became Provost of Kirkwall.

The west wing of the house was built by James Baikie in the 1640s and the family continued to live there, renovating and developing the property until

The large, well manicured gardens with the Groatie House in view

1951.  Tankerness House was then passed to Kirkwall Borough Council and later came under the care of the Orkney Islands Council.

Extensive restoration was carried out in 1968 when it was converted into Orkney Museum, telling the story of Orkney from prehistoric times to the present day.

The museum now houses artefacts from Orkney’s prehistoric past, native pictish peoples and the viking invaders and settlers.

Orkney’s commerce is also well represented with collections from local businesses and fishing industry.

Walled Garden

The beautiful walled garden of Tankerness house is planted with herbaceous borders surrounding a neatly manicured large lawn area.

Somewhat protected from the Orkney elements, the garden has a few rockeries and an area close to the house where herbs are grown.  At the bottom of the garden is a strange tower shaped building with a conical roof, known as the Groatie Hoose.

Groatie Hoose

A square box like room with it’s conical roof appears to have been in the garden of Tankerness House for many years. However, the story behind this building involves pirates, a large fire and a restoration project.

More information

Orkney Museum – Find out more about the collections and opening times.

Groatie Hoose - Discover the story behind this strange building

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Malcolm Laing was a Scottish lawyer and historian born in Orkney to Robert Laing and Barbara Blaw in 1762.  A blue heritage plaque marks the now seemingly insignificant site in Kirkwall.

Malcolm Laing birthplace opposite St. Magnus Cathedral in Orkney.

Trained as a lawyer, he was called to the Scottish bar on 9 July 1785, but his interests lay elsewhere and he spent much of his time devoted to historical study.

Following the death of a local Historian, Dr. Robert Henry, executors requested that Malcolm Laing complete his writings and in 1793, volume six of the ‘History of Great Britain’ was published.

In 1802 Laing published his own work;  ‘History of Scotland, from the Union of the Crowns, on the Accession of King James VI to the Throne of England, to the Union of the Kingdoms’.

Laing published a second, four volume, revised edition of his ‘History of Scotland’ in 1804.

The first two volumes concentrated on the ‘Dissertation on the participation of Mary Queen of Scots in the Murder of Darnley,’  His attempts to bring authenticity to the original “Casket letters” and his following conculsion makes for a very strong case against queen Mary.

He also edited ‘The Life and Historie of James VI,’ in 1804 and a year later in 1805, Laing published two volumes on the ‘Poems of Ossian, containing the Poetical Works of James MacPherson in Prose and Verse, with Notes and Illustrations.’

1805 also saw his marriage to Margaret Dempster Carnegie, on 10 September, daughter of Thomas Carnegie and Mary Gardyne.  They had no children.

Malcolm Laing represented Orkney and Shetland in Parliament, between 1807 and 1812 as a Liberal politician and did a great deal to improve agriculture in the region.

Heritage Plaque marking the place of his birth

In 1808, Malcolm Laing returned to his estate in Orkney.  He became ill, never leaving the bounds of his estate.  When Sir Walter Scott visited him in 1814, he wrote ‘Our old acquaintance, though an invalid, received us kindly; he looks very poorly, and cannot walk without assistance, but seems to retain all the quick, earnest, and vivacious intelligence of his character and manner’ (Lockhart, Life of Scott, ed. 1842, p. 271).

Laing died at his Orkney estate on 6th November 1818. A memorial tablet is situated on the wall of the north nave of Kirkwall Cathedral;

‘Depth, truth, and independence as an historian were,’ says Lord Cockburn, ‘the least of his merits, for he was a firm, warm-hearted, honest man, whose instructive and agreeable companionship was only made the more interesting by a hard, peremptory, Celtic manner and accent.’

Available from our Spirit of Orkney book store

More Information

Electric Scotland – Significant Scots.

History of Scotland, from the Union of the Crowns, on the Accession of King James VI to the Throne of England, to the Union of the Kingdoms

This title remains a valuable work for those studying Scottish history and is available from the Spirit of Orkney secure online book store.

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A heritage plaque on a fairly insignificant building on a Kirkwall street indicates the site of a 17th century Town Hall and Prison.

A heritage plaque is situated on the side of the building

On the corner of Albert Street and The Strynd, Kirkwall, a building with whitewashed lower walls once served it’s time as Kirkwall Town Hall and a prison.

If anybody has any more information on the history of this building or indeed any of it’s inmates, we would be keen to hear from you.

You can contact us by using the comments section at the end of this article.

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A large part of the imposing and magnificent St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall has stood for over 850 years.

In 1137, work started on this church built of red and yellow sandstone, to house the bones (relics) of St. Magnus.

St. Magnus

Northern side view featuring the Rose window.

St. Magnus is the patron saint of Orkney and a 12th century Norwegian ruler of the islands.

Earl Magnus Erland ruled alongside his cousin Earl Haakon but the two had many differences.

Around 1117, the two earls were brought together by their followers, in an attempt at reconciliation but the warmongering Earl Haakon had no intention of a peaceful meeting and brought with him eight ships and an army of men.

The popular and peace loving Earl Magnus attempted to settle things amicably but Haakon’s advisers insisted that Magnus must die.

The grim task fell upon Haakon’s cook, Lifolf, who killed Magnus with his axe.  The body was then buried at Christ’s Church in Birsay.

Miracles

Stories of miraculous cures began to be associated with Earl Magnus’ burial place.  Public opinion became so strong that the Bishop of Orkney declared Magnus a saint and the day of his death, 16th April, became the day of his martyrdom.

Earl Rognvald

In 1129 Kali Kolson, the nephew of Earl Magnus came to Orkney and defeated Haakon’s ruling son.  Kali became Earl of Orkney and took the name Rognvald in memory of a previous Earl.  Rognvald vowed he would build a church of stone dedicated to his uncle and to it “be brought his relics and with them the Episcopal seat”.

Upon his death, Rognvald was laid to rest in the magnificent church which he had founded, and thirty years after his death was also declared a saint.  The remains of St. Magus and St. Rognvald remain within the cathedral.

The cathedral

Stunning vaulted ceiling and Romanesque arches of the nave

The strong walls of St Magnus Cathedral are constructed of red and yellow sandstone, giving a warmth and softness to the magnificent structure.

Impressive Romanesque style blind arches, run along the full length of the nave of the cathedral.  It is suggested that these were not only ornamental but helped to reduce the weight of the walls.

Detailing in the stonework is breathtaking but not ostentatious.  For a large building constructed of stone, it has a feeling of homely warmth and a certainty that one is safe within it’s walls.

Many tombstones lifted from the floor, now stand against the walls of the nave isles, the majority from the 17th century.

An arched recess in the south wall is believed to belong to the native Orkney Paplay family and is thought to date back to the 14th century.

Dungeons & Knights Templar

St. Magnus cathedral is the only cathedral in the British Isles with a dungeon.  Located between the south wall of the choir and south transept chapel, it is known as Marwick’s Hole and records tell of imprisoned men and women as late as the 18th century.

A Knights Templar cross can also be seen carved into one of the stones in the south transept.

Fine carvings

Throughout the cathedral is a wealth of intricate wooden carvings.  None more so than the choir area and the decorative organ screen designed by George Mackie Watson.

During restoration works in 1919, some of the stones in the choir’s south arcade were found to be loose.  In a cavity behind these stones was found a casket containing the relics of St. Magnus.  The casket now resides in Orkney Museum but the bones were restored to their original resting place.

HMS Royal Oak

Memorial in St Magnus Cathedral

In the north choir isle, is a memorial to the 833 drowned men of HMS Royal Oak, which was torpedoed in Scapa Flow by a German U-Boat in 1939.

The ship’s bell which was recovered from the wreck by dievrs int he 1970′s, hangs over a wooden plaque and glass topped case.

The glass case contains a book listing the names of those who perished at sea.

A regular weekly job of the cathedral wardens is to turn a single pages of the book of remembrance.

St. Rognvald Chapel

The east end of the choir, part of which dates from the 13th century was dedicated St Rognvald chapel in 1965.  New furnishings were commissioned which incorporate 16th and 17th century carved panels which had been held for preservation in the cathedral.

Fine carvings and ancient panels adorn the chapel

Designed by Orcadian Dr Stanley Cursiter, the Queen’s limner and Painter in Scotland and made by local carpenter Reynold Eunson, the communion table and prayer desk are inlaid with the 16th and 17th century panels with three figures of Kol, St. Rognvald and Bishop William the Old standing above in three arches.

Arctic Explorer

A monument to a great Orcadian explorer

To the right of the St. Rognvald Chapel is a life size monument to Dr. John Rae, the famous Orcadian Arctic explorer who surveyed parts of the North West Passage and discovered the fated Franklin expedition.

More information

Orkneyinga Saga - Discover more about the Norse Earldom of Orkney.

St Magnus Cathedral website

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Housed within a concrete and glass frame outside a church in Orkney, is a public barometer.

Standing around 1m high and kept under lock and key the scientific equipment is an unusual sight to see amongst all the other street furniture.

Stromness barometer

The barometer is to be found on the boundary wall of Stromness Parish Church

Incorporated into the boundary wall of Stromness Parish Church in Orkney the thermometer and barometer seem to be mounted on a wooden frame.

Little seems to be published on the internet about this equipment. However, peering through the cobwebs and dusty glass you can just make out some writing hidden in the gloom which reads;

‘Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Supported by voluntary contributions’ and a date  which is hard to make out  and could possibly be  ’y 98′.

Hidden in dust and cobwebs is some text

A clearer label is also attached between the barometer at the top and the thermometer which reads;

‘This Barometer reads correctly with Greenwich Standard FRS’

Red box

Positioned to the left of the barometer cabinet is a smaller cabinet, currently empty, that possibly held another device or maybe an explanation on the usage of the adjacent equipment.

Your help

Can you add to the history of this scientific equipment?

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Within the high walls at the rear of Tankerness House, the home of the Orkney Museum, is the unusual building called the Groatie Hoose.

Set as a focal point to the well manicured lawns and tended flower beds, the cone shaped roof on a square box like room appears to have been here for many years. However, the story behind this building involves pirates, a large fire and restoration.

Pirates

The history behind this building starts in 1724 when John Gow, a pirate, acquired the vessel, known as the Caroline, somewhere off Santa Cruz.

Set in the grounds of Kirkwall Museum is the Groattie Hoose

Renamed ‘Revenge’, it carried out a number of attacks before arriving at Stromness, now called the called the ‘George’ in early 1725.

It was only a matter of time before the true identity of Gow, the vessel and the crew were revealed.

Rather than give themselves up to the authorities, Gow and his men decided to set out to successfully attack the Hall of Clestrain, the birthplace of the explorer John Rae.

Carrick house on Eday was to be the next target, however they ran aground and were arrested.

John Gow was taken to London were he was hung, twice, on the 11th of August, 1729

Ballast

Contained within the hull of the Revenge was a large amount of volcanic stones used as keel ballast.

These stones were used to build a summerhouse for an Edinburgh lawyer and merchant James Traill who had retired to Orkney. His house, called the Gallery, was on Bridge Street.

James Traill became Provost of Kirkwall from 1730-33.

The Groattie Hoose, Kirkwall

Seashells, known as European Cowries or locally as groatie buckies,  were used to decorate the spire.  This is where the name Groatie Hoose comes from.

Fire

Although James Traill had nine children, none of them survived childhood and the Gallery passed to his nephew John Traill of Westness upon his death in 1733.

Extensive renovation and building works were carried out on the property and garden.

The house remained in the family for over 100 years before being turned in to an hotel.

Gutted by fire in 1938, the main building was demolished and built over.

The Groatie Hoose remained until 2005 when it was moved brick by brick from Bridge Street to its present location.

Further information

Groatie House Warming

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The ruins of the Earl’s Palace in Birsay, are a mere shadow of a grand reformation residence that once stood oppressively over the local Orcadians.

Around 1565, Robert Stewart, the illegitimate son of James V, was granted rule of Orkney and Shetland by Mary, Queen of Scots. Built around 1574, he built his pretentious main residence in Birsay.

Facing North west from the central courtyard

Various inventories and descriptions lay testament to the lavish interiors and sumptuous decor of the rooms that went hand in hand with the pain and suffering brought about the Orcadian people by their unjust and tyrannical ruler.

Dominating the village and shore of Birsay, the building was constructed around a central courtyard and well.  Being part fortress, part residence, three large towers flanked its walls with gun holes along the ground floor.

The first floor had large sumptuous rooms with a stunning gallery in the west wing.  The ceilings were elaborately painted with biblical scenes.

According to the inscription above the entrance, the work was started in 1574, with the great hall and beside it, Lord Robert’s private chamber.

The West Gallery

It is thought that the second phase may have taken place after Lord Robert acquired the Earldom in 1581. A great hall and chamber were added on the north side of the courtyard.

After the death of Earl Robert, later Earls only paid scant attention to this dwelling and writings indicate that it was falling into ruin by 1701.

Presence

Walking around the ruins, it is hard to imagine how lavish and extravagant this place would have been. However, it’s presence is out of keeping with the rest of the landscape and it would have been a very imposing structure in it’s day.

Visiting

In Birsay on the A966.
Grid reference – HY 248 277.
Access – Free of Charge

More Information

Birsay Heritage Trust

Robert Stewart – First Earl of Orkney - Undiscovered Scotland

Historic Scotland – Places to visit

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The Rendall Doocot (dovecote) was built in 1648 on the Hall of Rendall estate to house pigeons.

The Rendall Doocot (Dovecote)

Doocot is the Orkney word for Dovecote and the Rendall Doocot in Evie, is built in the Beehive style, the oldest type in Scotland, built in a cone shape with four string courses of stones or slates protruding from the outside of the four foot thick walls, as a barrier to rats.

Doocots or Dovecotes were built to house Pigeons and the evidence of such structures can be traced back to 3000 BC and the 5th Egyptian Dynasty.

The Romans were noted for their Dovecotes which brought in large amounts of revenue in Florence and Rome, but it was the

String courses visible from the outside

Normans who introduced them to Britain.

Keeping Pigeons
Pigeons were kept for the tables of the wealthy and were an important source of food with young pigeons called Squabs in England or Peesers in Scotland, a great delicacy.

The ancient Egyptians used pigeons as messengers and in France and the Middle East, their dung was used to fertilise the soil.  It is known that their dung was also used to fertilise the Orkney soils.

Fewer Doocots were erected after the introduction of Turnips from Sweden in the 18th Century, providing people with a source of food throughout the winter.

Interior showing nesting holes

Birds entered the Doocot through a hole in the roof and nested in the many irregular gaps on the inside of the walls.

The oldest known Beehive dovecot is in Garway, Herefordshire, UK and dates to 1326.

In 1625 Charles I ordained that the floors must not be covered or paved but must be left as bare earth.  The dung (high in potassium nitrate) was mixed with black earth to form gunpowder.

Most Doocots in Orkney are rectangular or square with lean-to roofs made of slat or stone flags, known as lecterns.  Of note are the buildings at Scar House, Sanday and Woodwick in Evie.

The Balfour Castle Doocot in Shapinsay, which was also used as a shower or douche in the 19th Century is an example of a decorative or drum type, built with an eye to their effect on the surrounding landscape.

Find out more
The Roman Columbarium – Find out more about the fascination of Pigeon/Dove keeping in Rome
The British Dovecote Society – Promoting the study, documentationa dn preservation of Dovecotes and Pigeon lofts throughout the UK.

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